Inhibition processing in code-switching among Chinese–English–Japanese trilinguals: Evidence from the n–2 language repetition costs

Abstract

Aims and Objectives: The current study aimed to investigate whether there was inhibitory processing in code-switching during language comprehension among Chinese–English–Japanese trilinguals and whether n–2 language repetition costs were contingent upon particular stimulus–response configurations. Methodology: This experiment employed semantic categorization tasks, with non-cognate animal and non-animal words as experimental stimuli, and the n–2 language repetition costs as a discerning experimental indicator, to explore whether there was inhibitory processing in code-switching during language comprehension among Chinese–English–Japanese trilinguals. Furthermore, we investigated the impact of stimulus–response configuration on inhibitory processing during switching between phonetic and logographic writing systems. This approach allowed for a detailed exploration of the cognitive mechanisms underpinning language switching and the factors influencing inhibitory control in multilingual contexts. Data and Analysis: The experimental data collected were analyzed using the R language with the lme4 package. Reaction times were fitted to a linear mixed-effects model, while accuracy was binary coded and fitted to a generalized mixed-effects model with a logistic link function. Findings: The study found that: (1) there were n–2 language repetition costs in Chinese–English–Japanese trilinguals’ code-switching during language comprehension and (2) the n–2 language repetition costs in code-switching processing during language comprehension was not affected by specific stimulus–response configurations but was related to the psychological representation of the competing languages. Originality: There is a lack of research investigating the switching of three language tasks using n–2 language repetition costs as an index. Limited studies employing n–2 language repetition costs as an index have predominantly focused on the level of language production, with language comprehension yet to be examined. In addition, there exists a dearth of research addressing the inhibitory mechanisms involved in the code-switching process between phonetic and logographic writing systems; even more limited attention has been directed toward the intricacies of switching between three non-cognate languages. Significance/Implications: The study reveals the inhibitory processing involved in code-switching between phonetic and logographic writing systems. It extends previous findings concerning the inhibitory processing of code-switching during language production within phonetic languages, providing new insights into the research on code-switching and the n–2 language repetition costs among multilingual individuals.