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The Interplay Between Language Form and Concept During Language Switching: A Behavioral Investigation
Yong Zhang1,2, Ningning Cao3, Chang Yue1
1School of Foreign Languages, Southwest University of Political Science and Law, Chongqing, China.
Frontiers in Psychology
|May 20, 2020
Summary
Bilinguals experience slower responses when switching languages and concepts. This study reveals language control mechanisms operate at multiple cognitive stages, impacting processing speed.
Area of Science:
- Cognitive Psychology
- Psycholinguistics
- Bilingualism Research
Background:
- Language switching research has not fully differentiated cognitive processes for language form vs. concept switches.
- Understanding bilingual language control is crucial for models of cognitive processing.
Purpose of the Study:
- To dissociate cognitive costs associated with language form switches and concept switches in bilinguals.
- To investigate the interaction between language switching and conceptual processing.
Main Methods:
- A novel language-switching paradigm was employed with Chinese-English bilinguals.
- Participants named pictures presented sequentially, cued to specific languages (Chinese or English).
- Picture concepts varied across trials: identical, semantically related, or unrelated.
Main Results:
- Significant language (form) switch costs and concept switch costs were observed.
- An additive interaction between language and concept switching was found.
- Longest naming times occurred with semantically unrelated concepts and language switches.
Conclusions:
- Language control mechanisms in bilinguals operate at multiple processing stages.
- Findings support models where language and conceptual processing interact dynamically.
- The study clarifies distinct yet interacting cognitive demands in bilingual language use.
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