The Foreign Language Effect on Victim Blaming: The Moderating Role of the Belief in a Just World

Using a foreign language can influence moral decisions. However, it was previously unclear whether such a foreign language effect might affect victim blaming. The purpose of this study was to investigate how the use of foreign language affects victim blaming and to explore whether this effect is modulated by belief in a just world. The results showed that the type of language significantly influenced victim-blaming behaviour. Specifically, participants in the foreign language group were less likely to blame the victim than those in the native language group. Furthermore, belief in a just world modulated the foreign language effect on victim blaming; that is, the foreign language effect was only observed in the high belief in a just world threat condition. The entire study not only confirms dual-process theory but also highlights the role of individuals' belief in a just world in foreign language effect.