Proactive and reactive language control in bilingual language production revealed by decoding sustained potentials...

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Psycholinguistics
• Cognitive Science

Background:

• Bilingual language production involves complex executive functions, including language control.
• Understanding the interplay of proactive and reactive control mechanisms is crucial for bilingualism research.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate proactive and reactive language control in Chinese-English bilinguals during picture naming.
• To examine the neural correlates of language switching using electroencephalography (EEG).

Main Methods:

• Utilized multivariate electroencephalography (EEG) and alpha-band decoding analyses.
• Employed a language-switching task with picture naming based on visual cues.
• Analyzed EEG decoding accuracy for switch and non-switch trials to infer language inhibition.

Main Results:

• Multivariate EEG decoding accuracy for the first language (L1) was above chance shortly after cue onset, but not for the second language (L2).
• Alpha-band decoding accuracy for L1 showed significant levels in both early and late time windows relative to stimulus presentation.
• Asymmetric decoding patterns suggest dominant L1 control, potentially involving both proactive and reactive mechanisms.

Conclusions:

• Bilingual word production involves distinct proactive and reactive attentional control mechanisms, primarily over the dominant language (L1).
• Evidence suggests a possible overlap between proactive and reactive language control strategies in bilinguals.
• Findings contribute to refining models of bilingual language control and executive function.