Is bilingual lexical access influenced by language context?
Using primed lexical decision, we measured reaction times and event-related brain potentials to targets that had German meanings (boss) of German-English interlingual homograph primes (chef). In an all-English experiment, we tested the effects of (1) global language context created by a first- or second-language film before the experiment, and (2) context over time, by analyzing the first and second experimental halves. We report significant reaction time and event-related potential priming of first-language meanings in the second-language experiment. The effects obtained despite block and context manipulations support and extend the nonselective access theory of bilingual word recognition.
Paulmann
Silke
S
Max-Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig, Germany. paulmann@cbs.mpg.de
Elston-Güttler
Kerrie E
KE
Gunter
Thomas C
TC
Kotz
Sonja A
SA
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D004192:Discrimination, Psychological / Q000502:physiology*; D004569:Electroencephalography / Q000379:methods; D005071:Evoked Potentials / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D019303:Multilingualism; D010153:Paired-Associate Learning / Q000502:physiology; D010775:Photic Stimulation / Q000379:methods; D011930:Reaction Time / Q000502:physiology; D021641:Recognition, Psychology / Q000502:physiology*; D012660:Semantics