Chinese and English Speakers’ Linguistic Expression of Probability and Probabilistic Thinking

Abstract

Previous research found that when bilingual Chinese speakers responded to a View of Uncertainty Questionnaire (VUQ) in English, they exhibited greater nonprobabilistic thinking than did native English speakers. This study compares English and Chinese speakers’ responses to a VUQ in their native languages. Their responses to a Probability Scale Task (PST), in which respondents labeled a numerical scale in their own language, also were compared. On the VUQ, results from several measures suggested that the Chinese speakers showed more nonprobabilistic thinking than did the English speakers. Similarly, in the PST, they used a lesser variety of probability phrases and used them less precisely than did the English speakers. It is argued that these results advance understanding of the relation between probabilistic thinking and the use of probability language.