The impact of bilingualism on executive functions and working memory in young adults

Antón, Eneko; Carreiras, Manuel; Duñabeitia, Jon Andoni · 2019 · Crossref

DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0206770

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Summary

This study investigates the controversial hypothesis of a "bilingual advantage," specifically examining whether bilingualism enhances executive functions (EF) and working memory (WM) in young adults. While previous literature has frequently reported superior EF performance in bilinguals, recent critiques suggest these findings may stem from uncontrolled confounding variables, such as socio-economic status (SES), immigrant status, or small sample sizes, rather than bilingualism itself. The authors aimed to test the reliability of this advantage by employing large, carefully matched samples and controlling for these external factors. Additionally, the study explored whether bilingualism affects WM independently, given the theoretical overlap between EF and WM mechanisms. The researchers tested 180 young adults: 90 balanced Basque-Spanish bilinguals from the Basque Country and 90 Spanish monolinguals from Murcia, Spain. To ensure validity, participants were rigorously matched on age, IQ, SES, educational level, and Spanish proficiency. The experimental design included four classic EF tasks (Flanker, Simon, Stroop, and Antisaccade) to assess inhibition, shifting, and monitoring. To isolate WM effects, participants also completed forward and backward versions of visual (Corsi block-tapping) and auditory (digit span) memory tasks. The study utilized bootstrapping and regression analyses to determine if observed advantages correlated with unmatched socio-demographic factors and to assess the contribution of external variables to performance. The results revealed no significant differences between bilinguals and monolinguals in any of the executive function tasks when groups were properly matched. Bootstrapping analyses further demonstrated that when a bilingual advantage did appear in smaller subsamples, it consistently co-occurred with unmatched socio-demographic factors, suggesting that previous findings were likely spurious. Regarding working memory, no differences were found in the forward versions of the visual and auditory tasks. However, bilinguals systematically outperformed monolinguals in the backward conditions of both tasks, which require higher cognitive load and manipulation of information. These findings challenge the existence of a general bilingual advantage in executive functions, indicating that previously reported effects are likely artifacts of uncontrolled confounding variables rather than a direct result of bilingual experience. The specific advantage observed in backward working memory tasks suggests that bilingualism may enhance specific WM components involving information manipulation, distinct from general executive control. This study underscores the necessity of rigorous sample matching and large cohort sizes in bilingual research to avoid false positives driven by socio-demographic disparities.

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• cognitive capacity variation