Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 12, 2026
05:31
Examining Bilingual Language Control Using the Stroop Task
Published on: February 26, 2020
Influence of Language Dominance on Crosslinguistic and Nonlinguistic Interference Resolution in Bilinguals
Andrea Gálvez-McDonough1,2, Henrike K Blumenfeld1,3, Anahy Barragán-Diaz1,4
1School of Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences, San Diego State University.
Bilingualism (Cambridge, England)
|May 11, 2026
Summary
Spanish-English bilinguals with greater English dominance showed increased interference and facilitation effects in both language tasks and nonlinguistic cognitive control. This suggests language dominance impacts cognitive control processes in bilinguals.
Area of Science:
- Psycholinguistics
- Cognitive Neuroscience
- Bilingualism Research
Background:
- Bilingualism involves managing two languages, often leading to crosslinguistic interactions.
- Language dominance, the relative proficiency in each language, may influence cognitive control.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate how relative language dominance affects interference resolution in Spanish-English bilinguals.
- To explore the relationship between linguistic interference and nonlinguistic cognitive control.
Main Methods:
- A web-based Spanish picture-word interference naming task was used.
- A subsequent spatial Stroop paradigm assessed nonlinguistic interference.
- Performance accuracy and reaction times were analyzed.
Main Results:
- Both tasks demonstrated expected interference and facilitation effects.
- Greater English dominance correlated with increased Spanish within-language facilitation and crosslinguistic interference.
- Higher English dominance was linked to greater nonlinguistic congruency facilitation.
Conclusions:
- Relative language dominance significantly modulates interference resolution abilities in bilinguals.
- Cognitive control processes may underpin the resolution of crosslinguistic interference.
- Future research should consider individual language dominance in bilingual studies.
Keywords:
cognitive controlcrosslinguistic interferencefalse cognateslanguage dominanceweb-based experimental settingMore Related Videos
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