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Conflict Processing is Modulated by Positive Emotion Word Type in Second Language: An ERP Study

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Abstract

In the present study, we examined modulations of the second language (L2) positive emotion-label words, positive emotion-laden words, and neutral words on conflict processing in a flanker task. Twenty Chinese–English bilinguals were instructed to decide the color of the central words that were vertically surrounded by the same words with the same or different color. During the task, their cortical activation was recorded. The result showed that L2 positive emotion-laden words elicited different brain activations from emotion-label words and neutral words at both early and late stages. Differential modulations on conflict processing between positive emotion-label words and positive emotion-laden words in the L2 existed even after approach-motivation intensity was controlled. These results suggest emotion word type affects conflict processing, even in L2.

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Notes

  1. One reviewer suggested that we should analyze the ERP data without erroneous trials. Therefore, the current results showed the data that excluded erroneous trials. However, we also attached the results with erroneous trials that can be found in Supplementary materials. The result pattern was totally unchanged, with some power and significance increase after excluding the incorrect trials.

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Acknowledgements

This study was supported by MYRG2017-00217-FED, MYRG2016-00193-FED, and MYRG2015-00221-FED from the University of Macau in Macau. The authors would thank Kai Chen for his assistance on programming and data collection.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Faculty of Education, University of Macau, E33, Avenida da Universidade, Taipa, Macau

    Chenggang Wu & Juan Zhang

  2. Center for Cognitive and Brain Sciences, University of Macau, E33, Avenida da Universidade, Taipa, Macau

    Juan Zhang

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  1. Chenggang Wu
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Wu, C., Zhang, J. Conflict Processing is Modulated by Positive Emotion Word Type in Second Language: An ERP Study. J Psycholinguist Res 48, 1203–1216 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10936-019-09653-y

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