Are there bilingual advantages on nonlinguistic interference tasks? Implications for the plasticity of executive control processes

Hilchey, Matthew D.; Klein, Raymond M. · 2011 · OpenAlex-citations

DOI: 10.3758/s13423-011-0116-7

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Summary

This theoretical review by Hilchey and Klein (2011) investigates the validity of the "bilingual inhibitory control advantage" (BICA) hypothesis. The BICA hypothesis posits that the constant need for bilinguals to suppress their non-target language enhances general executive control mechanisms, leading to superior performance on nonlinguistic tasks requiring conflict resolution. The authors aim to determine if this advantage is robust and domain-general or if it is sporadic and task-specific. The authors conducted a critical review of empirical literature utilizing nonlinguistic interference paradigms, primarily the Simon task, the spatial Stroop task, and the flanker task. These tasks measure the ability to ignore irrelevant spatial or directional information. The review analyzed data from multiple studies involving participants across various age groups, including children, young adults, and older adults. The authors specifically examined interference effects (the difference in reaction times between compatible and incompatible trials) and overall global reaction times to assess whether bilinguals demonstrated superior inhibitory control compared to monolinguals. The findings reveal that the proposed bilingual advantage on conflict resolution is inconsistent and often absent. Analysis of interference effects shows that bilinguals do not consistently exhibit smaller interference effects than monolinguals, particularly among children and young adults. While a bilingual advantage in conflict resolution appears more robust in middle-aged and older adults, the authors note that interference effects naturally increase with age, complicating the interpretation of these results. Conversely, the review identifies a robust and widespread "bilingual executive processing advantage" (BEPA). This finding indicates that bilinguals typically outperform monolinguals on both compatible and incompatible trials, regardless of age. This global advantage in reaction time is distinct from the specific inhibitory control advantage predicted by the BICA hypothesis. The authors conclude that while bilingualism is associated with general cognitive benefits, these benefits are not specifically mediated by enhanced inhibitory control mechanisms as previously theorized. The sporadic nature of the BICA suggests that the cognitive advantages of bilingualism may stem from more general executive processing efficiencies rather than specialized improvements in conflict resolution. This distinction challenges existing models of cognitive plasticity and suggests that the mechanisms underlying bilingual advantages require further theoretical refinement, particularly regarding the separation of general processing speed from specific inhibitory control.

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• executive function