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Updated: Feb 14, 2026
05:31
Examining Bilingual Language Control Using the Stroop Task
Published on: February 26, 2020
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Interference in Dutch-French Bilinguals.
James R Schmidt1, Robert J Hartsuiker2, Jan De Houwer1
11 Department of Experimental Clinical and Health Psychology, Ghent University, Belgium.
Experimental Psychology
|February 9, 2018
Summary
Second language words trigger similar cognitive conflicts as first language words in bilinguals. This study reveals that both semantic and response processing are equally affected, regardless of language proficiency.
Area of Science:
- Cognitive Psychology
- Psycholinguistics
- Bilingualism Research
Background:
- Congruency effects in bilinguals are typically observed in tasks like the Stroop task.
- Previous research suggests potential differences in processing first and second languages.
- The Stroop task involves presenting color words that are either congruent or incongruent with the ink color.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the source of congruency effects in Dutch-French bilinguals.
- To differentiate between stimulus conflict and response conflict in first and second language processing.
- To determine if second language words elicit diminished semantic and/or response influences compared to first language words.
Main Methods:
- Participants performed a color-identification Stroop task using both Dutch (L1) and French (L2) color words.
- A 2-to-1 keypress mapping manipulation was employed to separate stimulus and response conflict.
- Congruency effects were measured by comparing performance on congruent and incongruent trials.
Main Results:
- Congruency effects were observed for both first and second language distracting color words.
- Both stimulus conflict (meaning-based) and response conflict (action-based) were identified for L1 and L2.
- The magnitude of these conflicts did not differ significantly between the two languages.
Conclusions:
- Second language words influence semantic and response processing similarly to first language words.
- The findings challenge the notion of diminished processing for second language stimuli.
- Bilinguals exhibit comparable cognitive control mechanisms across their languages.
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