The partially overlapping nature of inhibitory control and preparatory control during language and task switching

ABSTRACT

The relationship between language switching and task switching has been well studied in bilingualism literature. This study employs novel experiments involving magnitude-parity switching and transparency-orientation switching and compares the costs associated with these two types of task switching with language switching. Switching costs and the reduction in switching costs (RISC) effect were used as indices of inhibitory control and preparatory control, respectively. The results from Experiment 1 revealed strong positive correlations for all three types of switching, with language switching being less costly than magnitude-parity and transparency-orientation switching. In Experiment 2, we increased the cue-stimulus interval and again found significant or marginally positive relations between the three switching costs. The RISC effect emerged in magnitude-parity and transparency-orientation switching but not in language switching. In Experiment 3, the experimental blocks included both language switching and either magnitude-parity or transparency-orientation switching. Language switching costs were significantly greater than but no longer positively correlated with magnitude-parity switching or transparency-orientation switching costs. Together, these results suggest that more inhibitory control (in Experiments 1 and 3) and less preparatory control (in Experiment 2) in language switching is required compared to magnitude-parity and transparency-orientation switching. Moreover, partially overlapping mechanisms are engaged in the three switching domains.

KEYWORDS:

• Bilingual language switching
• task switching
• magnitude-parity switching
• transparency-orientation switching
• inhibitory and preparatory control

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

This research was funded by the National Social Science Foundation of China [grant number 19ZDA360].

Notes on contributors

Bingyi Liu

Bingyi Liu is pursuing doctoral studies at the Center for Studies of Psychological Application, School of Psychology, South China Normal University, People's Republic of China. Her research focuses on bilingualism, language switching, and language control.

Keke Yu

Keke Yu is Associated Researcher at the Center for Studies of Psychological Application, School of Psychology, South China Normal University, People's Republic of China. Her research focuses on language cognition and language learning.

John W. Schwieter

John W. Schwieter is Professor of Spanish, Linguistics, and Psychology at Wilfrid Laurier University, and Adjunct Professor of Linguistics at McMaster University. He is Director of the Language Acquisition, Multilingualism, and Cognition Laboratory and Bilingualism Matters @ Laurier. His research focuses on how humans learn and process more than one language and how this affects general cognition and executive functioning.

Peiling Sun

Peiling Sun holds an M.A. from the Center for Studies of Psychological Application, School of Psychology, South China Normal University, People's Republic of China. Her research focuses on language cognition.

Ruiming Wang

Ruiming Wang is Professor at the Center for Studies of Psychological Application, School of Psychology, South China Normal University, People's Republic of China. His research focuses on language cognition and learning, including Chinese language learning, second language learning, and bilingualism.