Effect of cognitive style on language control during joint language switching: an ERP study

The current study aims to investigate how Field independent (FI) and Field-dependent (FD) cognitive styles modulate bilingual language control during a joint language switching task. The cognitive styles were measured by the Group Embedded Figures Test (GEFT). The FI group with a preference for autonomous information processing was sensitive to role switching earlier at the cue stage, eliciting a more negative-going N2 in the cross-person condition than in the within-person condition. While the FD group, with a holistic processing style, discerned such role switching later, inducing a more positive-going late positive component (LPC) in the cross-person condition. In addition, the FD group exercised more cognitive control to suppress the interference from the L1 lemma, indexed by larger LPC amplitudes for L2 switch trials than L1 switch trials in the within-person condition. These findings suggest that FDI cognitive styles modulate bilingual language control mechanism through different manners of information processing.