Inhibitory control facilitates learning new knowledge based on existing knowledge in cross-linguistic word contexts
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 15087368 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Zilan Zou (0000-0002-2919-9282, Beijing Normal University), Baoguo Chen (0000-0001-5511-8899, Beijing Normal University, corresponding author) |
| Year | 2025 |
| Volume | 28 |
| Issue | 4 |
| Pages | 1134-1148 |
| Publication date | 2025-08-01 |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Bilingualism Language and Cognition (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 1366-7289 • E-ISSN: 1469-1841 |
| Publisher | Cambridge University Press (CUP) (PUBLISHER) |
| DOI | 10.1017/s1366728924000993 |
| OpenAlex | W4405829821 |
| Language | EN |
| References cited | 45 |
In cross-linguistic word learning, learning new knowledge based on existing knowledge is a common and lifelong process. This study investigated whether inhibitory control would be conducive to this process. We asked Chinese-English bilinguals to learn new meanings for familiar English ambiguous words within two consecutive days, manipulating semantic relatedness and word frequency to create four categories: high-frequency-unrelated, high-frequency-related, low-frequency-unrelated and low-frequency-related ambiguous words. Participants completed translation recognition and production tests immediately after learning and again one week later, with flanker and stop-signal tasks interspersed to measure their interference inhibition and response inhibition. The results indicated that inhibitory control, particularly interference inhibition, significantly aided in learning new meanings when direct knowledge transfer from existing knowledge was unfeasible. This research enhances our comprehension of individual differences in word learning, offering valuable perspectives for broader theories of word learning and targeted educational interventions
Cognition · Inhibitory control · Linguistics · Vocabulary · Word learning · Computer Science · Language Development and Disorders · Neurobiology of Language and Bilingualism · Psychology · Reading and Literacy Development · Artificial Intelligence
Language History Questionnaire (LHQ3)
The Revised Hierarchical Model
Making Sense of Semantic Ambiguity
Response inhibition in the stop-signal paradigm
Direct and indirect effects of multilingualism on novel language learning
Subtlex-UK
Random effects structure for confirmatory hypothesis testing
Executive Functions
Fitting Linear Mixed-Effects Models Using lme4
LmerTest Package
Settling Into Semantic Space
The communicative function of ambiguity in language
Probing Interactions in Fixed and Multilevel Regression
The development of lexical fluency in a second language
The Meaning-Frequency Relationship of Words
When Nouns Surface as Verbs
| Highly cited | No |
|---|