Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 20, 2026

Examining Bilingual Language Control Using the Stroop Task
Published on: February 26, 2020
Inhibition in language switching: what is inhibited when switching between languages in naming tasks?
1Institute of Psychology, RWTH Aachen University, Jägerstrasse 17-19, D-52066 Aachen, Germany. philipp@psych.rwth-aachen.de
Abstract:
When people switch between languages, inhibition of currently irrelevant languages is assumed to occur. The authors examined inhibition of irrelevant languages with a cued language-switching paradigm. A cue indicated in which of 3 languages (German, English, or French) a visual stimulus was to be named. In 2 experiments, the authors found that naming latencies were increased in n-2 language repetitions (e.g., German/English/German) compared with in n-2 language nonrepetitions (e.g., French/English/German). This difference (n-2 repetition costs) indicates persisting inhibition of abandoned languages. It is important to note that n-2 language-repetition costs also occurred in conditions in which the language but not the cue (Experiment 1) or the stimulus/response set (Experiment 2) repeated from trial n-2 to trial n. These data demonstrate that inhibition is not restricted to a specific cue or stimulus/response set. Rather, the data suggest more global inhibitory processes that affect the mental representation of competing languages.
Related Concept Videos
Language and Cognition
Lateralization
Higher Mental Functions of the Brain: Language
Language formation and comprehension take place in the dominant hemisphere. The dominant hemisphere is responsible for understanding the meaning of spoken, written, or sign language, as well as the ability to communicate. For most people, the left hemisphere is the dominant one. The right hemisphere, then, gives tone and emotional context to the...
Language Development
The critical period for language acquisition suggests that the ability to acquire language is at its peak early in life. As people age, this proficiency decreases. Language development begins very...
Feedback Inhibition

