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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Oct 3, 2025

Examining Bilingual Language Control Using the Stroop Task

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Published on: February 26, 2020

When Language Switching is Cost-Free: The Effect of Preparation Time.

Michela Mosca¹, Chaya Manawamma^2,3,4, Kees de Bot⁵

¹Division of Cognitive Psychology, University of Potsdam.

Cognitive Science

|February 15, 2022

Summary

Bilinguals can eliminate language switching costs with sufficient preparation time. This suggests cognitive limitations do not prevent advance language preparation, making switches effortless.

Keywords:

Bilingualism Inhibition Language reconfiguration Language switching Preparation time

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Area of Science:

Psycholinguistics
Cognitive Neuroscience
Bilingualism Research

Background:

Language switching is known to incur cognitive costs.
These costs often persist despite opportunities for preparation.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate cognitive limitations in preparing for language switches.
To determine if advance language preparation can eliminate switching costs.

Main Methods:

Measured language switching costs in Dutch-English bilinguals naming pictures.
Manipulated preparation time using varying cue-to-stimulus intervals (CSI: 0 ms, 250 ms, 500 ms, 800 ms).

Main Results:

Significant language switching costs were observed with no preparation time (CSI: 0 ms).
Switching costs disappeared when participants had preparation time (CSI: 250 ms, 500 ms, 800 ms).

Conclusions:

There appear to be no inherent cognitive limitations to preparing for a language switch.
Adequate preparation time can eliminate the effort associated with language switching.
This may explain the fluency observed in natural code-switched conversations.