Boaz Keysar
Principal InvestigatorBoaz Keysar is the William Benton Professor in Psychology at the University of Chicago. He studies how people use language, how they make decisions, and how the two are related. He investigates how people use their knowledge of others to communicate and to interpret language, and how being in the mode of a foreign language systematically affects the way they make decisions.
He was a fellow at the Center for Advanced Study in the Behavioral Sciences at Stanford, a Guggenheim Fellow, and has received the best paper award from the Psychonomics society.
Publications
Foreign Language Effects on Judgment and Decision Making
Geipel et al., 2026
In: Reference Collection in Social Sciences
Can Italians Understand Spanish? Language Closeness Exacerbates the Illusion of Understanding
Ren et al., 2026
Psychological Science
Embarrassment guides language choice
Lau et al., 2025
Cognition
Zero-Sum Beliefs Across Age and Generations
Vazquez-Olivieri et al., 2025
Journal of Experimental Psychology: General
The impact of language on decision-making: Auction winners are less cursed in a foreign language
Fu et al., 2025
Journal of Economic Psychology
The influence of accent on the evaluation of trust-building efforts during conflict
Grant et al., 2024
PLOS ONE
Foreign Language Reduces False Memories by Increasing Memory Monitoring
Grant et al., 2023
Journal of Experimental Psychology: General
Culturally Anchored Mental-Health Attitudes: The Impact of Language
Heller et al., 2023
Clinical Psychological Science
The Impact of Informational Intervention on HPV Vaccination Intention among Heterosexual Men
Zhang et al., 2023
Vaccines
Language modality influences risk perception: Innovations read well but sound even better
Geipel et al., 2023
Risk Analysis
Use of a language intervention to reduce vaccine hesitancy
Geipel et al., 2022
Scientific Reports
The Extreme Illusion of Understanding
Lau et al., 2022
Journal of Experimental Psychology: General
Lingua Franca as a Hidden Barrier to Conflict Resolution
Grant et al., 2022
Journal of Conflict Resolution
Listening Speaks to Our Intuition While Reading Promotes Analytic Thought
Geipel et al., 2022
Journal of Experimental Psychology: General
Young Children Enlarge the Pie: Antecedents of Negotiation Skills
Santhanagopalan et al., 2022
Journal of Experimental Psychology: General
A psycholinguist who spoke his mouth: Introduction to the special issue on bilingualism in honour of Albert Costa
Alario et al., 2021
Language, Cognition and Neuroscience
Language context and decision-making: Challenges and advances
Costa et al., 2019
Quarterly Journal of Experimental Psychology
When and Why People Evaluate Negative Reciprocity as More Fair Than Positive Reciprocity
Shaw et al., 2019
Cognitive Science
Escalation of negative social exchange: Reflexive punishment or deliberative deterrence?
Vandermeer et al., 2019
Journal of Experimental Social Psychology
The role of intentions and outcomes in the foreign language effect on moral judgements
Costa et al., 2019
Quarterly Journal of Experimental Psychology
On the reliability of the foreign language effect on risk-taking
Hayakawa et al., 2019
Quarterly Journal of Experimental Psychology
Honesty Speaks a Second Language
Bereby-Meyer et al., 2018
Topics in Cognitive Science
Using a foreign language reduces mental imagery
Hayakawa et al., 2018
Cognition
The Unforeseen Consequences of Interacting With Non-Native Speakers
Lev-Ari et al., 2018
Topics in Cognitive Science
Exposure to multiple languages enhances communication skills in infancy
Liberman et al., 2017
Developmental Science
Our Moral Choices Are Foreign to Us
Corey et al., 2017
Journal of Experimental Psychology: Learning, Memory, and Cognition
Thinking More or Feeling Less? Explaining the Foreign-Language Effect on Moral Judgment
Hayakawa et al., 2017
Psychological Science
Using a Foreign Language Changes Our Choices
Hayakawa et al., 2016
Trends in Cognitive Sciences
The Exposure Advantage: Early Exposure to a Multilingual Environment Promotes Effective Communication
Fan et al., 2015
Psychological Science
Your Morals Depend on Language
Costa et al., 2014
PLOS ONE
Executive control influences linguistic representations
Lev-Ari et al., 2013
Memory & Cognition
How culture influences perspective taking: differences in correction, not integration
Wu et al., 2013
Frontiers in Human Neuroscience
The Foreign-Language Effect: Thinking in a Foreign Tongue Reduces Decision Biases
Keysar et al., 2012
Psychological Science
Less-Detailed Representation of Non-Native Language: Why Non-Native Speakers' Stories Seem More Vague
Lev-Ari et al., 2012
Discourse Processes
Using Theory of Mind to represent and take part in social interactions: Comparing individuals with high-functioning autism and typically developing controls
Begeer et al., 2010
European Journal of Developmental Psychology
Why don't we believe non-native speakers? The influence of accent on credibility
Lev-Ari et al., 2010
Journal of Experimental Social Psychology
Interns Overestimate the Effectiveness of Their Hand-off Communication
Chang et al., 2010
Pediatrics
Reflexively mindblind: Using theory of mind to interpret behavior requires effortful attention
Lin et al., 2010
Journal of Experimental Social Psychology
The closeness-communication bias: Increased egocentrism among friends versus strangers
Savitsky et al., 2010
Journal of Experimental Social Psychology
Less Is More: A Minimalist Account of Joint Action in Communication
Shintel et al., 2009
Topics in Cognitive Science
Keeping Track of Speaker's Perspective: The Role of Social Identity
Senay et al., 2009
Discourse Processes
In the Mood to Get Over Yourself: Mood Affects Theory-of-Mind Use
Converse et al., 2008
Emotion
Reciprocity Is Not Give and Take: Asymmetric Reciprocity to Positive and Negative Acts
Keysar et al., 2008
Psychological Science
Egocentric processes in communication and miscommunication
Keysar, 2008
In: Intention, Common Ground and the Egocentric Speaker-Hearer
Communication and miscommunication: The role of egocentric processes
Keysar, 2007
Intercultural Pragmatics
Mispredicting the Hedonic Benefits of Segregated Gains
Morewedge et al., 2007
Journal of Experimental Psychology: General
You Said It Before and You'll Say It Again: Expectations of Consistency in Communication
Shintel et al., 2007
Journal of Experimental Psychology: Learning, Memory, and Cognition
The Effect of Information Overlap on Communication Effectiveness
Wu et al., 2007
Cognitive Science
The Effect of Culture on Perspective Taking
Wu et al., 2007
Psychological Science
Perspective Taking and the Coordination of Meaning in Language Use
Barr et al., 2006
In: Handbook of Psycholinguistics: 2nd Edition
Mindreading in an Exotic Case: The Normal Adult Human
Barr et al., 2005
In: Other Minds: How Humans Bridge the Divide Between Self and Others
Coordination of Action and Belief in Communication
Keysar et al., 2005
In: Approaches to Studying World-Situated Language Use: Bridging the Language-as-Product and Language-as-Action Traditions
Is language processing different in dialogue?
Barr et al., 2004
Behavioral and Brain Sciences
Making Sense of How We Make Sense: The Paradox of Egocentrism in Language Use
Barr et al., 2004
In: Figurative Language Comprehension: Social and Cultural Influences
Perspective Taking as Egocentric Anchoring and Adjustment
Epley et al., 2004
Journal of Personality and Social Psychology
Perspective taking in children and adults: Equivalent egocentrism but differential correction
Epley et al., 2004
Journal of Experimental Social Psychology
Limits on theory of mind use in adults
Keysar et al., 2003
Cognition
Self-Anchoring in Conversation: Why Language Users Do Not Do What They "Should"
Keysar et al., 2002
In: Heuristics and Biases: The Psychology of Intuitive Judgment
SPEAKERS' OVERESTIMATION OF THEIR EFFECTIVENESS
Keysar et al., 2002
Psychological Science
Anchoring Comprehension in Linguistic Precedents
Barr et al., 2001
Journal of Memory and Language
The Role of Suppression and Enhancement in Understanding Metaphors
Gernsbacher et al., 2001
Journal of Memory and Language
Conventional Language: How Metaphorical Is It?
Keysar et al., 2000
Journal of Memory and Language
The Illusory Transparency of Intention: Does June Understand What Mark Means Because He Means It?
Keysar, 2000
Discourse Processes
TAKING PERSPECTIVE IN CONVERSATION: The Role of Mutual Knowledge in Comprehension
Keysar et al., 2000
PSYCHOLOGICAL SCIENCE
Swimming against the current: Do idioms reflect conceptual structure?
Keysar et al., 1999
Journal of Pragmatics
The Collaborative Model and Psychological Evidence: Some Principles for Designing Cooperative Systems
Barr et al., 1998
Cognition
The Egocentric Basis of Language Use: Insights From a Processing Approach
Keysar et al., 1998
Current Directions in Psychological Science
Speaking with common ground: from principles to processes in pragmatics: a reply to Polichak and Gerrig
Keysar et al., 1998
Cognition
Definite Reference and Mutual Knowledge: Process Models of Common Ground in Comprehension
Keysar et al., 1998
Journal of Memory and Language
Language Users as Problem Solvers: Just What Ambiguity Problem Do They Solve?
Keysar, 1998
In: Social and Cognitive Approaches to Interpersonal Communication
Unconfounding Common Ground
Keysar, 1997
Discourse Processes
When do speakers take into account common ground?
Horton et al., 1996
Cognition
States of Affairs and States of Mind: The Effect of Knowledge of Beliefs
Keysar et al., 1995
Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes
The Revival of Idioms
Keysar et al., 1995
The American Journal of Psychology
Intuitions of the Transparency of Idioms: Can One Keep a Secret by Spilling the Beans?
Keysar et al., 1995
Journal of Memory and Language
The Illusory Transparency of Intention: Linguistic Perspective Taking in Text
Keysar, 1994
Cognitive Psychology
Common sense and adult theory of communication
Keysar et al., 1993
Behavioral and Brain Sciences
Metaphor and Communication
Keysar et al., 1992
Poetics Today
Metaphor Understanding and Accessing Conceptual Schema: Reply to Gibbs (1992)
Glucksberg et al., 1992
Psychological Review
Understanding Metaphorical Comparisons: Beyond Similarity
Glucksberg et al., 1990
Psychological Review
Functional Theory of Illusory Conjunctions and Neon Colors
Prinzmetal et al., 1989
Journal of Experimental Psychology: General
On the Functional Equivalence of Literal and Metaphorical Interpretations in Discourse
Keysar, 1989
Journal of Memory and Language