Can Italians Understand Spanish? Language Closeness Exacerbates the Illusion of Understanding
Published online on April 20, 2026
Abstract
Psychological Science, Volume 37, Issue 5, Page 365-374, May 2026.
People often understand parts of languages that are closely related to their native tongue. But do they understand what the speaker intends to convey? We discovered that linguistic similarity induces an illusion of understanding, leading people to believe ...
People often understand parts of languages that are closely related to their native tongue. But do they understand what the speaker intends to convey? We discovered that linguistic similarity induces an illusion of understanding, leading people to believe ...