How do false friends affect negotiation outcomes in English

False friends can negatively affect negotiation outcomes in English by causing misunderstandings and misperceptions between negotiating parties. False friends are words that look or sound similar in two languages but have different meanings, and their incorrect interpretation can lead to confusion, miscommunication, and distorted perceptions of intent. This is especially problematic in negotiations conducted in English by non-native speakers who might misinterpret false friends, potentially perceiving messages as more hostile or aggressive than intended. Such misunderstandings can increase unwarranted hostility, reduce satisfaction, and escalate reactions, ultimately harming negotiation effectiveness and outcomes.

In remote or written negotiations, these misunderstandings are particularly pronounced because the absence of non-verbal cues relies heavily on precise language comprehension. The negative effects of false friends highlight the importance of clear communication and linguistic awareness to avoid lexical interference and ensure that negotiated agreements reflect true intentions rather than misinterpreted meanings.

Thus, false friends affect negotiation outcomes by increasing the risk of communication failures, fostering misperceptions of hostility or intent, and impairing the ability to reach mutually beneficial agreements in English-language negotiations. ^{1, 2, 3}

References

• THE NEGATIVE IMPACT OF “THE FALSE FRIENDS OF THE INTERPRETER” ON THE ENGLISH CONTEXT (BASED ON THE MATERIAL OF ARCHITECTURAL VOCABULARY)

• False Perceptions in Remote Negotiations Influenced by False Friends. A Negotiating Experiment Using Common European-English False Friends

• False Friends in Translation: A Lexical Source of Interference in English–Azerbaijani Contexts

• The Impact of Interactive Videos on English Language Learning: Achievement and Attitudinal Outcomes in Turkish Fifth-Grade Classrooms

• Impact of Language Proficiency on Error Rate in Croatian-English False Friends

• Friends’ Impact on Learners’ Motivation to Learn the English Language: Kurdish EFL Learners’ Attitudes

• Automatic Identification of Cognates and False Friends in French and English

• PENINGKATAN HASIL BELAJAR BAHASA INGGRIS POKOK BAHASAN MAKNA DALAM TEKS LISAN FUNGSIONAL MELALUI STRATEGI TRUE OR FALSE PADA SISWA TUNANETRA KELAS VII DI SLB-A TPA JEMBER

• Semantic change. Evidence from false friends.

• The impact of information sources on COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy and resistance in sub-Saharan Africa

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• Should I Trust You? Detecting Deception in Negotiations using Counterfactual RL

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• From Claiming to Creating Value: The Psychology of Negotiations on Common Resource Dilemmas

• Absolute Versus Relative Success: Why Overconfidence Creates an Inefficient Equilibrium

• Renegotiation-Proof Cheap Talk

• When Asking “What” and “How” Helps You Win: Mimicry of Interrogative Terms Facilitates Successful Online Negotiations

• Predicting Dishonesty When the Stakes Are High: Physiologic Responses During Face-to-Face Interactions Identifies Who Reneges on Promises to Cooperate