Article published In:
Bilingualism and Executive Function: An interdisciplinary approachEdited by Irina A. Sekerina and Lauren Spradlin
[Linguistic Approaches to Bilingualism 6:5] 2016
► pp. 648–668
Edited by Irina A. Sekerina and Lauren Spradlin
[Linguistic Approaches to Bilingualism 6:5] 2016
► pp. 648–668
Effects of dense code-switching on executive control
Bilingualism is reported to re-structure executive control networks, but it remains unknown which aspects of the bilingual experience cause this modulation. This study explores the impact of three code-switching types on executive functions: (1) alternation, (2) insertion, and (3) dense code-switching or congruent lexicalisation. Current models hypothesise that different code-switching types challenge different aspects of the executive system because they vary in the extent and scope of language separation. Two groups of German-English bilinguals differing in dense code-switching frequency participated in a flanker task under conditions varying in degree of trial-mixing and resulting demands to conflict-monitoring. Bilinguals engaging in more dense code-switching showed inhibitory advantages in the condition requiring most conflict-monitoring. Moreover, dense code-switching frequency correlated positively with monitoring skills. This suggests that dense code-switching is a key experience shaping bilinguals’ executive functioning and highlights the importance of controlling for participants’ code-switching habits in bilingualism research.
Keywords: Code-switching, executive functions, flanker task
Article outline
- 1.Introduction
- 2.Code-switching and its impact on executive function
- 3.The present study
- 4.Method
- 4.1Participants
- 4.2Tasks
- 4.2.1Frequency Judgment task
- 4.2.2Flanker Task
- 5.Results
- 5.1Frequency judgment task
- 5.2EC task performance in the flanker task by group
- 5.2.1Group comparison for monitoring cost
- 5.2.2Group comparison for the conflict effect
- 5.3Correlations between code-switching and EC performance
- 5.3.1Correlation between code-switching and conflict effect
- 5.3.2Correlation between code-switching and monitoring cost
- 6.Discussion
- 7.Conclusion
- Acknowledgements
-
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