Translation distractors facilitate production in single- and mixed-language picture naming

In the picture-word interference (PWI) task, semantically related distractors slow production, while translation-equivalent distractors speed it, possibly implying a language-specific bilingual production system [Costa, A., Miozzo, M., & Caramazza, A. (1999). Lexical selection in bilinguals: Do words in the bilingual's two lexicons compete for selection? Journal of Memory and Language, 41(3), 365-397. https://doi.org/10.1006/jmla.1999.2651]. However, in most previous PWI studies bilinguals responded in just one language, an artificial task restriction. We investigated translation facilitation effects in PWI with language switching. Spanish-English bilinguals named pictures in single- or mixed-language-response blocks, with superimposed distractors in the target language (Experiment 1), or in the non-target language (Experiment 2). Both experiments replicated previously reported translation facilitation effects in both single-language and mixed-language-response blocks. However, language dominance was reversed in mixed-language response blocks, implying inhibition of the dominant language and competition between languages. These results may be explained by a language non-specific selection model in which bilinguals do not restrict selection to one language, with translation facilitation being caused by facilitation at the semantic level offsetting competition at the lexical level.

Automated summary

In the picture-word interference task, semantically related distractors can slow down production, while translation-equivalent distractors may speed it up. Research suggests that bilinguals do not restrict their selection to one language, and during language switching, there can be a reversal of language dominance with inhibition of the dominant language and competition between languages.