The modulating role of memory load on language switching in sentence comprehension: evidence from eye movements

The modulating role of memory load on language switching in sentence comprehension: evidence from eye movements | Research Square window.SnipcartSettings = { analytics: { enabled: false } }; (function() { var accessVector = localStorage.getItem('access_vector') || ''; window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; if (accessVector) { window.dataLayer.push({ user: { profile: { profileInfo: { snid: accessVector } } } }); } })(); (function(w,d,s,l,i){w[l]=w[l]||[];w[l].push({'gtm.start':new Date().getTime(),event:'gtm.js'});var f=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],j=d.createElement(s),dl=l!='dataLayer'?'&l='+l:'';j.async=true;j.src='https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtm.js?id='+i+dl;f.parentNode.insertBefore(j,f);})(window,document,'script','dataLayer','GTM-K279D39R'); Browse Preprints In Review Journals COVID-19 Preprints AJE Video Bytes Research Tools Research Promotion AJE Professional Editing AJE Rubriq About Preprint Platform In Review Editorial Policies Our Team Advisory Board Help Center Sign In Submit a Preprint Cite Share Download PDF Research Article The modulating role of memory load on language switching in sentence comprehension: evidence from eye movements Yun Wang, Xinfang Liu, Chang’an Sun This is a preprint; it has not been peer reviewed by a journal. https://doi.org/ 10.21203/rs.3.rs-7771436/v1 This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License Status: Under Review Version 1 posted 11 You are reading this latest preprint version Abstract This study employed eye-tracking technology to investigate the effect of memory load on language switching during Chinese-English bilingual sentence comprehension. Using a within-subject experimental design with three levels of load (low, medium, high), two language types (Chinese, English), and two context types (non-switch, switch), the study collected behavioral measures and eye-tracking measures. The results revealed that under high loads, transitioning from L2 (English) to L1 (Chinese) resulted in the longest reaction times and highest costs, while transitioning from L1 to L2 did not exhibit comparable patterns. Eye-tracking data indicated a dissociation between temporal and spatial dimensions in sentence level, with switch costs demonstrating contrasting patterns. Similar processing patterns were observed at the target word during early and late stages, with a notable increase in effect in the latter. These findings suggest that language switching costs are not fixed, but are adaptable, with cognitive loads modulating the interplay between language and context, highlighting the intricate relationship between domain-general cognitive control and language-specific switching mechanisms. Memory load Sentence comprehension Language switching Modulating effect Eye-tracking Full Text Additional Declarations No competing interests reported. Cite Share Download PDF Status: Under Review Version 1 posted Editorial decision: Revision requested 16 Dec, 2025 Reviews received at journal 28 Nov, 2025 Reviewers agreed at journal 21 Nov, 2025 Reviewers agreed at journal 21 Nov, 2025 Reviews received at journal 20 Nov, 2025 Reviewers agreed at journal 10 Nov, 2025 Reviewers invited by journal 10 Nov, 2025 Editor assigned by journal 05 Nov, 2025 Editor invited by journal 14 Oct, 2025 Submission checks completed at journal 10 Oct, 2025 First submitted to journal 10 Oct, 2025 You are reading this latest preprint version Research Square lets you share your work early, gain feedback from the community, and start making changes to your manuscript prior to peer review in a journal. As a division of Research Square Company, we’re committed to making research communication faster, fairer, and more useful. We do this by developing innovative software and high quality services for the global research community. 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Also discoverable on Platform About Our Team In Review Editorial Policies Advisory Board Help Center Resources Author Services Accessibility API Access RSS feed Manage Cookie Preferences © Research Square 2026 | ISSN 2693-5015 (online) Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information {"props":{"pageProps":{"initialData":{"identity":"rs-7771436","acceptedTermsAndConditions":true,"allowDirectSubmit":false,"archivedVersions":[],"articleType":"Research Article","associatedPublications":[],"authors":[{"id":547564740,"identity":"3a302611-be32-4b4c-9e57-ff90172d04cc","order_by":0,"name":"Yun 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movements","fulltext":[],"fulltextSource":"","fullText":"","funders":[],"hasAdminPriorityOnWorkflow":false,"hasManuscriptDocX":false,"hasOptedInToPreprint":true,"hasPassedJournalQc":"","hasAnyPriority":false,"hideJournal":false,"highlight":"","institution":"","isAcceptedByJournal":true,"isAuthorSuppliedPdf":true,"isDeskRejected":"","isHiddenFromSearch":false,"isInQc":false,"isInWorkflow":false,"isPdf":true,"isPdfUpToDate":true,"isWithdrawnOrRetracted":false,"journal":{"display":true,"email":"[email protected]","identity":"bmc-psychology","isNatureJournal":false,"hasQc":true,"allowDirectSubmit":false,"externalIdentity":"psyo","sideBox":"Learn more about [BMC Psychology](http://bmcpsychology.biomedcentral.com/)","snPcode":"","submissionUrl":"","title":"BMC Psychology","twitterHandle":"BMC_series","acdcEnabled":true,"dfaEnabled":true,"editorialSystem":"stoa","reportingPortfolio":"BMC Series","inReviewEnabled":true,"inReviewRevisionsEnabled":true},"keywords":"Memory load, Sentence comprehension, Language switching, Modulating effect, Eye-tracking","lastPublishedDoi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-7771436/v1","lastPublishedDoiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-7771436/v1","license":{"name":"CC BY 4.0","url":"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/"},"manuscriptAbstract":"\u003cp\u003eThis study employed eye-tracking technology to investigate the effect of memory load on language switching during Chinese-English bilingual sentence comprehension. Using a within-subject experimental design with three levels of load (low, medium, high), two language types (Chinese, English), and two context types (non-switch, switch), the study collected behavioral measures and eye-tracking measures. The results revealed that under high loads, transitioning from L2 (English) to L1 (Chinese) resulted in the longest reaction times and highest costs, while transitioning from L1 to L2 did not exhibit comparable patterns. Eye-tracking data indicated a dissociation between temporal and spatial dimensions in sentence level, with switch costs demonstrating contrasting patterns. Similar processing patterns were observed at the target word during early and late stages, with a notable increase in effect in the latter. These findings suggest that language switching costs are not fixed, but are adaptable, with cognitive loads modulating the interplay between language and context, highlighting the intricate relationship between domain-general cognitive control and language-specific switching mechanisms.\u003c/p\u003e","manuscriptTitle":"The modulating role of memory load on language switching in sentence comprehension: evidence from eye movements","msid":"","msnumber":"","nonDraftVersions":[{"code":1,"date":"2025-11-20 16:32:39","doi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-7771436/v1","editorialEvents":[{"type":"communityComments","content":0},{"type":"decision","content":"Revision requested","date":"2025-12-16T05:44:43+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""},{"type":"editorInvitedReview","content":"","date":"2025-11-28T15:26:34+00:00","index":"hide","fulltext":""},{"type":"reviewerAgreed","content":"84805345613992405556108507724703974876","date":"2025-11-21T19:59:38+00:00","index":"hide","fulltext":""},{"type":"reviewerAgreed","content":"139590084194182425446266223914063656233","date":"2025-11-21T14:09:46+00:00","index":"hide","fulltext":""},{"type":"editorInvitedReview","content":"","date":"2025-11-20T19:39:44+00:00","index":"hide","fulltext":""},{"type":"reviewerAgreed","content":"210186724178641856983460174886970676","date":"2025-11-10T17:22:55+00:00","index":"hide","fulltext":""},{"type":"reviewersInvited","content":"","date":"2025-11-10T13:28:40+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""},{"type":"editorAssigned","content":"","date":"2025-11-05T09:02:27+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""},{"type":"editorInvited","content":"","date":"2025-10-14T16:22:39+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""},{"type":"checksComplete","content":"","date":"2025-10-10T08:55:34+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""},{"type":"submitted","content":"BMC Psychology","date":"2025-10-10T08:45:49+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""}],"status":"published","journal":{"display":true,"email":"[email protected]","identity":"bmc-psychology","isNatureJournal":false,"hasQc":true,"allowDirectSubmit":false,"externalIdentity":"psyo","sideBox":"Learn more about [BMC Psychology](http://bmcpsychology.biomedcentral.com/)","snPcode":"","submissionUrl":"","title":"BMC Psychology","twitterHandle":"BMC_series","acdcEnabled":true,"dfaEnabled":true,"editorialSystem":"stoa","reportingPortfolio":"BMC Series","inReviewEnabled":true,"inReviewRevisionsEnabled":true}}],"origin":"","ownerIdentity":"236cc320-5cb1-43eb-9113-c47b986770af","owner":[],"postedDate":"November 20th, 2025","published":true,"recentEditorialEvents":[],"rejectedJournal":[],"revision":"","amendment":"","status":"under-review","subjectAreas":[],"tags":[],"updatedAt":"2026-05-22T05:56:23+00:00","versionOfRecord":[],"versionCreatedAt":"2025-11-20 16:32:39","video":"","vorDoi":"","vorDoiUrl":"","workflowStages":[]},"version":"v1","identity":"rs-7771436","journalConfig":"researchsquare"},"__N_SSP":true},"page":"/article/[identity]/[[...version]]","query":{"redirect":"/article/rs-7771436","identity":"rs-7771436","version":["v1"]},"buildId":"8U1c8b4HqxoKbykW_rLl7","isFallback":false,"isExperimentalCompile":false,"dynamicIds":[84888],"gssp":true,"scriptLoader":[]}