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Dual-tasking while using two languages: Examining the cognitive resource demands of cued and voluntary language production in bilinguals
de Bruin, A.
de Bruin, A.
Publication Date
2024-03
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© Experimental Psychology Society 2023. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
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2023-04-16
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Abstract
The way bilinguals switch languages can differ depending on the context. In cued dual-language environments, bilinguals
select a language in response to environmental cues (e.g., a monolingual conversation partner). In voluntary dual-language
environments, bilinguals communicating with people who speak the same languages can use their languages
more freely. The control demands of these types of language-production contexts, and the costs of language switches,
have been argued to differ (Adaptive Control Hypothesis). Here, we used a dual-task paradigm to examine how cued
and voluntary bilingual production differ in cognitive resources used. Forty Mandarin-English bilinguals completed
two language-switching paradigms as the primary task; one in response to cues and one while using two languages
freely. At the same time, they also had to respond to the pitch of tones (secondary task). Response times (RTs) on
the secondary task, as well as naming times on the primary task, were shorter under the voluntary- than cued-naming
condition. Task workload ratings were also higher under the cued- than voluntary-naming condition. This suggests
more attentional resources are needed in a cued-naming context to monitor cues and select languages accordingly.
However, the costs associated with switching from one language to the other were similar in both voluntary- and
cued-naming contexts. Thus, while cued-naming might be more effortful overall, cued and voluntary switching recruited
similar levels of cognitive resources.
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de Bruin A and McGarrigle R (2024) Dual-tasking while using two languages: Examining the cognitive resource demands of cued and voluntary language production in bilinguals. Quarterly Journal of Experimental Psychology. 77(3): 461-477.
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