<p>Under the influence of globalization, the Moral Foreign Language Effect (MFLE) has emerged as a focal point in moral decision-making research. Grounded in dual-process theory and informed by the process dissociation paradigm, this study systematically manipulated time pressure (time pressure/no time pressure) and affective involvement (high/low) to investigate how foreign language contexts modulate the contributions of cognitive versus intuitive processing in moral judgments. The results revealed that the MFLE manifested exclusively under conditions combining time pressure and high affective involvement, indicating its dependence on contexts requiring heightened intuitive engagement. Critically, the MFLE arose from the dynamic interplay between intuitive and cognitive systems, with foreign language environments primarily altering the relative weight of intuitive inputs during moral evaluation—a mechanistic account that underscores the effect’s reliance on shifts in processing dominance. These findings not only empirically validate the joint impact of time pressure and affective involvement on the MFLE but also reconcile competing explanations within dual-process theory by demonstrating its context-dependent nature. Practically, the study suggests that attenuating emotionally salient cues in multilingual decision-making environments could mitigate potential biases induced by the MFLE, offering actionable insights for cross-cultural policy and communication design.</p>