Measures of Bilingual Cognition – From Infancy to Adolescence

Williams, Lindsay A.; Parthasarathy, Prasiddha; Molnar, Monika

doi:10.5334/joc.184

Cited by 6 publications

(6 citation statements)

References 107 publications

(298 reference statements)

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“…We also noticed inconsistency across publications when reporting the measured components with a given test. For example, using the auditory section of IVA + Plus, Krizman et al [ 42 ] measured “attentional control,” whereas Boerma et al [ 39 ] assessed “sustained attention.” This observation is in line with Williams et al [ 6 ] who also found variation in targeted cognitive abilities for the same task in bilingualism research.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 92%

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Is there a bilingual advantage in auditory attention among children? A systematic review and meta-analysis of standardized auditory attention tests

Bao,

Alain,

Thaut

et al. 2024

PLoS ONE

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A wealth of research has investigated the associations between bilingualism and cognition, especially in regards to executive function. Some developmental studies reveal different cognitive profiles between monolinguals and bilinguals in visual or audio-visual attention tasks, which might stem from their attention allocation differences. Yet, whether such distinction exists in the auditory domain alone is unknown. In this study, we compared differences in auditory attention, measured by standardized tests, between monolingual and bilingual children. A comprehensive literature search was conducted in three electronic databases: OVID Medline, OVID PsycInfo, and EBSCO CINAHL. Twenty studies using standardized tests to assess auditory attention in monolingual and bilingual participants aged less than 18 years were identified. We assessed the quality of these studies using a scoring tool for evaluating primary research. For statistical analysis, we pooled the effect size in a random-effects meta-analytic model, where between-study heterogeneity was quantified using the I2 statistic. No substantial publication bias was observed based on the funnel plot. Further, meta-regression modelling suggests that test measure (accuracy vs. response times) significantly affected the studies’ effect sizes whereas other factors (e.g., participant age, stimulus type) did not. Specifically, studies reporting accuracy observed marginally greater accuracy in bilinguals (g = 0.10), whereas those reporting response times indicated faster latency in monolinguals (g = -0.34). There was little difference between monolingual and bilingual children’s performance on standardized auditory attention tests. We also found that studies tend to include a wide variety of bilingual children but report limited language background information of the participants. This, unfortunately, limits the potential theoretical contributions of the reviewed studies. Recommendations to improve the quality of future research are discussed.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 92%

“…Cognition has many facets, among which executive function (EF) is most frequently measured in bilingual developmental studies [ 6 ]. Recent meta-analyses present mixed results about whether bilingualism confers an EF benefit in children.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Is there a bilingual advantage in auditory attention among children? A systematic review and meta-analysis of standardized auditory attention tests

Bao,

Alain,

Thaut

et al. 2024

PLoS ONE

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…We also noticed inconsistency across publications when reporting the measured components with a given test. For example, using the auditory section of IVA + Plus, Krizman et al [43] measured “attentional control,” whereas Boerma et al [40] assessed “sustained attention.” This observation is in line with Williams et al [6] who also found variation in targeted cognitive abilities for the same task in bilingualism research.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 92%

Is there a bilingual advantage in auditory attention among children? A systematic review and meta-analysis of standardized auditory attention tests

Bao

Alain

Thaut

et al. 2023

Preprint

Self Cite

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A wealth of research has investigated the effects of bilingualism on cognition, especially on executive function. Developmental studies reveal different cognitive profiles between monolinguals and bilinguals in (audio-)visual attention tasks, which might stem from their attention allocation differences. Yet, whether such distinction exists in the auditory domain alone is unknown. In this study, we compared differences in auditory attention, measured by standardized tests, between monolingual and bilingual children. A comprehensive literature search was conducted in three electronic databases: OVID Medline, OVID PsycInfo, and EBSCO CINAHL. Empirical studies using standardized tests to assess auditory attention in monolingual and bilingual participants aged less than 18 years were included. Among the 20 studies identified, we performed a meta-analysis and found that test measure (accuracy vs. response times) was significantly related to differences in effect sizes whereas other factors (e.g., participant age, stimulus type) were not. Specifically, studies reporting accuracy observed a marginal bilingual advantage (g = 0.10), but those reporting response times indicated a small monolingual benefit (g = -0.34). Therefore, there was little difference between monolingual and bilingual children's performance on standardized auditory attention tests. We also found that studies tend to include a wide variety of bilingual children but report limited language background information of the participants. This, unfortunately, limits the potential theoretical contributions of the reviewed studies. Recommendations to improve the quality of future research are discussed.

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“…In terms of the predictions of the 'Bilingual Advantage' hypothesis, we might expect neurodivergent bilinguals to show advantages paralleling the cognitive domains of neurotypical bilinguals, including executive functions 99 and theory of mind 4 . Overall, there seems to be some evidence to support this, particularly in false belief in children with ASD.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Examining Bilingual Neurodiversity in Development: Recent Insights Through an Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Lens

Leung,

Molnar

2023

Preprint

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This narrative review provides an updated overview of the effects of bilingualism on language and cognition of children with neurodevelopmental disorders. Our multi-pronged search yielded literature conducted with populations with developmental language disorder, autism spectrum disorder and attentional disorders, hearing impairment and other neurodevelopmental disorders and conditions. Although much of the focus remains on developmental language disorder and autism spectrum disorder, research interests are slowly growing to fill in the gaps of how bilingualism affects other populations with differential patterns of development. Our review shows that a conclusive understanding of this relationship is hindered by the assessment types (i.e., not validated for bilinguals) and practices (e.g., confounds, languages assessed) involved in the evaluation of bilingual children. Areas such as acquired pediatric disorders remain understudied. Defining, measuring, and reporting bilingualism as multi-dimensional, persists as an obstacle to cross-comparison between children with different disorders. Recommendations for further investigations in this area are provided.

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Measures of Bilingual Cognition – From Infancy to Adolescence

Cited by 6 publications

References 107 publications

Is there a bilingual advantage in auditory attention among children? A systematic review and meta-analysis of standardized auditory attention tests

Is there a bilingual advantage in auditory attention among children? A systematic review and meta-analysis of standardized auditory attention tests

Is there a bilingual advantage in auditory attention among children? A systematic review and meta-analysis of standardized auditory attention tests

Examining Bilingual Neurodiversity in Development: Recent Insights Through an Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Lens

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