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Cognate status, syllable position and word length on bilingual Tip-Of-the-Tongue states induction and resolution*

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  27 May 2015

RITA PUREZA ,
ANA PAULA SOARES  and
MONTSERRAT COMESAÑA
RITA PUREZA*
Affiliation:
Human Cognition Lab, CIPsi, School of Psychology, University of Minho, Cognitive Processes & Behavior Research Group, University of Santiago de Compostela
ANA PAULA SOARES
Affiliation:
Human Cognition Lab, CIPsi, School of Psychology, University of Minho, Cognitive Processes & Behavior Research Group, University of Santiago de Compostela
MONTSERRAT COMESAÑA
Affiliation:
Human Cognition Lab, CIPsi, School of Psychology, University of Minho, Cognitive Processes & Behavior Research Group, University of Santiago de Compostela
*
Address for correspondence: Rita Pureza, Human Cognition Lab, CIPsi, School of Psychology, University of Minho, Campus de Gualtar, 4710-057 Braga, Portugalritaclpureza@gmail.com
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Abstract

This study explores the role of cognate status, syllable position, and word length in Tip-of-the-Tongue (TOT) states induction and resolution for European Portuguese (EP; L1) – English (L2) bilinguals (and EP monolinguals as control). TOTs were induced using a picture naming task in L1 and L2 followed by a lexical decision task. Here, the first or the last syllable of the target word (or none for control) was embedded in pseudowords (syllabic pseudohomophones) in order to test its effect in TOT resolution. Bilinguals presented more TOTs in L2 than in L1, especially for noncognate words. Longer words showed more TOTs than shorter words, though only in L1. TOT resolution was higher for cognates in L2 and higher when primed by the first than by the last syllable. Finally, longer cognates showed more TOT resolution than shorter cognates, irrespective of the language. Results are discussed in light of TOT's main hypothesis.

Keywords

Tip-Of-the-Tonguecognate statussyllable positionword lengthbilingual speech production

Information

Type
Research Article
Information
Bilingualism: Language and Cognition , Volume 19 , Issue 3 , May 2016 , pp. 533 - 549
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Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2015 

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Footnotes

*

We would like to thank Andreia Rauber for all her help in the construction of the materials used in this paper. We would also like to thank all the institutions that collaborated in data collection: namely, Oporto British School (Joana Saraiva, Mr. Clack and Mrs. Manuela Oliveira), Colégio Luso-Internacional do Porto (Mrs. Helena Dias), Oeiras International School, and Nova School of Business and Economics (Mrs. Elizabete Cardoso and Carolina Sales).

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