Date of Award
2026-05-01
Degree Name
Master of Arts
Department
Psychology
Advisor(s)
Iva M. Ivanova
Abstract
In daily life, bilinguals sometimes speak each of their languages in situations where the other language cannot be understood. To avoid saying words in the wrong language in such situations, bilinguals inhibit lexical representations from the non-target language (Green, 1998). But do they inhibit structural representations? This study investigated how inhibitory control operates over structural representations in English-dominant Spanish-English bilinguals via a picture description task. An experimental group was asked to describe dative-eliciting pictures in English (Baseline Phase), followed by dative pictures in Spanish (Manipulation Phase), and once again dative pictures in English (Target Phase), while a control group followed the same procedure entirely in English using a blocked language design. A picture naming task was also included as a control measure. Latencies were examined and data were analyzed using linear mixed-effects models. Results revealed no differences across phases, but critical planned comparisons showed that repetition effects differed by group, with reduced facilitation for repeated items in the experimental group. These findings suggest that inhibitory control may operate locally over structural representations linked to lexical items.
Language
en
Provenance
Received from ProQuest
Copyright Date
2026-05
File Size
81 p.
File Format
application/pdf
Rights Holder
Anahy Barragan-Diaz
Recommended Citation
Barragan-Diaz, Anahy, "Language Control over Structural Representation in Bilinguals" (2026). Open Access Theses & Dissertations. 4631.
https://scholarworks.utep.edu/open_etd/4631