English is the dominant language in the study of human cognition and behavior: the individuals studied by cognitive scientists, as well as most of the scientists themselves, are frequently English speakers. However, English differs from other languages in ways that have consequences for the whole of the cognitive sciences, reaching far beyond the study of language itself. Here, we review an emerging body of evidence that highlights how the particular characteristics of English and the linguistic habits of English speakers bias the field by both warping research programs (e.g., overemphasizing features and mechanisms present in English over others) and overgeneralizing observations from English speakers’ behaviors, brains, and cognition to our entire species. We propose mitigating strategies that could help avoid some of these pitfalls.

英语是人类认知和行为研究中的主要语言：认知科学家研究的个体，以及大多数科学家本身，通常都是说英语的。然而，英语与其他语言的不同之处在于对整个认知科学的影响，远远超出了语言本身的研究范围。在这里，我们回顾了一组新出现的证据，这些证据强调了英语的特殊特征和说英语的人的语言习惯如何通过扭曲研究计划（例如，过分强调英语中存在的特征和机制）和过度概括英语的观察来偏向该领域说话者的行为、大脑和对我们整个物种的认知。我们提出了可以帮助避免其中一些陷阱的缓解策略。