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Mishra RK, Prasad S. Parallel Interactions Between Linguistic and Contextual Factors in Bilinguals. Top Cogn Sci 2024. [PMID: 38923214 DOI: 10.1111/tops.12745] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2023] [Revised: 05/31/2024] [Accepted: 06/07/2024] [Indexed: 06/28/2024]
Abstract
The necessity for introducing interactionist and parallelism approaches in different branches of cognitive science emerged as a reaction to classical sequential stage-based models. Functional psychological models that emphasized and explained how different components interact, dynamically producing cognitive and perceptual states, influenced multiple disciplines. Chiefly among them were experimental psycholinguistics and the many applied areas that dealt with humans' ability to process different types of information in different contexts. Understanding how bilinguals represent and process verbal and visual input, how their neural and psychological states facilitate such interactions, and how linguistic and nonlinguistic processing overlap, has now emerged as an important area of multidisciplinary research. In this article, we will review available evidence from different language-speaking groups of bilinguals in India with a focus on situational context. In the discussion, we will address models of language processing in bilinguals within a cognitive psychological approach with a focus on existent models of inhibitory control. The paper's stated goal will be to show that the parallel architecture framework can serve as a theoretical foundation for examining bilingual language processing and its interface with external factors such as social context.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ramesh K Mishra
- Center for Neural and Cognitive Sciences, University of Hyderabad
| | - Seema Prasad
- Cognitive Neurophysiology, Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, TU Dresden
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2
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Titus A, Dijkstra T, Willems RM, Peeters D. Beyond the tried and true: How virtual reality, dialog setups, and a focus on multimodality can take bilingual language production research forward. Neuropsychologia 2024; 193:108764. [PMID: 38141963 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2023.108764] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2023] [Revised: 10/20/2023] [Accepted: 12/16/2023] [Indexed: 12/25/2023]
Abstract
Bilinguals possess the ability of expressing themselves in more than one language, and typically do so in contextually rich and dynamic settings. Theories and models have indeed long considered context factors to affect bilingual language production in many ways. However, most experimental studies in this domain have failed to fully incorporate linguistic, social, or physical context aspects, let alone combine them in the same study. Indeed, most experimental psycholinguistic research has taken place in isolated and constrained lab settings with carefully selected words or sentences, rather than under rich and naturalistic conditions. We argue that the most influential experimental paradigms in the psycholinguistic study of bilingual language production fall short of capturing the effects of context on language processing and control presupposed by prominent models. This paper therefore aims to enrich the methodological basis for investigating context aspects in current experimental paradigms and thereby move the field of bilingual language production research forward theoretically. After considering extensions of existing paradigms proposed to address context effects, we present three far-ranging innovative proposals, focusing on virtual reality, dialog situations, and multimodality in the context of bilingual language production.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alex Titus
- Radboud University, Centre for Language Studies, Nijmegen, the Netherlands; Max Planck Institute for Psycholinguistics, Nijmegen, the Netherlands.
| | - Ton Dijkstra
- Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University Nijmegen, the Netherlands
| | - Roel M Willems
- Radboud University, Centre for Language Studies, Nijmegen, the Netherlands
| | - David Peeters
- Tilburg University, Department of Communication and Cognition, TiCC, Tilburg, the Netherlands
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3
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Schott E, Tamayo MP, Byers‐Heinlein K. Keeping track of language: Can monolingual and bilingual infants associate a speaker with the language they speak? INFANT AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT 2023. [DOI: 10.1002/icd.2403] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/11/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Esther Schott
- Department of Psychology Concordia University Montreal Quebec Canada
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4
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Bennani A, El Ahmadi A, Channouf A, Boujraf S, Benzagmout M, Boussaoud D. Social facilitation and bilingual cognitive advantage: Bridging social psychology and psycholinguistics. Heliyon 2023; 9:e13239. [PMID: 36814607 PMCID: PMC9939618 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e13239] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/22/2022] [Revised: 01/09/2023] [Accepted: 01/22/2023] [Indexed: 02/03/2023] Open
Abstract
This study examined the role of social context in the expression of the bilingual cognitive advantage in 145 bilingual university students. All participants mastered Arabic as their native language (L1), but half were highly proficient in French (high L2 group), whereas half were less proficient (low L2 group). A color-word Stroop test with incongruent, congruent and neutral stimuli was administered in single language blocks (Arabic or French words) or in a mixed block (Arabic and French words), either under social presence, or alone. Stroop interference was analyzed to assess the cost of resolving conflict in incongruent trials and was compared across groups and experimental conditions. If bilingualism comes with a cognitive advantage, a reduction of interference in high (vs. low) L2 proficient subjects is to be expected. Analysis revealed that interference was significantly reduced in high L2 group, but only under the single language condition. Furthermore, whereas social context and sex had no main effects, analysis revealed a significant 4-factor interaction between L2 proficiency, linguistic context, social context, and sex. Social presence further reduced interference (social facilitation) in high L2 proficient females, but not in males. Overall, the results suggest that mastering a second language comes with cognitive advantages which adapt dynamically to social and linguistic contexts in a sex-dependent manner. We argue that advancing bilingualism research requires more attention to the social environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amine Bennani
- The Clinical Neuroscience Laboratory, Faculty of Medicine and Pharmacy, Univ. Sidi Mohamed Ben Abdellah, Fez, Morocco
| | - Abdessadek El Ahmadi
- Aix-Marseille Université, CNRS, Laboratoire de Neurosciences Cognitives, Marseille, France
| | - Ahmed Channouf
- Aix-Marseille Université, Département de Psychologie Sociale, Marseille, France
| | - Said Boujraf
- The Clinical Neuroscience Laboratory, Faculty of Medicine and Pharmacy, Univ. Sidi Mohamed Ben Abdellah, Fez, Morocco
| | - Mohamed Benzagmout
- The Clinical Neuroscience Laboratory, Faculty of Medicine and Pharmacy, Univ. Sidi Mohamed Ben Abdellah, Fez, Morocco
| | - Driss Boussaoud
- The Clinical Neuroscience Laboratory, Faculty of Medicine and Pharmacy, Univ. Sidi Mohamed Ben Abdellah, Fez, Morocco,Aix-Marseille Université, INSERM, INS, Institut de Neurosciences des Systèmes, Marseille, France,Corresponding author. Institut de Neurosciences des Systèmes, UMR INSERM 1106, Aix-Marseille Université, Faculté de Médecine, 27, Boulevard Jean Moulin, 13005, Marseille, France.
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5
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Zhuang B, Liang L, Yang J. When interlocutor's face-language matching alters: An ERP study on face contexts and bilingual language control in mixed-language picture naming. Front Psychol 2023; 14:1134635. [PMID: 37034912 PMCID: PMC10078986 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1134635] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/30/2022] [Accepted: 02/24/2023] [Indexed: 04/11/2023] Open
Abstract
The present study used event-related potentials (ERP) to examine Chinese-English bilinguals' reactive and proactive language control as they performed mixed-language picture naming with face cues. All participants named pictures in Chinese (first language, L1) and English (second language, L2) across three sessions: a 25% face-language matched session, a baseline session without face cues, and a 75% face-language matched session. Behavioral analyses for reactive language control showed that the asymmetrical switch cost was larger for L2 than L1 in the 25% session and for L1 than L2 in the 75% session. ERP results revealed more negative N2 and LPC during L1 switching in 25% session but enhanced N2 during L2 switching in 75% session. Similar N2 and LPC effect was found during L1 and L2 switching in the baseline context. For proactive language control, the reversed language dominance and enhanced LPC amplitudes during L2 naming were consistent across the three sessions. Our findings suggest that reactive but not proactive language control is modulated by the ever-changing face contexts, which highlights the highly flexible bilingual control systems subserving nonlinguistic cues.
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Affiliation(s)
- Binyuan Zhuang
- Bilingual Cognition and Development Lab, Center for Linguistics and Applied Linguistics, Guangdong University of Foreign Studies, Guangzhou, China
- Faculty of English Language and Culture, Guangdong University of Foreign Studies, Guangzhou, China
| | - Lijuan Liang
- Bilingual Cognition and Development Lab, Center for Linguistics and Applied Linguistics, Guangdong University of Foreign Studies, Guangzhou, China
| | - Jing Yang
- School of International Studies, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
- *Correspondence: Jing Yang,
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Bergouignan L, Paz-Alonso PM. Simulating the situated-self drives hippocampo-cortical engagement during inner narration of events. Cereb Cortex 2022; 32:5716-5731. [PMID: 35275987 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhac047] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/16/2021] [Revised: 01/18/2022] [Accepted: 01/19/2022] [Indexed: 01/25/2023] Open
Abstract
We often use inner narration when thinking about past and future events. The present paradigm explicitly addresses the influence of the language used in inner narration on the hippocampus-dependent event construction process. We assessed the language context effect during the inner narration of different event types: past, future, daydream, and self-unrelated fictitious events. The language context was assessed via a fluent bilingual population who used inner narration, either in their first language (L1) or second language (L2). Not all inner narration of events elicited hippocampo-cortical activity. In fact, only the angular gyrus and precuneus-retrosplenial cortex were activated by inner narration across all event types. More precisely, only inner narration of events which entailed the simulation of bodily self-location in space (whether or not they were time-marked: past, future, daydream) depended on the hippocampo-cortical system, while inner narration of events that did not entail bodily self-location (self-unrelated fictitious) did not. The language context of the narration influenced the bilinguals' hippocampo-cortical system by enhancing the co-activation of semantic areas with the hippocampus for inner narration of events in the L2. Overall, this study highlights 2 important characteristics of hippocampo-cortical-dependent inner narration of events: The core episodic hippocampal system is activated for inner narration of events simulating self-location in space (regardless of time-marking), and the inner language used for narration (L1 or L2) mediates hippocampal functional connectivity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Loretxu Bergouignan
- BCBL - Basque Center on Cognition, Brain and Language, Mikeletegi Pasealekua 69, 20009 Donostia, Gipuzkoa, Spain
| | - Pedro M Paz-Alonso
- BCBL - Basque Center on Cognition, Brain and Language, Mikeletegi Pasealekua 69, 20009 Donostia, Gipuzkoa, Spain.,IKERBASQUE - Basque Foundation for Science, 48013 Bilbo, Bizkaia, Spain
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7
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Kechu O, Som B. Is task specific control among balanced bilinguals a result of nature of acquisition and language use? JOURNAL OF CULTURAL COGNITIVE SCIENCE 2022. [DOI: 10.1007/s41809-022-00114-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
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8
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Lorenzoni A, Santesteban M, Peressotti F, Baus C, Navarrete E. Language as a cue for social categorization in bilingual communities. PLoS One 2022; 17:e0276334. [PMID: 36322568 PMCID: PMC9629603 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0276334] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2022] [Accepted: 10/03/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
This registered report article investigates the role of language as a dimension of social categorization. Our critical aim was to investigate whether categorization based on language occurs even when the languages coexist within the same sociolinguistic context, as is the case in bilingual communities. Bilingual individuals of two bilingual communities, the Basque Country (Spain) and Veneto (Italy), were tested using the memory confusion paradigm in a 'Who said what?' task. In the encoding part of the task, participants were presented with different faces together with auditory sentences. Two different languages of the sentences were presented in each study, with half of the faces always associated with one language and the other half with the other language. Spanish and Basque languages were used in Study 1, and Italian and Venetian dialect in Study 2. In the test phase, the auditory sentences were presented again and participants were required to decide which face uttered each sentence. As expected, participants error rates were high. Critically, participants were more likely to confuse faces from the same language category than from the other (different) language category. The results indicate that bilinguals categorize individuals belonging to the same sociolinguistic community based on the language these individuals speak, suggesting that social categorization based on language is an automatic process.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Lorenzoni
- Dipartimento di Psicologia dello Sviluppo e della Socializzazione, Università degli Studi di Padova, Padua, Italia
- * E-mail:
| | - Mikel Santesteban
- Department of Linguistics and Basque Studies, University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU), Leioa, Spain
| | - Francesca Peressotti
- Dipartimento di Psicologia dello Sviluppo e della Socializzazione, Università degli Studi di Padova, Padua, Italia
| | - Cristina Baus
- Department of Cognition, Development and Educational Psychology, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Eduardo Navarrete
- Dipartimento di Psicologia dello Sviluppo e della Socializzazione, Università degli Studi di Padova, Padua, Italia
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Tomić A, Kaan E. Oscillatory brain responses to processing code-switches in the presence of others. BRAIN AND LANGUAGE 2022; 231:105139. [PMID: 35687945 DOI: 10.1016/j.bandl.2022.105139] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/27/2021] [Revised: 05/23/2022] [Accepted: 05/24/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Code-switching, i.e. the alternation between languages in a conversation, is a typical, yet socially-constrained practice in bilingual communities. For instance, code-switching is permissible only when other conversation partners are fluent in both languages. Studying code-switching provides insight in the cognitive and neural mechanisms underlying language control, and their modulation by linguistic and non-linguistic factors. Using time-frequency representations, we analyzed brain oscillation changes in EEG data recorded in a prior study (Kaan et al., 2020). In this study, Spanish-English bilinguals read sentences with and without switches in the presence of a bilingual or monolingual partner. Consistent with prior studies, code-switches were associated with a power decrease in the lower beta band (15-18 Hz). In addition, code-switches were associated with a power decrease in the upper gamma band (40-50 Hz), but only when a bilingual partner was present, suggesting the semantic/pragmatic processing of code-switches differs depending on who is present.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aleksandra Tomić
- University of Florida, Department of Linguistics, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA; UiT The Arctic University of Norway, Department of Language and Culture, 9037 Tromsø, Norway.
| | - Edith Kaan
- University of Florida, Department of Linguistics, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA
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10
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Rezaeerezvan S, Kareshki H, Pakdaman M. The Effect of Cognitive-Behavioral Play Therapy on Improvements in Expressive Linguistic Disorders of Bilingual Children. Front Psychol 2022; 12:626422. [PMID: 35069301 PMCID: PMC8770813 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2021.626422] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/05/2020] [Accepted: 10/22/2021] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
The present study attempted to investigate the effect of cognitive-behavioral play therapy (CBPT) on the improvements in the expressive linguistic disorders of bilingual children. The population consists of all bilingual children with expressive linguistic disorders studying in preschools. Considering the study’s objectives, a sample of 60 people, in three groups (experimental, control, and pseudo-control), were selected using WISC, TOLD, and clinical interviews. The experimental group members participated in CBPT training sessions. The training consisted of twelve 90-min sessions, three times per week programs held every other day. The pseudo-control group received training different from play therapy. The experimental group members were subjected to the follow-up test 2 months after the end of the intervention. All three groups sat the TOLD3 test before and after the experiment. Data analysis was carried out using ANCOVA. The results of data analysis suggested that CBPT can improve the expressive language disorders of bilingual children.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Hossein Kareshki
- Department of Psychology, Faculty of Psychology & Educational Sciences, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Mashhad, Iran
| | - Majid Pakdaman
- Department of Psychology, Qaenat Branch, Islamic Azad University, Qaenat, Iran
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11
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de Bruin A, Martin CD. Perro or txakur? Bilingual language choice during production is influenced by personal preferences and external primes. Cognition 2022; 222:104995. [PMID: 34995937 DOI: 10.1016/j.cognition.2021.104995] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/08/2020] [Revised: 09/03/2021] [Accepted: 12/16/2021] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
Bilinguals living in a bilingual society continuously need to choose one of their languages to communicate a message. Sometimes, the circumstances (e.g., the presence of a monolingual) dictate language choice. When surrounded by other bilinguals, however, the bilinguals themselves can often decide which language to use. While much previous research has assessed language production when language selection is predetermined, we assessed how bilinguals choose the naming language themselves. We focused on the role of personal language preferences and examined to what extent personal preferences might be affected by external, suggestive language primes. Spanish-Basque bilinguals were asked to name pictures in their language of choice. Pictures were either presented on their own or were preceded by a linguistic or non-linguistic prime. In a separate session, participants were asked which language they preferred for each picture. Language choice during voluntary picture naming was related to personal language preferences. A bilingual was more likely to name a picture in the language they preferred for that specific picture. Furthermore, bilinguals were more likely to choose the language matching the preceding linguistic or non-linguistic prime. Effects of primes and preferences were additive and the influence of language preference on choice was equally strong in the primed and no-prime tasks. In addition to modulating language choice, following preferences and primes was also associated with faster responses. Together, these findings show that initial stages of language production and language choice are not just modulated by external primes but also by a bilingual's individual preferences.
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Affiliation(s)
- Angela de Bruin
- Department of Psychology, University of York, York, UK; Basque Center on Cognition, Brain and Language (BCBL), Donostia-San Sebastián, Spain.
| | - Clara D Martin
- Basque Center on Cognition, Brain and Language (BCBL), Donostia-San Sebastián, Spain; Ikerbasque, Basque Foundation for Science, Bilbao, Spain
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12
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Zhu JD, Blanco-Elorrieta E, Sun Y, Szakay A, Sowman PF. Natural vs forced language switching: Free selection and consistent language use eliminate significant performance costs and cognitive demands in the brain. Neuroimage 2021; 247:118797. [PMID: 34896585 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2021.118797] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/04/2021] [Revised: 12/01/2021] [Accepted: 12/08/2021] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Bilinguals are known to switch language spontaneously in everyday conversations, even if there are no external requirements to do so. However, in the laboratory setting, language control is often investigated using forced switching tasks, which result in significant performance costs. The present study assessed whether switching would be less costly when performed in a more natural fashion, and what factors might account for this. Mandarin-English bilinguals engaged in language switching under three different contexts with varied task demands. We examined two factors which may be characteristic of natural switching: (i) freedom of language selection; (ii) consistency of language used to name each item. Participants' brain activities were recorded using magnetoencephalography (MEG), along with behavioural measures of reaction speed and accuracy. The natural context (with both free selection and consistent language use for each item) produced better performance overall, showing reduced mixing cost and no significant switch cost. The neural effect of language mixing was also reversed in this context, suggesting that freely mixing two languages was easier than staying in a single language. Further, while switching in the forced context elicited increased brain activity in the right inferior frontal gyrus, this switch effect disappeared when the language used to name each item was consistent. Together, these findings demonstrate that the two factors above conjointly contribute to eliminating significant performance costs and cognitive demands associated with language switching and mixing. Such evidence aligns with lexical selection models which do not assume bilingual production to be inherently effortful.
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Affiliation(s)
- Judy D Zhu
- School of Psychological Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, Australia.
| | | | - Yanan Sun
- School of Psychological Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, Australia
| | - Anita Szakay
- Department of Linguistics, Macquarie University, Sydney, Australia
| | - Paul F Sowman
- School of Psychological Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, Australia
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Lorenzoni A, Santesteban M, Peressotti F, Baus C, Navarrete E. Dimensions of social categorization: Inside the role of language. PLoS One 2021; 16:e0254513. [PMID: 34252169 PMCID: PMC8274837 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0254513] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/11/2020] [Accepted: 06/28/2021] [Indexed: 11/27/2022] Open
Abstract
The present pre-registration aims to investigate the role of language as a dimension of social categorization. Our critical aim is to investigate whether language can be used as a dimension of social categorization even when the languages coexist within the same sociolinguistic group, as is the case in bilingual communities where two languages are used in daily social interactions. We will use the memory confusion paradigm (also known as the Who said what? task). In the first part of the task, i.e. encoding, participants will be presented with a face (i.e. speaker) and will listen to an auditory sentence. Two languages will be used, with half of the faces always associated with one language and the other half with the other language. In the second phase, i.e. recognition, all the faces will be presented on the screen and participants will decide which face uttered which sentence in the encoding phase. Based on previous literature, we expect that participants will be more likely to confuse faces from within the same language category than from the other language category. Participants will be bilingual individuals of two bilingual communities, the Basque Country (Spain) and Veneto (Italy). The two languages of these communities will be used, Spanish and Basque (Study 1), and Italian and Venetian dialect (Study 2). Furthermore, we will explore whether the amount of daily exposure to the two languages modulates the effect of language as a social categorization cue. This research will allow us to test whether bilingual people use language to categorize individuals belonging to the same sociolinguistic community based on the language these individuals are speaking. Our findings may have relevant political and social implications for linguistic policies in bilingual communities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Lorenzoni
- Dipartimento di Psicologia dello Sviluppo e della Socializzazione, Università degli Studi di Padova, Padova, Italia
- * E-mail:
| | - Mikel Santesteban
- Department of Linguistics and Basque Studies, University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU), Vitoria-Gasteiz, Spain
| | - Francesca Peressotti
- Dipartimento di Psicologia dello Sviluppo e della Socializzazione, Università degli Studi di Padova, Padova, Italia
| | - Cristina Baus
- Department of Cognition, Development and Educational Psychology, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Eduardo Navarrete
- Dipartimento di Psicologia dello Sviluppo e della Socializzazione, Università degli Studi di Padova, Padova, Italia
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14
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¡Hola! Nice to Meet You: Language Mixing and Biographical Information Processing. Brain Sci 2021; 11:brainsci11060703. [PMID: 34073531 PMCID: PMC8229530 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci11060703] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2021] [Revised: 05/21/2021] [Accepted: 05/24/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
In bilingual communities, social interactions take place in both single- and mixed-language contexts. Some of the information shared in multilingual conversations, such as interlocutors' personal information, is often required in consequent social encounters. In this study, we explored whether the autobiographical information provided in a single-language context is better remembered than in an equivalent mixed-language situation. More than 400 Basque-Spanish bilingual (pre) teenagers were presented with new persons who introduced themselves by either using only Spanish or only Basque, or by inter-sententially mixing both languages. Different memory measures were collected immediately after the initial exposure to the new pieces of information (immediate recall and recognition) and on the day after (delayed recall and recognition). In none of the time points was the information provided in a mixed-language fashion worse remembered than that provided in a strict one-language context. Interestingly, the variability across participants in their sociodemographic and linguistic variables had a negligible impact on the effects. These results are discussed considering their social and educational implications for bilingual communities.
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15
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Baus C, Ruiz-Tada E, Escera C, Costa A. Early detection of language categories in face perception. Sci Rep 2021; 11:9715. [PMID: 33958663 PMCID: PMC8102523 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-89007-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/07/2020] [Accepted: 04/09/2021] [Indexed: 02/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Does language categorization influence face identification? The present study addressed this question by means of two experiments. First, to establish language categorization of faces, the memory confusion paradigm was used to create two language categories of faces, Spanish and English. Subsequently, participants underwent an oddball paradigm, in which faces that had been previously paired with one of the two languages (Spanish or English), were presented. We measured EEG perceptual differences (vMMN) between standard and two types of deviant faces: within-language category (faces sharing language with standards) or between-language category (faces paired with the other language). Participants were more likely to confuse faces within the language category than between categories, an index that faces were categorized by language. At the neural level, early vMMN were obtained for between-language category faces, but not for within-language category faces. At a later stage, however, larger vMMNs were obtained for those faces from the same language category. Our results showed that language is a relevant social cue that individuals used to categorize others and this categorization subsequently affects face perception.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cristina Baus
- Department of Cognition, Development and Educational Psychology, University of Barcelona, 08035, Barcelona, Spain.
- Center for Brain and Cognition, CBC, Pompeu Fabra University, Barcelona, Spain.
| | | | - Carles Escera
- Brainlab-Cognitive Neuroscience Research Group, Department of Clinical Psychology and Psychobiology, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
- Institute of Neurosciences, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
- Institut de Recerca Sant Joan de Déu, Esplugues de Llobregat, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Albert Costa
- Center for Brain and Cognition, CBC, Pompeu Fabra University, Barcelona, Spain
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16
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Grey S, Cosgrove AL, van Hell JG. Faces with foreign accents: An event-related potential study of accented sentence comprehension. Neuropsychologia 2020; 147:107575. [PMID: 32738253 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2020.107575] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/12/2019] [Revised: 07/27/2020] [Accepted: 07/28/2020] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Abstract
Mounting Event-Related Potential (ERP) research testing the neurocognitive processes of foreign- and native-accented speech comprehension shows that listeners process foreign-accented speech in qualitatively and quantitatively different ways from native-accented speech. Previous ERP research has presented listeners with foreign- and native-accented sentences only, devoid of any cues to the speaker's identity. Additional cues about the foreign-accented speaker identity, such as faces, may be useful in aiding listeners' processing, potentially reducing differences between neurocognitive processes associated with foreign-accented and native-accented speech comprehension. This study tested whether providing listeners with extra-linguistic face cues to the speakers' identity affects the ERP correlates of grammatical and semantic processing of foreign-accented and native-accented sentences. Specifically, we presented listeners with face cues to speaker identity followed by native- and foreign-accented sentences that were identical to Grey and Van Hell (2017), who did not provide face cues. To elucidate the effects of face cues, we compared the present study's Face Cue data with the Grey and Van Hell (2017) No Face Cue data. For grammar processing, the results showed a biphasic Nref-P600 for native-accented speech and a P600 for foreign-accented speech in the Face Cue group. In the No Face Cue group, results for grammar processing showed an Nref for native-accented speech and no significant ERP effects for foreign-accented speech. This result indicates that face cues were effective in aiding processing of foreign-accented sentences. For semantic processing, there were robust N400 effects for native-accented speech and delayed N400s for foreign-accented speech in the Face Cue and No Face Cue groups. This pattern indicates that the extra-linguistic face cue to foreign-accented speaker identity did not affect semantic processing. Overall, the results provide neurocognitive evidence that the integration of speaker and face information aids listeners during the processing of foreign-accented speech, particularly for grammatical processing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah Grey
- Fordham University, Department of Modern Languages and Literatures, Bronx, NY, 10458, USA.
| | - Abigail L Cosgrove
- Pennsylvania State University, Department of Psychology and Center for Language Science, University Park, PA, 16802, USA
| | - Janet G van Hell
- Pennsylvania State University, Department of Psychology and Center for Language Science, University Park, PA, 16802, USA
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17
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Kaan E, Kheder S, Kreidler A, Tomić A, Valdés Kroff JR. Processing Code-Switches in the Presence of Others: An ERP Study. Front Psychol 2020; 11:1288. [PMID: 32676044 PMCID: PMC7333233 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2020.01288] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/13/2020] [Accepted: 05/15/2020] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Code-switching is highly socially constrained. For instance, code-switching is only felicitous when those present are fluent in both languages. This means that bilinguals need to dynamically adjust their language control and expectation of code-switching to the current social situation or context. The aim of the present EEG study was to investigate how and when language control in the comprehension of code-switches is affected by the assumed language knowledge of others in the context. Spanish-English bilinguals read sentences with and without code-switches together with another Spanish-English bilingual or with an English monolingual. Switches elicited an early fronto-central positivity. This effect was smaller overall when a bilingual was present at the start of the study. In addition, the late positive complex found for switches was smaller when a bilingual was present rather than a monolingual, but only for those participants who were sensitive to the other's language knowledge in their off-line judgments. These findings suggest that the bilinguals in our study expected and activated both languages when initially paired with a bilingual and that they more easily accommodated code-switches, in the presence of a bilingual than in the presence of a monolingual. Our findings support the view that language control can be modulated by the perceived language knowledge of others present, and are compatible with a dynamic control model of bilingual language comprehension.
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Affiliation(s)
- Edith Kaan
- Department of Linguistics, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, United States
| | - Souad Kheder
- Department of Linguistics, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, United States
| | - Ann Kreidler
- School of Communication Science and Disorders, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL, United States
| | - Aleksandra Tomić
- Department of Linguistics, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, United States
| | - Jorge R Valdés Kroff
- Department of Spanish and Portuguese Studies, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, United States
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18
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Gross MC, Kaushanskaya M. Cognitive and Linguistic Predictors of Language Control in Bilingual Children. Front Psychol 2020; 11:968. [PMID: 32508722 PMCID: PMC7248219 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2020.00968] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2020] [Accepted: 04/20/2020] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
In order to communicate effectively with a variety of conversation partners and in a variety of settings, bilingual children must develop language control, the ability to control which language is used for production. Past work has focused on linguistic skills as the limiting factor in children's ability to control their language choice, while cognitive control has been the focus of adult models of language control. The current study examined the effects of both language ability and cognitive control on language control in 4-6 year old Spanish/English bilingual children with a broad range of language skills, including those with low skills in both languages. To measure language control, children participated in an interactive scripted confederate dialogue paradigm in which they took turns describing picture scenes with video partners who presented themselves as monolingual speakers of English or monolingual speakers of Spanish. The paradigm had two conditions: a single-language context, in which children interacted with only one partner, and a dual-language context, in which children needed to switch between languages to address different partners. The Dimensional Change Card Sort (DCCS) indexed cognitive control. The findings revealed an overall effect of language ability, such that children with lower language skills were more likely to produce words in the language not understood by their conversation partner. There was also an effect of cognitive control on children's ability to adjust to the dual-language context. Based on these findings, we suggest that a model of language control in children should consider both linguistic and cognitive factors. However, language ability appears to be the main limiting factor, with cognitive control playing a more restricted role in adapting to a dual-language context.
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Affiliation(s)
- Megan C. Gross
- Department of Communication Disorders, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, MA, United States
| | - Margarita Kaushanskaya
- Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, Waisman Center, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, United States
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19
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Bobb SC, Von Holzen K, Mayor J, Mani N, Carreiras M. Co-activation of the L2 during L1 auditory processing: An ERP cross-modal priming study. BRAIN AND LANGUAGE 2020; 203:104739. [PMID: 31978541 DOI: 10.1016/j.bandl.2019.104739] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/23/2019] [Revised: 12/16/2019] [Accepted: 12/20/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Several studies have shown that unbalanced bilinguals activate both of their languages simultaneously during L2 processing; however, evidence for L2 activation while participants are tested exclusively in their L1 has been more tenuous. Here, we investigate whether bilingual participants implicitly activate the label for a picture in their two languages, and whether labels activated in L2 can prime activation of cross-linguistically related L1 lexical targets. We tested highly proficient early Spanish-Basque bilinguals on an ERP cross-modal priming task conducted only in their L1, Spanish. Participants activated prime picture labels in both Spanish and Basque. More importantly, participants activated Basque translations of Spanish auditory targets, even in a Spanish experimental environment with no reference to Basque. Results provide strong evidence for non-selective bilingual lexical access, showing co-activation extending to lexical levels beyond phonological overlap. Our results add to the growing body of evidence for the interconnective nature of bilingual language activation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Susan C Bobb
- Department of Psychology, Gordon College, 255 Grapevine Road, Wenham, MA, 01984, USA; Psychology of Language Research Group, Georg-Elias-Müller-Institut for Psychology, University of Göttingen, Goßlerstraße 14, 37073 Göttingen, Germany.
| | - Katie Von Holzen
- Lehrstuhl Linguistik des Deutschen, Faculty for Cultural Studies, Technical University of Dortmund, Emil-Figge-Str. 50, 44227 Dortmund, Germany; Psychology of Language Research Group, Georg-Elias-Müller-Institut for Psychology, University of Göttingen, Goßlerstraße 14, 37073 Göttingen, Germany
| | - Julien Mayor
- Department of Psychology, University of Oslo, Forskningsveien 3A, 0373 Oslo, Norway
| | - Nivedita Mani
- Psychology of Language Research Group, Georg-Elias-Müller-Institut for Psychology, University of Göttingen, Goßlerstraße 14, 37073 Göttingen, Germany; Leibniz Science Campus "Primate Cognition", Kellnerweg 4, 37077 Göttingen, Germany
| | - Manuel Carreiras
- Basque Center on Cognition, Brain and Language, Mikeletegi Pasealekua, 69, 20009 Donostia, Gipuzkoa, Spain; Ikerbasque. Basque Foundation for Science, Maria Diaz de Haro 3, 6 solairua, 48013 Bilbao, Bizkaia, Spain; Departamento de Lengua Vasca y Comunicación, UPV/EHU, University of the Basque Country, Barrio Sarriena s/n, 48940 Leioa, Bizkaia, Spain
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20
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Ma F, Ai H, Xiao T, Guo T, Pae HK. Speech perception in a second language: Hearing is believing-seeing is not. Q J Exp Psychol (Hove) 2020; 73:881-890. [PMID: 32075498 DOI: 10.1177/1747021820911362] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
This study examined the effects of the speaker's face and accent on second language (L2) speech perception. Forty-two Chinese speakers of English immersed in the L2 environment were instructed to perform a cross-modal semantic judgement task. They saw an Asian or Caucasian face on the screen and heard word pairs in L2 in a native English accent or a Chinese accent, and were asked to judge whether the word pairs were related to each other in meaning or not. Results showed that for words presented in the native accent, there was a semantic effect in both reaction time and accuracy, irrespective of the face shown. For words presented in the non-native accent, the RT data showed a semantic effect, whereas the accuracy revealed a reversed semantic effect. The speed-accuracy trade-off suggests a relatively weak semantic effect. These patterns were not modulated by the faces accompanying the word pairs. These results suggest that the cue of accent plays an important role during bilinguals' speech perception in L2, such that non-native accent hampers speech perception, even when it matches bilinguals' first language. In contrast, bilinguals do not seem to depend on the social indexical cue of the face when it is not reliable. The present findings hold implications for the Bilingual Model of Lexical Access (BIMOLA) of bilingual speech perception and the monolingual models of social speech perception.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fengyang Ma
- School of Education, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH, USA
| | - Haiyang Ai
- School of Education, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH, USA
| | - Ting Xiao
- School of Education, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH, USA
| | - Taomei Guo
- State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning & IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, P.R. China.,Center for Collaboration and Innovation in Brain and Learning Sciences, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, P.R. China
| | - Hye K Pae
- School of Education, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH, USA
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21
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Peeters D. Bilingual switching between languages and listeners: Insights from immersive virtual reality. Cognition 2020; 195:104107. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cognition.2019.104107] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/20/2019] [Revised: 08/28/2019] [Accepted: 10/11/2019] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
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22
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Massa E, Köpke B, El Yagoubi R. Age-related effect on language control and executive control in bilingual and monolingual speakers: Behavioral and electrophysiological evidence. Neuropsychologia 2020; 138:107336. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2020.107336] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/08/2019] [Revised: 01/01/2020] [Accepted: 01/06/2020] [Indexed: 02/01/2023]
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23
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Branzi FM, Martin CD, Carreiras M, Paz-Alonso PM. Functional connectivity reveals dissociable ventrolateral prefrontal mechanisms for the control of multilingual word retrieval. Hum Brain Mapp 2019; 41:80-94. [PMID: 31515906 PMCID: PMC7268045 DOI: 10.1002/hbm.24788] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/20/2019] [Revised: 08/26/2019] [Accepted: 08/27/2019] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
This functional magnetic resonance imaging study established that different portions of the ventrolateral prefrontal cortex (vlPFC) support reactive and proactive language control processes during multilingual word retrieval. The study also examined whether proactive language control consists in the suppression of the nontarget lexicon. Healthy multilingual volunteers participated in a task that required them to name pictures alternately in their dominant and less‐dominant languages. Two crucial variables were manipulated: the cue‐target interval (CTI) to either engage (long CTI) or prevent (short CTI) proactive control processes, and the cognate status of the to‐be‐named pictures (noncognates vs. cognates) to capture selective pre‐activation of the target language. The results of the functional connectivity analysis showed a clear segregation between functional networks related to mid‐vlPFC and anterior vlPFC during multilingual language production. Furthermore, the results revealed that multilinguals engage in proactive control to prepare the target language. This proactive modulation, enacted by anterior vlPFC, is achieved by boosting the activation of lexical representations in the target language. Finally, control processes supported by both mid‐vlPFC and the left inferior parietal lobe, were similarly engaged by reactive and proactive control, possibly exerted on phonological representations to reduce cross‐language interference.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francesca M Branzi
- BCBL - Basque Center on Cognition, Brain and Language, San Sebastian, Spain.,MRC Cognition and Brain Sciences Unit, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Clara D Martin
- BCBL - Basque Center on Cognition, Brain and Language, San Sebastian, Spain.,IKERBASQUE, Basque Foundation for Science, Bilbao, Spain
| | - Manuel Carreiras
- BCBL - Basque Center on Cognition, Brain and Language, San Sebastian, Spain.,IKERBASQUE, Basque Foundation for Science, Bilbao, Spain
| | - Pedro M Paz-Alonso
- BCBL - Basque Center on Cognition, Brain and Language, San Sebastian, Spain
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24
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Seo R, Prat CS. Proactive and Reactive Language Control in the Bilingual Brain. Brain Sci 2019; 9:E161. [PMID: 31295815 PMCID: PMC6680427 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci9070161] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/04/2019] [Revised: 06/28/2019] [Accepted: 07/08/2019] [Indexed: 12/01/2022] Open
Abstract
The current experiment investigated bilingual language control within the dual mechanisms framework. In an fMRI investigation of morphosyntactic rule production, the presence or absence of target language cues was manipulated to investigate the neural mechanisms associated with proactive and reactive global language control mechanisms. Patterns of activation across nine regions of interest (ROIs) were investigated in seventeen early Spanish-English bilingual speakers. A cue by phase interaction in the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) and pre-supplementary motor area (Pre-SMA) was observed, suggesting that these regions were more active during cue phases, and less active during execution phases, when target language cues were presented. Individual differences analyses showed that variability in proactive control (informative > non-informative cued trial activation during preparation) in the basal ganglia was correlated with proactive control in the left DLPFC, left inferior frontal gyrus (IFG), and right precentral ROIs. In contrast, reactive control (non-informative > informative cued activation during execution) in the anterior cingulate was correlated with reactive control in the Pre-SMA and left orbital frontal ROIs. The results suggest that, consistent with the dual mechanisms framework, bilinguals differ in the degree to which they use cues to proactively prepare to use a target language.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roy Seo
- Department of Psychology, University of Washington, 119A Guthrie Hall, UW Box 351525, Seattle, WA 98195, USA.
- Institute for Learning and Brain Sciences, University of Washington, 1715 Columbia Road N., Portage Bay Building, Box 357988, Seattle, WA 98195, USA.
| | - Chantel S Prat
- Department of Psychology, University of Washington, 119A Guthrie Hall, UW Box 351525, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
- Institute for Learning and Brain Sciences, University of Washington, 1715 Columbia Road N., Portage Bay Building, Box 357988, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
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25
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On the role of language membership information during word recognition in bilinguals: Evidence from flanker-language congruency effects. Psychon Bull Rev 2019; 25:704-709. [PMID: 28936807 DOI: 10.3758/s13423-017-1374-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
According to some bilingual language comprehension models (e.g., BIA), language membership information has a direct influence on word processing. However, this idea is not shared by all models (e.g., BIA+). To investigate this matter, we manipulated the language membership of irrelevant flanking words while French-English bilinguals performed a lexical decision task on centrally located target words and nonwords. The target words were either French or English words, flanked by words that were either in the same language as the target (language congruent) or in the other language (language incongruent). We found that lexical decisions to the target words were harder in the language-incongruent condition, indicating that language membership information was extracted from the flanking words and that this affected identification of the central target words, as predicted by the architecture of the BIA model.
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26
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Ecological Validity in Bilingualism Research and the Bilingual Advantage. Trends Cogn Sci 2018; 22:1117-1126. [DOI: 10.1016/j.tics.2018.10.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 64] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2018] [Revised: 09/28/2018] [Accepted: 10/01/2018] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
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27
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Blanco-Elorrieta E, Emmorey K, Pylkkänen L. Language switching decomposed through MEG and evidence from bimodal bilinguals. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2018; 115:9708-9713. [PMID: 30206151 PMCID: PMC6166835 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1809779115] [Citation(s) in RCA: 54] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
A defining feature of human cognition is the ability to quickly and accurately alternate between complex behaviors. One striking example of such an ability is bilinguals' capacity to rapidly switch between languages. This switching process minimally comprises disengagement from the previous language and engagement in a new language. Previous studies have associated language switching with increased prefrontal activity. However, it is unknown how the subcomputations of language switching individually contribute to these activities, because few natural situations enable full separation of disengagement and engagement processes during switching. We recorded magnetoencephalography (MEG) from American Sign Language-English bilinguals who often sign and speak simultaneously, which allows to dissociate engagement and disengagement. MEG data showed that turning a language "off" (switching from simultaneous to single language production) led to increased activity in the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) and dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (dlPFC), while turning a language "on" (switching from one language to two simultaneously) did not. The distinct representational nature of these on and off processes was also supported by multivariate decoding analyses. Additionally, Granger causality analyses revealed that (i) compared with "turning on" a language, "turning off" required stronger connectivity between left and right dlPFC, and (ii) dlPFC activity predicted ACC activity, consistent with models in which the dlPFC is a top-down modulator of the ACC. These results suggest that the burden of language switching lies in disengagement from the previous language as opposed to engaging a new language and that, in the absence of motor constraints, producing two languages simultaneously is not necessarily more cognitively costly than producing one.
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Affiliation(s)
- Esti Blanco-Elorrieta
- Department of Psychology, New York University, New York, NY 10003;
- NYU Abu Dhabi Institute, New York University Abu Dhabi, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
| | - Karen Emmorey
- School of Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences, San Diego State University, San Diego, CA 92182
| | - Liina Pylkkänen
- Department of Psychology, New York University, New York, NY 10003
- NYU Abu Dhabi Institute, New York University Abu Dhabi, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
- Department of Linguistics, New York University, New York, NY 10003
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28
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Desideri L, Bonifacci P. Verbal and Nonverbal Anticipatory Mechanisms in Bilinguals. JOURNAL OF PSYCHOLINGUISTIC RESEARCH 2018; 47:719-739. [PMID: 29305746 DOI: 10.1007/s10936-017-9556-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
Empirical evidence collected so far has revealed that the bilingual advantage cannot be reduced to a single component of the executive functioning, and point to the need to understand the effects of bilingual experience on cognition as influencing a wider family of mental processes, including, but not limited to, cognitive control. The present study aims to explore a relatively underinvestigated domain of bilingual cognitive processes, namely anticipation, through a series of different paradigms tapping proactive and reactive mechanisms at different levels of cognitive complexity and linguistic components. The sample included 25 adult bilinguals ([Formula: see text] years) and 25 monolinguals ([Formula: see text] years) matched for age, gender, and non-verbal IQ. Participants were administered two experimental tasks: Attentional Network Task (ANT), and auditory picture-word identification task. Compared to monolinguals, bilinguals showed overall faster reaction times and reduced conflict effect on both the ANT and the picture-word identification task. In addition, associations between performances in the nonverbal and the verbal tasks support the role of the nonverbal monitoring component on verbal anticipation. Results are discussed in light of a dynamic interaction between proactive and reactive mechanisms of cognitive control.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lorenzo Desideri
- Department of Psychology, University of Bologna, Viale Berti Pichat n.5, 40127, Bologna, Italy.
| | - Paola Bonifacci
- Department of Psychology, University of Bologna, Viale Berti Pichat n.5, 40127, Bologna, Italy
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29
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Hämäläinen S, Mäkelä N, Sairanen V, Lehtonen M, Kujala T, Leminen A. TMS uncovers details about sub-regional language-specific processing networks in early bilinguals. Neuroimage 2018; 171:209-221. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2017.12.086] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/11/2017] [Revised: 11/07/2017] [Accepted: 12/27/2017] [Indexed: 01/11/2023] Open
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30
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Wolpert M, Mancini S, Caffarra S. Addressee Identity and Morphosyntactic Processing in Basque Allocutive Agreement. Front Psychol 2017; 8:1439. [PMID: 28928680 PMCID: PMC5591851 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2017.01439] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/20/2017] [Accepted: 08/09/2017] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Information about interlocutor identity is pragmatic in nature and has traditionally been distinguished from explicitly coded linguistic information, including mophosyntax. Study of speaker identity in language processing has questioned this distinction, but addressee identity has been less considered. We used Basque to explore how addressee identity is processed during morphosyntactic analysis. In the familiar register hika, Basque has obligatory allocutive agreement, where verbal morphology represents the gender of a non-argument addressee. We manipulated the gender of the allocutive verb and the congruence of addressee gender in conversations between two interlocutors. Items with person agreement manipulations were included as a control comparison. Basque speakers familiar with hika completed speeded acceptability judgments and unspeeded, offline naturalness ratings for each conversation. Results showed a main effect of addressee identity congruence for naturalness ratings, but there was no main effect for addressee identity congruence for reaction times or accuracy in the acceptability judgment. Interactions and correlations with biographical data showed that the effect of congruence was modulated by the gender of the allocutive verb and that hika proficiency was related to participants' performance for the acceptability judgment. These results show an interaction between morphosyntactic and pragmatic information and are the first experimental data of allocutive processing. In comparison, clear effects were seen for the person agreement condition, indicating that person disagreement is more disruptive to processing than addressee identity incongruence. This study has implications for investigation of the role of extralinguistic information in morphosyntactic processing, and suggests that not all such information plays an equal role.
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Affiliation(s)
- Max Wolpert
- Basque Center on Cognition, Brain and LanguageSan Sebastian, Spain.,Integrated Program in Neuroscience, McGill UniversityMontreal, QC, Canada.,Centre for Research on Brain, Language and MusicMontreal, QC, Canada
| | - Simona Mancini
- Basque Center on Cognition, Brain and LanguageSan Sebastian, Spain
| | - Sendy Caffarra
- Basque Center on Cognition, Brain and LanguageSan Sebastian, Spain
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31
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Bilingual Language Switching in the Laboratory versus in the Wild: The Spatiotemporal Dynamics of Adaptive Language Control. J Neurosci 2017; 37:9022-9036. [PMID: 28821648 PMCID: PMC5597983 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.0553-17.2017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 90] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/24/2017] [Revised: 06/15/2017] [Accepted: 08/02/2017] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
For a bilingual human, every utterance requires a choice about which language to use. This choice is commonly regarded as part of general executive control, engaging prefrontal and anterior cingulate cortices similarly to many types of effortful task switching. However, although language control within artificial switching paradigms has been heavily studied, the neurobiology of natural switching within socially cued situations has not been characterized. Additionally, although theoretical models address how language control mechanisms adapt to the distinct demands of different interactional contexts, these predictions have not been empirically tested. We used MEG (RRID: NIFINV:nlx_inv_090918) to investigate language switching in multiple contexts ranging from completely artificial to the comprehension of a fully natural bilingual conversation recorded “in the wild.” Our results showed less anterior cingulate and prefrontal cortex involvement for more natural switching. In production, voluntary switching did not engage the prefrontal cortex or elicit behavioral switch costs. In comprehension, while laboratory switches recruited executive control areas, fully natural switching within a conversation only engaged auditory cortices. Multivariate pattern analyses revealed that, in production, interlocutor identity was represented in a sustained fashion throughout the different stages of language planning until speech onset. In comprehension, however, a biphasic pattern was observed: interlocutor identity was first represented at the presentation of the interlocutor and then again at the presentation of the auditory word. In all, our findings underscore the importance of ecologically valid experimental paradigms and offer the first neurophysiological characterization of language control in a range of situations simulating real life to various degrees. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Bilingualism is an inherently social phenomenon, interactional context fully determining language choice. This research addresses the neural mechanisms underlying multilingual individuals' ability to successfully adapt to varying conversational contexts both while speaking and listening. Our results showed that interactional context critically determines language control networks' engagement: switching under external constraints heavily recruited prefrontal control regions, whereas natural, voluntary switching did not. These findings challenge conclusions derived from artificial switching paradigms, which suggested that language switching is intrinsically effortful. Further, our results predict that the so-called bilingual advantage should be limited to individuals who need to control their languages according to external cues and thus would not occur by virtue of an experience in which switching is fully free.
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Wu YJ, Thierry G. Brain potentials predict language selection before speech onset in bilinguals. BRAIN AND LANGUAGE 2017; 171:23-30. [PMID: 28445784 DOI: 10.1016/j.bandl.2017.04.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/21/2016] [Revised: 04/03/2017] [Accepted: 04/04/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
Studies of language production in bilinguals have seldom considered the fact that language selection likely involves proactive control. Here, we show that Chinese-English bilinguals actively inhibit the language not-to-be used before the onset of a picture to be named. Depending on the nature of a directive cue, participants named a subsequent picture in their native language, in their second language, or remained silent. The cue elicited a contingent negative variation of event-related brain potentials, greater in amplitude when the cue announced a naming trial as compared to when it announced a silent trial. In addition, the negativity was greater in amplitude when the picture was to be named in English than in Chinese, suggesting that preparation for speech in the second language requires more inhibition than preparation for speech in the native language. This result is the first direct neurophysiological evidence consistent with proactive inhibitory control in bilingual production.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yan Jing Wu
- College of Psychology and Sociology, Shenzhen University, 518060, China; Department of Psychology, The University of Sheffield, S10 2TP, UK
| | - Guillaume Thierry
- School of Psychology, Bangor University, LL57 2AS, UK; Centre for Research on Bilingualism, Bangor University, LL57 2AS, UK.
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Early processing of orthographic language membership information in bilingual visual word recognition: Evidence from ERPs. Neuropsychologia 2017; 103:183-190. [PMID: 28743547 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2017.07.026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2017] [Revised: 06/29/2017] [Accepted: 07/21/2017] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
For successful language comprehension, bilinguals often must exert top-down control to access and select lexical representations within a single language. These control processes may critically depend on identification of the language to which a word belongs, but it is currently unclear when different sources of such language membership information become available during word recognition. In the present study, we used event-related potentials to investigate the time course of influence of orthographic language membership cues. Using an oddball detection paradigm, we observed early neural effects of orthographic bias (Spanish vs. English orthography) that preceded effects of lexicality (word vs. pseudoword). This early orthographic pop-out effect was observed for both words and pseudowords, suggesting that this cue is available prior to full lexical access. We discuss the role of orthographic bias for models of bilingual word recognition and its potential role in the suppression of nontarget lexical information.
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Grainger J, Declerck M, Marzouki Y. On national flags and language tags: Effects of flag-language congruency in bilingual word recognition. Acta Psychol (Amst) 2017; 178:12-17. [PMID: 28528198 DOI: 10.1016/j.actpsy.2017.05.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2017] [Revised: 05/04/2017] [Accepted: 05/15/2017] [Indexed: 10/19/2022] Open
Abstract
French-English bilinguals performed a generalized lexical decision experiment with mixed lists of French and English words and pseudo-words. In Experiment 1, each word/pseudo-word was superimposed on the picture of the French or UK flag, and flag-word congruency was manipulated. The flag was not informative with respect to either the lexical decision response or the language of the word. Nevertheless, lexical decisions to word stimuli were faster following the congruent flag compared with the incongruent flag, but only for French (L1) words. Experiment 2 replicated this flag-language congruency effect in a priming paradigm, where the word and pseudo-word targets followed the brief presentation of the flag prime, and this time effects were seen in both languages. We take these findings as evidence for a mechanism that automatically processes linguistic and non-linguistic information concerning the presence or not of a given language. Language membership information can then modulate lexical processing, in line with the architecture of the BIA model, but not the BIA+ model.
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D'Souza D, D'Souza H, Karmiloff-Smith A. Precursors to language development in typically and atypically developing infants and toddlers: the importance of embracing complexity. JOURNAL OF CHILD LANGUAGE 2017; 44:591-627. [PMID: 28393740 DOI: 10.1017/s030500091700006x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/08/2023]
Abstract
In order to understand how language abilities emerge in typically and atypically developing infants and toddlers, it is important to embrace complexity in development. In this paper, we describe evidence that early language development is an experience-dependent process, shaped by diverse, interconnected, interdependent developmental mechanisms, processes, and abilities (e.g. statistical learning, sampling, functional specialization, visual attention, social interaction, motor ability). We also present evidence from our studies on neurodevelopmental disorders (e.g. Down syndrome, fragile X syndrome, Williams syndrome) that variations in these factors significantly contribute to language delay. Finally, we discuss how embracing complexity, which involves integrating data from different domains and levels of description across developmental time, may lead to a better understanding of language development and, critically, lead to more effective interventions for cases when language develops atypically.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dean D'Souza
- Centre for Brain & Cognitive Development,Birkbeck,University of London,London,UK, andUCL Institute of Education,University College London,London,UK
| | - Hana D'Souza
- Centre for Brain & Cognitive Development,Birkbeck,University of London,London,UK, andLondon Down Syndrome Consortium,University College London,London,UK
| | - Annette Karmiloff-Smith
- Centre for Brain & Cognitive Development,Birkbeck,University of London,London,UK, andLondon Down Syndrome Consortium,University College London,London,UK
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