Summary: Research indicates that speaking multiple languages can enhance attentional control and filtering of information.
Researchers observed how bilingual and monolingual individuals process incoming information. Bilinguals displayed greater efficiency in ignoring irrelevant information, which could be attributed to their frequent language switching.
The study emphasizes the necessity for more consistent research on bilingualism and cognition and highlights the various benefits of bilingualism irrespective of cognitive differences.
Key Facts:
- Bilinguals’ Enhanced Attention Control: The study revealed that bilingual individuals displayed superior attentional control in filtering out irrelevant information compared to monolinguals. This ability may be linked to the constant need to switch between languages.
- Unique Research Approach: Researchers utilized a novel task, the Partial Repetition Cost task, to assess participants’ information processing and attention control abilities. This task had not been previously employed in psycholinguistics studies.
- Cognition Adaptation: The study emphasizes the adaptability of cognitive traits, including attentional control, suggesting that being bilingual is a factor influencing cognitive processes.
Source: University of Florida
Introduction
Shifting Attention: A study published in the journal Bilingualism: Language and Cognition suggests that bilingual individuals may have a greater ability to shift their attention compared to monolinguals. The study delves into the differences between the two groups concerning attentional control and their ability to ignore irrelevant information, as explained by Grace deMeurisse, a linguistics Ph.D. candidate at the University of Florida, and Edith Kaan, a UF professor.
Bilinguals’ Efficiency: The research findings indicated that bilinguals appear to be more skilled at ignoring irrelevant information rather than suppressing it, possibly owing to the constant language switching they engage in. For instance, when speaking Spanish, English remains active but is relegated to the background.
Research Approach: The study adopted a unique approach using the Partial Repetition Cost task, which had not been utilized in previous psycholinguistics investigations, to measure information processing and attention control abilities.
Participant Categories: The subjects in the study comprised functional monolinguals and bilinguals, with the latter group defined as those who learned both their first and second language before ages 9 to 12 and were still actively using both languages.
Conclusion and Implications: The research emphasizes the adaptability of cognitive traits in response to external factors, reinforcing the idea that cognitive control is continuously shaped by circumstances. It underscores the need for more consistent methodologies and factors in research on bilingualism and cognition.
Neuroscientific Findings: The study contributes to the ongoing debate on bilingualism and cognition, challenging the notion of pronounced differences between bilinguals and monolinguals and highlighting the inherent benefits of learning a second language, irrespective of cognitive disparities.
About this language and neuroscience research news
Author: Karen Dooley
Source: University of Florida
Contact: Karen Dooley – University of Florida
Image: Neuroscience News
Original Research: Open access.
“Bilingual attentional control: Evidence from the Partial Repetition Cost paradigm” by Grace deMeurisse et al. Bilingualism: Language and Cognition
Abstract
Bilingual attentional control: Evidence from the Partial Repetition Cost paradigm
The impact of bilingual language experience on cognitive control remains a topic of debate. This study explored whether language experience affects lower-level processes through the use of a Partial Repetition Cost paradigm. Results suggest enhanced attentional disengagement in bilinguals.
