![]() Two primary types of explanations proposed to explain a bilingual advantage on cognitive tasks include domain-specific and domain-general explanations. ![]() The bilingual advantage has been defined as bilinguals outperforming monolinguals on cognitive tasks tapping into executive functions in terms of improved accuracy, decreased reaction time, or both. Potential Reasons for the Bilingual Cognitive Advantage in School-Aged Childrenīefore reviewing the evidence for a bilingual advantage, it would be useful to explain some potential reasons for an advantage. The take-home point for researchers is that conclusions made about executive functions should be precise in terms that describe which aspect of the “family of function” (Friedman, 2016, p. That is, there is enough in common with different executive function tasks and domains to justify grouping them under a single heading, yet there are enough differences that it might not be appropriate to conceptualize executive functions as a single concept. discussed how there is “unity and diversity” within executive functions. We will use Miyake et al.'s terminology for the remainder of our discussion. (2000) used a latent variable analysis and narrowed executive functions down to three core functions, outlined in Table 1. This is a wide range of behaviors that, at first glance, can seem overwhelming and difficult to test. Examples included volition, purposeful action, effective performance, concurrent manipulation of behavior, determination, planning, conscious actions, setting goals, strategy control and monitoring, abstract thinking, reasoning, inhibiting actions or behaviors, creative thinking, cognitive flexibility, problem-solving, organization, formation of concepts, and task analysis. Jurado and Rosselli (2007) reviewed the concepts and components of executive functions defined by researchers over the years. As such, executive functions are any aspect of processing that can be modified in a manner favorable to the individual when the individual is motivated to behave in a particular way. We will be referring more generally to executive functions.Ĭonceptually, executive function could be viewed as any aspect of cognitive processing for which an individual has a choice. Thus, the “central executive” is a particular construct that can be used to analyze executive functions ( Baddeley, 1998). The term “executive function” is sometimes confused with the concept of the “central executive.” The central executive is best known as part of the multicomponent model of working memory, a tri-component system used to describe the link between short-term and long-term memory ( Baddeley & Hitch, 1974). Executive functions are “general-purpose control mechanisms that modulate the operation of various cognitive subprocesses and thereby regulate the dynamics of human cognition” ( Miyake et al., 2000, p. Let us begin with some clarification of terminology. There are three general questions associated with this topic: (a) Is there a bilingual advantage for school-aged children? (b) If there is a bilingual advantage, is it restricted to certain types of executive functions? (c) What might explain some of the discrepant findings in the literature? This article will compare the performance of school-aged monolingual and bilingual children on a range of executive function tasks that cover all three domains of executive function (i.e., inhibition, shifting, and updating), and our findings will be discussed in the context of extent literature on a cognitive advantage in bilingual children.Įxecutive Functions/The Central Executive This has ramifications for how we understand bilingual development. Thus, the existing literature on whether there are differences between monolingual and bilingual individuals, particularly children, is mixed. Over the past several years, there has been an increase in the number of studies that support these claims (e.g., Adesope, Lavin, Thompson, & Ungerleider, 2010) as well as those that refute them (e.g., de Bruin, Treccani, & Della Sala, 2015). However, this idea of an advantage is contested. This refers to research findings demonstrating that bilinguals often outperform monolinguals on tasks that tap into executive functions such as those requiring inhibition, shifting, and updating. ![]() The possibility of a bilingual cognitive advantage has been suggested for decades (e.g., Bialystok & Martin, 2004 Diaz, 1985 Peal & Lambert, 1962).
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