Does integrating a code-switch during comprehension engage cognitive control?

J Exp Psychol Learn Mem Cogn. 2020 Apr;46(4):741-759. doi: 10.1037/xlm0000755. Epub 2019 Aug 26.

Abstract

We investigated whether bilinguals' integration of a code-switch during real-time comprehension, which involves resolving among conflicting linguistic representations, modulates the deployment of cognitive-control mechanisms. In the current experiment, Spanish-English bilinguals (N = 48) completed a cross-task conflict-adaptation paradigm that tested whether reading code-switched sentences triggers cognitive-control engagement that immediately influences performance on an ensuing Flanker trial. We observed that, while incrementally processing sentences, detecting a code-switch (as opposed to reading sentences that did not contain a code-switch) assisted subsequent conflict resolution. Such temporal interdependence between confronting cross-linguistic conflict and ensuing adjustments in behavior indicates that integrating a code-switch during online comprehension may recruit domain-general cognitive-control procedures. We propose that such control mechanisms mobilize to resolve among competing representations that arise across languages during real-time parsing of code-switched input. Overall, the findings provide novel insight into what language-processing demands of bilingualism regulate cognitive-control performance moment by moment. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2020 APA, all rights reserved).

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Comprehension / physiology*
  • Conflict, Psychological*
  • Executive Function / physiology*
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Multilingualism*
  • Psycholinguistics*
  • Reading
  • Young Adult

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