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Exploring language co-activation and language control indices in multilingual speakers of languages of high versus low proximity
Poster Session F, Friday, October 2, 2:45 - 4:45 pm, Wangari Maathai
Zofia Wodniecka1, Anna Meliksetian1,2, Agata Wolna1,3, Teresa Kulej1; 1Institute of Psychology, Jagiellonian University, 2Doctoral School in the Social Sciences, Jagiellonian University, 3McGovern Institute of Brain Research, MIT
Multilinguals need to choose between words of different languages they know. This effort is thought to be supported by language control mechanisms which help to resolve interference caused by a constant co-activation of the two (or more) languages. However, it is unclear whether dealing with the cross-linguistic competition is modulated by the proximity between the competing languages. In this study, we investigated whether language proximity alters the magnitude of language co-activation and language control in multilinguals. We tested three groups of multilinguals: one using languages of low proximity (Polish-Spanish, n=71) and two using languages of high proximity with the same script (Polish-Czech, n=41) and different scripts (Polish-Russian, n=71). Across three sessions, participants completed a series of linguistic tasks assessing language co-activation indices (cognate effect, homograph effect) and language control indices (L2 after-effect, switch costs, N-2 repetition costs). For the language co-activation indices, we hypothesized that there should be more co-activation between languages of greater proximity. We based this assumption on previous research that showed facilitated language performance associated with greater cross-language overlap (at least when manipulated on the level of experimental material, see [1]-[5]). Our results demonstrate that indeed higher language proximity is related to increased language co-activation when operationalised as cognate facilitation effect and homograph facilitation effect. For the language control indices, we hypothesize that multilinguals using languages of high proximity apply more language control than multilinguals using languages of low proximity. The logic of the argument is that greater co-activation between languages of greater proximity should result in stronger between-language competition, which in turn should set greater demands on language control. The data from the language control tasks are currently at the stage of statistical analysis with the results available at the time of the conference. Study hypotheses, design and data analysis have been preregistered and are available at OSF (https://osf.io/tsk8q). References: [1] Dijkstra, T., Grainger, J., & Van Heuven, W. J. (1999). Recognition of cognates and interlingual homographs: The neglected role of phonology. Journal of Memory and language, 41(4), 496-518. [2] Lemhöfer, K., & Dijkstra, T. (2004). Recognizing cognates and interlingual homographs: Effects of code similarity in language-specific and generalized lexical decision. Memory & cognition, 32(4), 533-550. [3] Allen, D. B., & Conklin, K. (2013). Cross-linguistic similarity and task demands in Japanese-English bilingual processing. PloS one, 8(8), e72631. [4] Peeters, D., Dijkstra, T., & Grainger, J. (2013). The representation and processing of identical cognates by late bilinguals: RT and ERP effects. Journal of memory and language, 68(4), 315-332. [5] Iakovleva, T., Piasecki, A. E., & Dijkstra, A. F. J. (2015). Are you reading what I am reading? The impact of contrasting alphabetic scripts.
Topic Areas: Multilingualism,