Chapter 7 - Cognitive Control and Social Context of Language Use

Summary

This chapter provides an overview of the interactions among language, cognition, and social context by examining how individuals with different language abilities and varying language proficiencies respond to assorted social-communicative demands. The analysis of the social context reveals how local (e.g., language register use) and global (e.g., culture, socioeconomic status) changes affect children’s cognitive control and language performance, as indicated by neural and behavioral findings. Social context at the local level is more dynamically changing than the context at the global level, which is more predictable. Children rely on different cognitive control functions in neutral, cooperative, and competitive social contexts. They adapt their cognitive system more efficiently in cooperative and competitive contexts, compared to a neutral one. Children’s behavior across these social situations is most strongly influenced by their age, cultural background, socioeconomic status, language skills, and emotion regulation.