Linguistic Lens Shaping Perception

Decoding Human Behavior: How Language Shapes Our Choices

Theo Raines in Mind & Education August 2025 • 4 min read.

"Uncover the surprising ways linguistic cues influence emotions, norms, and decision-making, challenging traditional economic models."

For decades, understanding human behavior in economic games has been a central area of study. Researchers have been particularly interested in one-shot, anonymous interactions. These scenarios allow us to observe behavior in its purest form, untouched by potential future consequences or social pressures.

It's well-established that individuals in these contexts don't solely focus on maximizing their financial gains. For example, a significant number of people choose to share their money in the dictator game, challenging the assumption that material outcome is the primary motivator. This leads to a crucial question: If not material gain, what drives people's decisions?

The search for this elusive 'utility function' has spurred a wealth of research, with a focus on 'social preferences'. While these models differ in detail, they generally assume that a player's utility hinges on the monetary payoffs for everyone involved. However, this 'consequentialist assumption'—that decisions are purely based on monetary outcomes—is facing increased scrutiny.

The Hidden Influence of Language: Beyond Monetary Outcomes

One of the most significant challenges to the traditional view comes from experiments highlighting the profound impact of language on our choices. Simply put, how a situation is described can dramatically alter our behavior.

Consider these compelling examples:

The Power of Naming: In a classic study, changing the name of a Prisoner's Dilemma from the "Wall Street game" to the "Community game" significantly increased cooperation among players.
Framing Rejection: Participants in an ultimatum game were more likely to reject low offers when the act was described as "rejecting the proposer's offer" rather than "reducing the proposer's payoff", even though the financial consequences were identical.
The 'Nice Thing to Do': By simply labeling one option as the 'nice thing to do', researchers found they could influence participants' choices between equitable and efficient money distributions, regardless of the actual implications.
Boosting Altruism: Describing an altruistic action as "boosting" the recipient in a dictator game led to significant changes in behavior.

These findings reveal a fascinating, and potentially dark, side to this phenomenon. For instance, when dictator game receivers were allowed to select the linguistic frame of the game, they predictably chose language that encouraged higher payouts to themselves. Similarly, individuals high in Honesty-Humility traits were more likely to accept a bribe if it was presented as a 'cooperation act.' In essence, language can be strategically manipulated to serve self-interests.

The LENS Model: A New Perspective

The LENS model offers a novel framework for understanding human behavior, moving beyond the limitations of outcome-based models. According to LENS, language works by evoking specific emotions and suggesting norms of behavior. These emotions and norms then interact, ultimately shaping our strategic choices. The model emphasizes the critical role of linguistic frames and calls for a paradigm shift from outcome-based to language-based preferences. As we continue to explore this exciting new frontier, understanding how language influences our decisions becomes paramount.

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Everything You Need To Know

What is the LENS model and how does it differ from traditional economic models?

The LENS model is a framework for understanding human behavior that moves beyond outcome-based models, which traditionally focus on monetary payoffs. The LENS model posits that language evokes specific emotions and suggests norms of behavior, which then shape our strategic choices. Unlike traditional models that assume people make decisions based solely on financial gain, LENS emphasizes language-based preferences, highlighting how linguistic frames influence our choices. This shift suggests that how a situation is described can dramatically alter our behavior, even if the financial consequences remain the same.

How does the language used in the Prisoner's Dilemma affect cooperation among players, and what does this reveal about decision-making?

Changing the name of the Prisoner's Dilemma from the "Wall Street game" to the "Community game" significantly increased cooperation among players. This seemingly simple linguistic shift demonstrates that the way a situation is framed—in this case, the very name of the game—can have a profound impact on behavior. This suggests that individuals are not solely driven by maximizing their own financial gains, but also by the emotions and norms evoked by the language used to describe the situation. The "Community game" framing likely activated social norms related to cooperation and community, leading to increased sharing.

Can you explain how framing affects decisions in the ultimatum game?

In the ultimatum game, participants were more likely to reject low offers when the act was described as "rejecting the proposer's offer" rather than "reducing the proposer's payoff", even though the financial consequences were identical. This reveals how the language used to describe an action influences our choices. Framing the action as a rejection, rather than a mere reduction in payoff, seems to activate feelings of fairness or social disapproval, leading participants to reject offers they might otherwise accept. The implication is that our decisions are not always rational and can be swayed by the specific language used to describe our options.

How can language be manipulated to influence behavior in scenarios like the dictator game?

In the dictator game, researchers found that by simply labeling one option as the 'nice thing to do', they could influence participants' choices between equitable and efficient money distributions, regardless of the actual implications. Moreover, describing an altruistic action as "boosting" the recipient in a dictator game led to significant changes in behavior. Even more concerning is that when dictator game receivers were allowed to select the linguistic frame of the game, they predictably chose language that encouraged higher payouts to themselves. This shows how language can be strategically manipulated to serve self-interests, potentially influencing outcomes in ways that benefit the manipulator at the expense of others.

What are the key takeaways from the research regarding language and decision-making in economic games, and how does this challenge existing economic models?

The research highlights that language significantly shapes our choices by evoking emotions and suggesting norms, challenging the traditional view that people make decisions solely based on monetary outcomes. Examples such as the 'Wall Street game' versus 'Community game', the framing of rejection in the ultimatum game, and the use of labels like 'nice thing to do' reveal that linguistic cues heavily influence our behavior. These findings undermine the 'consequentialist assumption' of traditional economic models, which focus on material outcomes. The LENS model provides a new framework, emphasizing language-based preferences and calling for a paradigm shift in how we understand human behavior, moving beyond the limitations of outcome-based models.