Related Experiment Video
Updated: Feb 20, 2026
05:31
Examining Bilingual Language Control Using the Stroop Task
Published on: February 26, 2020
15.6K
Cross-linguistic phonotactic competition and cognitive control in bilinguals
Max R Freeman1, Henrike K Blumenfeld2, Viorica Marian1
1Bilingualism and Psycholinguistics Research Group, Roxelyn and Richard Pepper Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, Northwestern University, 2240 Campus Drive Evanston, IL 60208-3540,.
Journal of Cognitive Psychology (Hove, England)
|October 25, 2017
Summary
Bilinguals with better cognitive control show less interference from their native language
Area of Science:
- Psycholinguistics
- Cognitive Neuroscience
- Bilingualism Research
Background:
- Cognitive control is crucial for managing multiple languages.
- Sublexical processing, involving sound patterns, is key to language comprehension.
- Bilinguals may experience interference from their native language's phonotactics during second language processing.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the relationship between cognitive control and sublexical linguistic competition in bilinguals.
- To determine if enhanced inhibitory control in bilinguals reduces phonotactic interference from Spanish during English comprehension.
Main Methods:
- A Stroop task measured inhibitory control.
- A lexical decision task assessed linguistic competition using Spanish-English cognates and nonwords.
- Participants included Spanish-English bilinguals and English monolinguals.
Main Results:
- Bilinguals with superior inhibitory control (smaller Stroop effect) exhibited reduced competition from Spanish phonotactic constraints when processing English.
- This effect was evident with nonword targets sharing phonotactic and phonological features with Spanish cognate primes.
Conclusions:
- Cognitive control is linked to the resolution of sublexical linguistic competition in bilinguals.
- Non-linguistic cognitive abilities may directly influence the management of co-activated linguistic structures at the sublexical level.
Related Concept Videos
01:27Language and Cognition
836
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.
836
01:28Lateralization
1.1K
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.
1.1K
01:10Higher Mental Functions of the Brain: Language
3.9K
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...
3.9K
01:22Language Development
973
Children master language quickly and with relative ease, supported by both biological predisposition and reinforcement. B. F. Skinner (1957) proposed that language is learned through reinforcement, while Noam Chomsky (1965) argued that language acquisition mechanisms are biologically determined.
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...
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...
973
01:24Components of Language
842
Language, whether spoken, signed, or written, consists of specific components: lexicon and grammar. The lexicon is the vocabulary of a language, comprising its words. Grammar is the set of rules used to convey meaning through the lexicon. For example, English grammar adds “-ed” to most verbs to indicate past tense. Words are formed by combining phonemes, which are the basic sound units of a language. Different languages have different sets of phonemes (e.g., “ah” vs.
842
01:17Cognitivism
3.2K
Cognitive psychology emerged as a significant field in the mid-20th century. It focused on understanding humans' internal mental processes. This approach emphasizes how people perceive, remember, think, and solve problems—elements critical to human cognition.
Previously dominated by behaviorism, which prioritized observable behaviors and largely ignored mental processes, psychology transformed in the 1950s. Cognitive psychologists argue that understanding how we think and process...
Previously dominated by behaviorism, which prioritized observable behaviors and largely ignored mental processes, psychology transformed in the 1950s. Cognitive psychologists argue that understanding how we think and process...
3.2K