Influence of ambiguity resolution during auditory language comprehension on executive control processes: a dual-task paradigm

Resumen

In the present preregistered study, we evaluated the impact of linguistic ambiguity processing on non-verbal inhibitory processing in a dual-task paradigm. We assessed whether a shared mechanism is involved during verbal and non-verbal conflict resolution. To do so, we constructed a dual-task paradigm including an auditory language comprehension and a non-verbal Flanker task. The language comprehension stimuli included sentences with French homophones presenting a temporary ambiguity (ambiguous sentences) or not (control sentences). The Flanker task included congruent (low executive control load) and incongruent (high executive control load) trials that were synchronized or not with the homophone in the sentence. We hypothesized that if the homophone meaning selection requires executive control this would interfere with executive control performance of the concomitant Flanker trials. This would be reflected by a performance cost during incongruent Flanker trials for the ambiguous sentences only. Surprisingly, we observed a facilitatory effect during ambiguous sentences on incongruent Flanker trials suggesting better non-verbal inhibitory performances when homophone conflict resolution was simultaneously performed. Exploratory data analysis suggests that this effect is not only related to ambiguity resolution processing but also to the previous (n-1) Flanker trial. Indeed, results showed that incongruent n-1 Flanker trials led to a facilitation of the incongruent target Flanker trials only when ambiguous sentences were conjointly presented. This result, even if it remains to be corroborated in future studies, suggests that the recruitment of executive control mechanisms facilitates subsequent executive control implication during difficult language processing. The present study supports the view of a common executive control mechanism during conflict resolution in verbal and non-verbal tasks.

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Cómo citar (APA 7)

Tiali, S. E. B., Spinelli, E., MEUNIER, F., Palluel-Germain, R., & Perrone-Bertolotti, M. (2020). Influence of ambiguity resolution during auditory language comprehension on executive control processes: a dual-task paradigm. https://doi.org/10.31234/osf.io/bequn