Work

Adaptive compensatory mechanism in the regulation of language switching performance under negative emotional states: An ERP study

Year: 2026

Type: article

Abstract: This study examines how emotional states interact with bilingual language control across different switching contexts. Chinese–English bilinguals performed cued and voluntary switching tasks under neutral, negative and positive emotional states. Behaviorally, negative states did not affect performance. Event-related potentials (ERPs) results revealed that in voluntary switching, negative state increased cue-locked late positive component (LPC) on switch trials, indicating greater reactive control during the late stage of language schemas competition phase. In cued switching, negative state enhanced cue- and stimulus-locked N2 and reduced stimulus-locked LPC on L1 trials, reflecting enhanced proactive control during the early stage of language schemas competition and throughout the lexical selection phase. As proactive control is more cognitively demanding than reactive control, these findings suggest that the compensatory mechanism is more strongly activated in cued switching across both language control phases. Our findings extend the adaptive control hypothesis by showing how bilinguals flexibly adjust control in emotional contexts.

Source: Bilingualism Language and Cognition

DOI: 10.1017/s1366728926101369

Authors: Siyi Jiang, Xue Zhang, Baoguo Chen

Institutions: Shanghai University of Finance and Economics, Beijing Normal University

Language: English

Topic: Neurobiology of Language and Bilingualism

Subfield: Cognitive Neuroscience

Field: Neuroscience

Domain: Life Sciences

Open Access status: hybrid

Estimated APC paid: $3,550

Funders: Jilin Office of Philosophy and Social Science, Shanghai Office of Philosophy and Social Science, Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities