Code-switching across brainstorming sessions: implications for the revised hierarchical model of bilingual language...

Area of Science:

• Psycholinguistics
• Cognitive Science
• Neuroscience

Background:

• The revised hierarchical model (RHM) explains bilingual language processing.
• It proposes independent word forms and shared conceptual representations for dominant (L1) and nondominant (L2) languages.
• The RHM suggests stronger conceptual activation for L1 than L2.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the RHM's predictions regarding language switching and conceptual activation in bilinguals.
• To examine the effect of language switching on idea productivity and concept repetition during brainstorming tasks.

Main Methods:

• Spanish-English and English-Spanish bilinguals participated in two brainstorming sessions.
• Participants either switched languages (L1-L2 or L2-L1) or stayed in the same language (L1-L1 or L2-L2) across sessions.
• Idea productivity and repetition rates were measured to assess conceptual activation.

Main Results:

• L1 brainstorming yielded higher idea productivity than L2 brainstorming, supporting stronger L1 conceptual activation.
• Switching from L2 to L1 in the second session led to the highest idea productivity.
• Language switching increased the repetition of ideas, suggesting dual activation of concepts and word forms.

Conclusions:

• Findings partially support the RHM, particularly regarding stronger L1 conceptual activation.
• The L2-to-L1 switch's high productivity suggests L1 accesses different concepts than L2, requiring RHM re-specification.
• Same-language brainstorming involves dual activation (concepts and word forms), aiding task adherence.