DOI: 10.5176/2251-1865_CBP18.61
Authors: Katalin Tamasi, Liyang Zhang, and W. Quin Yow
Abstract: Considerable evidence has been accumulated on the existence of a bilingual advantage in executive control. However, studies are inconclusive as to the source of such advantage: What aspects of bilingualism – onset, usage, proficiency, and language switching characteristics – give rise to cognitive benefits? We investigated this question with two bilingual populations, Singaporean and non-Singaporean individuals living in Singapore (71 Singaporeans and 60 non-Singaporeans) performing a series of executive control tasks. Even though these individuals study and work at the same institution, their language background and experience differ markedly. Language variables, along with demographic and personality variables, were submitted to respective Principal Component Analyses to explore the underlying structure of our data. After stepwise selections to identify the most parsimonious models, onset of bilingualism and language switching behavior emerged as significant language predictors of executive control in both bilingual groups. Fluid intelligence and video-gaming skills were also shared as significant predictors across the two groups, whereas no overlap was found in the 8 personality traits that also emerged as predictors between the two bilingual groups. Overall, despite significant differences in the language background of Singaporean and non-Singaporean bilinguals, the language predictors affecting their executive functioning proved remarkably comparable.
Keywords:bilingualism; executive control; Principal Component Analysis
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