Cognitive control in Russian-german bilinguals.

Julia Festman,Thomas F Münte

doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2012.00115

Julia Festman, Thomas F Münte

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2012.00115

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Abstract

Bilingual speakers are faced with the problem to keep their languages apart, but do so with interindividually varying success. Cognitive control abilities might be an important factor to explain such interindividual differences. Here we compare two late, balanced and highly proficient bilingual groups (mean age 24 years, L1 Russian, L2 German) which were established according to their language control abilities on a bilingual picture-naming task. One group had difficulties to remain in the instructed target language and switched unintentionally to the non-target language (“switchers”), whereas the other group rarely switched unintentionally (“non-switchers”). This group-specific behavior could not be explained by language background, socio-cultural, or demographic variables. Rather, the non-switchers also demonstrated a faster and better performance on four cognitive control tests (Tower of Hanoi, Ruff Figural Fluency Test, Divided Attention, Go/Nogo). Here, we focus on two additional executive function tasks, the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test (WCST) and the Flanker task requiring conflict monitoring and conflict resolution. Non-switchers outperformed switchers with regard to speed and accuracy, and were better at finding and applying the correct rules in the WCST. Similarly, in the Flanker task non-switchers performed faster and better on conflict trials and had a higher correction rate following an error. Event-related potential recordings furthermore revealed a smaller error-related negativity in the non-switchers, taken as evidence for a more efficient self-monitoring system. We conclude that bilingual language performance, in particular switching behavior, is related to performance on cognitive control tasks. Better cognitive control, including conflict monitoring, results in decreased unintentional switching.

Highlights

We focus on two additional executive function tasks, theWisconsin Card SortingTest (WCST) and the Flanker task requiring conflict monitoring and conflict resolution
The recent interest in the relation between bilingual language processing and non-linguistic control abilities has been fueled by research showing that bilinguals outperform monolinguals on tasks involving executive functions
WISCONSIN CARD SORTING TEST Response times showed a gradual speed-up from 3D to 2D trials to subblock trials

Summary

INTRODUCTION

The recent interest in the relation between bilingual language processing and non-linguistic control abilities has been fueled by research showing that bilinguals outperform monolinguals on tasks involving executive functions. These are often distinguished into three subdomains: inhibition, shifting of mental sets ( referred to as task switching or cognitive flexibility), and updating information in working memory (Miyake et al, 2000). Bilinguals were grouped according to their errors of cross-language interference (CLI) on a bilingual picture-naming task Those who switched – not required – were called “switchers,” those who did not switch were called “non-switchers.”. It has been interpreted as an on-line index of performance monitoring and has been related to response conflict (Swick and Turken, 2002)

MATERIALS AND METHODS

RESULTS

DISCUSSION