Investigating the Automaticity of CodeSwitching Using Masked Priming: An EventRelated Potentials Stu

1
Investigating the Automaticity of Code-Switching
Using Masked PrimingAn Event-Related Potentials
Study Krysta Chauncey1, Katherine J. Midgley1,2,
Jonathan Grainger1,2, Phillip J. Holcomb1Tufts
University, Medford, MA1 LPC-CNRS, Université de
Provence2

• Introduction
• It is widely accepted that bilinguals experience
  a code-switching cost when the language of the
  stimuli changes unexpectedly.
• Where in the language-processing stream do these
  costs occur?
• Grainger Beauvillain (1987) found that
  code-switching costs could be eliminated in the
  presence of language-specific orthographic cues,
  suggesting that these costs occur during lexical
  access.
• However, Thomas Allport (2000) found that, by
  adding a control condition, code-switching costs
  were not eliminated by the presence of
  language-specific orthography, placing these
  costs outside the lexicon (that is, in control
  processes not specific to lexical access).

Figure 2 Electrode Montage
Fig. 4 L1-target trial types
Fig. 5 L2-target trial types
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• Methods
• Subjects
• L1 French population 19 participants (11
  females, average age 20.7)
• right-handed native speakers of French
• normal or corrected-to-normal vision
• Stimuli
• common words in English and French
• blocked by target language, order counterbalanced
• words rotation through positions in 5 lists
• 50 trials each of three types in each language
• Repetition trials
• Within-language non-repetition trials
• Between-language code-switching trials
• Task
• semantic categorization judgment to animals

• Conclusions
• Briefly presented pattern-masked prime words
  affect relatively early processes during
  recognition of target words from the other
  language
• Part of the cost incurred by code-switching in
  bilinguals arises during lexical processing
  (within the lexicon)
• Possibly mediated by language exposure, history,
  and environment

Figure 3 Trial Types
Figure 6 L1-target trials, CP1
Figure 7 L2-target trials, CP1

• Results
• Least negative early deflection in the exact
  repetition trials, followed by the
  within-language non-repetition trials
• Code-switching trials show the most negative
  deflection, in both peaks of a double structure
  in the N250/N400 window
• Greater code-switching cost in the N400 window
  for L2-L1 switches in the N250 window for L1-L2
  switches
• Supports hypothesis that language switch costs
  arise during lexical processing and are not just
  the result of general task-control mechanisms

References Alvarez, R., Holcomb, P., Grainger,
J. (2003). Accessing word meaning in two
languages An event-related brain potential study
of beginning bilinguals. Brain and Language,
87(2), 290-304. Grainger, J. Beauvillain, C.
(1987). Language blocking and lexical access in
bilinguals. Quarterly Journal of Experimental
Psychology, 39A, 295-319. Thomas, M. Allport,
A. (2000). Language switching costs in bilingual
visual word recognition. Journal of Memory
Language, 43 44-66.
This research was supported by NIH Grants HD25889
and HD043251 and by the CNRS, France.