Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 17, 2026
05:31
Examining Bilingual Language Control Using the Stroop Task
Published on: February 26, 2020
Bimodal bilingualism and the frequency-lag hypothesis
Karen Emmorey1, Jennifer A F Petrich, Tamar H Gollan
1Laboratory for Language and Cognitive Neuroscience, 6495 Alvarado Road, San Diego, CA 92120, USA. kemmorey@mail.sdsu.edu
Journal of Deaf Studies and Deaf Education
|October 18, 2012
Summary
Bilinguals showed slower word retrieval in American Sign Language (ASL) compared to English, supporting the frequency-lag hypothesis. However, this lexical slowing was not observed in English, suggesting unique processing for bimodal bilinguals.
Area of Science:
- Psycholinguistics
- Bilingualism Research
- Cognitive Neuroscience
Background:
- The frequency-lag hypothesis suggests bilinguals experience lexical retrieval delays, especially in their less-used language.
- This delay is attributed to divided language use and reduced frequency in the nondominant language.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the frequency-lag hypothesis in bimodal bilinguals (American Sign Language-English).
- To compare lexical retrieval in ASL and English for bimodal bilinguals against monolinguals and deaf signers.
Main Methods:
- A picture-naming study was conducted with hearing ASL-English bilinguals, deaf signers, and English monolinguals.
- Naming latencies, accuracy, and word frequency effects were analyzed for both ASL and English.
Main Results:
- Bimodal bilinguals exhibited slower, less accurate naming and larger frequency effects in ASL compared to English and deaf signers.
- No significant differences in naming or frequency effects were found for bimodal bilinguals in English compared to monolinguals.
- Age of ASL acquisition and interpreting experience did not influence the observed effects.
Conclusions:
- Findings support the frequency-lag hypothesis for the nondominant language (ASL) in bimodal bilinguals.
- The absence of a frequency lag in English suggests that phenomena like mouthing or code-blending may mitigate lexical slowing in the dominant language for bimodal bilinguals.
Related Concept Videos
01:27Language and Cognition
Language serves as a bridge between ideas and communication, influencing how individuals perceive and interact with the world. Psychologists have long debated whether language shapes thought or vice versa. This discussion gained grip with Edward Sapir and Benjamin Lee Whorf in the 1940s, who proposed that language determines thought, a concept known as linguistic determinism. They suggested that the vocabulary and structure of a language influence how its speakers think and perceive reality.
01:28Lateralization
Brain lateralization refers to the division of mental processes and functions between the two hemispheres of the brain, a phenomenon that optimizes neural efficiency and underpins complex abilities in humans. This specialization allows each hemisphere to perform tasks where it has a comparative advantage, facilitating more refined cognitive capabilities across different domains.
01:21Time and frequency -Domain Interpretation of Phase-lag Control
Phase-lag controllers are widely used in control systems to improve stability and reduce steady-state errors. A dimmer switch controlling the brightness of a light bulb serves as a practical example of phase-lag control, gradually adjusting the bulb's brightness. Mathematically, phase-lag control or low-pass filtering is represented when the factor 'a' is less than 1.
Phase-lag controllers do not place a pole at zero, but instead influence the steady-state error by amplifying any finite,...
Phase-lag controllers do not place a pole at zero, but instead influence the steady-state error by amplifying any finite,...
01:21Frequency-dependent Selection
When the fitness of a trait is influenced by how common it is (i.e., its frequency) relative to different traits within a population, this is referred to as frequency-dependent selection. Frequency-dependent selection may occur between species or within a single species. This type of selection can either be positive—with more common phenotypes having higher fitness—or negative, with rarer phenotypes conferring increased fitness.
01:10Higher Mental Functions of the Brain: Language
Language is a system of communication that allows the expression of thoughts, ideas, and feelings. The brain processes language in both hemispheres.
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 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...