Local and global inhibition in bilingual word production: fMRI evidence from Chinese–English bilinguals

Abstract

The current study examined the neural correlates associated with local and global inhibitory processes used by bilinguals to resolve interference between competing responses. Two groups of participants completed both blocked and mixed picture naming tasks while undergoing functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). One group first named a set of pictures in L1, and then named the same pictures in L2. The other group first named pictures in L2, and then in L1. After the blocked naming tasks, both groups performed a mixed language naming task (i.e., naming pictures in either language according to a cue). The comparison between the blocked and mixed naming tasks, collapsed across groups, was defined as the local switching effect, while the comparison between blocked naming in each language was defined as the global switching effect. Distinct patterns of neural activation were found for local inhibition as compared to global inhibition in bilingual word production. Specifically, the results suggest that the dorsal anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) and the supplementary motor area (SMA) play important roles in local inhibition, while the dorsal left frontal gyrus and parietal cortex are important for global inhibition.

Electrophysiology of cross-language interference and facilitation in picture naming

“…They did not have to switch between languages and the other language Dutch was not used earlier in the experiment to name the pictures. In contrast, evidence that bilingual speakers inhibit words in the other language comes from language switching experiments (e.g., De Bruin, Roelofs, Dijkstra, & FitzPatrick, 2014;Jackson, Swainson, Cunnington, & Jackson, 2001;Meuter & Allport, 1999;Verhoef et al, 2009) and studies in which participants used the other language earlier in the experiment to name the pictures (e.g., Guo, Liu, Misra, & Kroll, 2011). It is plausible to assume that when speakers have to switch regularly between languages or have already named the pictures in the other language, competition for selection often can no longer be restricted to the target language or competition occurs at the level of the language task sets (e.g., Verhoef et al, 2009Verhoef et al, , 2010.…”

Electrophysiological evidence that inhibition supports lexical selection in picture naming

“…For example, bilingual speakers have been shown to use inhibition to suppress a non-target language (e.g., De Bruin et al, 2014;Guo et al, 2011;Misra et al, 2012;Jackson et al, 2001;Roelofs et al, 2011;Verhoef et al, 2009). There is also evidence suggesting that inhibition deficits contribute to the impaired speech production of children with specific language impairment (SLI; e.g., Henry et al, 2012;Im-Bolter et al, 2006;Seiger-Gardner and Schwartz, 2008;Spaulding, 2010).…”

Selective and nonselective inhibition of competitors in picture naming

“…Liu, Misra, & Kroll, 2011;Jackson, Swainson, Cunnington, & Jackson, 2001;Misra, Guo, Bobb, & Kroll, 2012;Roelofs, Piai, & Garrido Rodriguez, 2011). Moreover, there is evidence that inhibition deficits contribute to the impaired word production of children with developmental language disorders, such as specific language impairment (e.g., Henry, Messer, & Nash, 2012;Im-Bolter, Johnson, & Pascual-Leone, 2006;SeigerGardner & Schwartz, 2008;Spaulding, 2010).…”

“…Much of the work on the role of inhibition in word production has concerned bilingual speakers. A common assumption is that bilingual speakers use inhibition to suppress words in the nontarget language, either obligatorily (Abutalebi & Green, 2007;Costa, Hernández, & Sebastián-Gallés, 2008;Green, 1998;Guo et al, 2011;Jackson et al, 2001;Misra et al, 2012) or optionally (Roelofs et al, 2011;Verhoef, Roelofs, & Chwilla, 2009). Because of the routine engagement of inhibition in language control, bilingual speakers might outperform monolingual speakers in linguistic as well as nonlinguistic tasks involving inhibitory control.…”