The study analyzed language switching in bilingual psychotherapy and its impact on therapeutic alliance. 134 psychotherapy clients in the Netherlands participated in an online survey which included...Show moreThe study analyzed language switching in bilingual psychotherapy and its impact on therapeutic alliance. 134 psychotherapy clients in the Netherlands participated in an online survey which included the California Psychotherapy Alliance Scales - Patient Version and language-related questions. Analyses of Variances and Multiple Regression Analyses were conducted to investigate the effects. The findings indicate no significant correlation between language switching by the client and therapeutic alliance, but language switching by the therapist was associated with lower scores on the Patient Working Capacity (PWC) subscale. Discussing language switching was also negatively associated with the PWC and the Therapists' Understanding and Involvement (TUI) subscales. Language switching due to language barriers (dominant to non-dominant) and to distance oneself (non-dominant to dominant) were associated with lower alliance scores. Excluding Dutch-dominant psychotherapy clients, only the associated negative contribution of language switching to distance oneself remained significant. The findings highlight the complexity and universality of language switching and the importance of linguistic awareness among practitioners, particularly regarding the challenges of language barriers and their adverse effect on therapeutic alliance. Aiming to contribute to the evolving field of bilingual and multicultural psychotherapy, this study’s findings and limitations inspire future research on a linguistic technique yet not fully understood.Show less
This thesis investigates the influence of cognates on language switching in Dutch-English bilinguals. The aim of this study is to determine whether language-switch direction and a bilingual’s L2...Show moreThis thesis investigates the influence of cognates on language switching in Dutch-English bilinguals. The aim of this study is to determine whether language-switch direction and a bilingual’s L2 proficiency or “L2 background” (i.e. how often participants use English, their L2, outside of an academic context) influence the effect of cognates. Thirty-three Dutch-English bilingual students were divided into four groups based on their L2 (English) proficiency and their “L2 background”. These participants performed a cued language switching task with pictures of both cognate and non-cognate words, which had to be named in English or Dutch in accordance to the color cue. The results of this research show: (1) cognate facilitation from L1 (Dutch) to L2 (English) but only in average proficiency participants; (2) switch direction influences the performance in the experiment, and possibly inhibits switches from L2-L1 but not in combination with cognates; (3) and similarly, the proficiency and the L2 background of the participant may influence the performance, but not the cognate effect as there was not a significant interaction with the trigger variable. This thesis did not find clear evidence for cognate facilitation in both switching directions; there is only a cognate facilitation effect in the average proficiency group switching from Dutch to English. Cognate status did not have a significant interaction with the response time, whereas switch direction did have a significant interaction. This could suggest that switch direction is influences switching performance more than cognate status in L2 learners.Show less
