Bilingualism Enriches the Poor: Enhanced Cognitive Control in Low-Income Minority Children By: GABRIEL ALARCON

Study overview Purpose: To find a bilingual cognitive advantage and it’s specific process, in lower socioeconomic class (SES) of immigrant children Subjects: Compared 40 bilingual children with 40 monolingual children. Same low SES and cultural background (N. Portugal) Tests: Measured language proficiency and cognitive abilities Results: Bilingual advantage in cognitive control only, not affected by socioeconomic status or cultural differences

Hypothesis Bilingualism selectively affects the ability to resolve conflict, an aspect of cognitive control, and that this difference would emerge in carefully matched children from low-SES backgrounds.

Possible concerns and confounds Bilingual executive functioning advantage not found in all studies Improper SES matching across groups in previous studies SES may determine access to opportunities that bilingualism presents Few studies on bilingual children in poverty No studies matching monolingual vs bilingual immigrants in the SAME SES

LUXEMBOURG Trilingual country (Luxembourgish, German, French) Taught German at age 6 and French at age 7. Portuguese largest foreign born population (16%)

SUBJECTS 40 bilingual (Portuguese and Luxembourgish) children living in Luxembourg 1st and 2nd generation low SES, parents emigrated from Northern Portugal 40 monolingual children (Portuguese) living in Northern Portugal Samples are from the same region, and sociodemographic background All 18% below poverty line 99% Caucasian, 1% other 50/50 gender Samples are 2nd graders

Sociodemographic chart

Methods M=22 students Equivalent curriculums Total 121 children assessed, 67 from Luxembourg, and 54 from Portugal SES criteria matched Language measures ( 3 test administered) Cognitive measures (5 test administered) Terms: Representation and Control

Methods: types of test Raven’s Colored Progressive Matrices Dot Matrix Odd One Out Dot Matrix Flanker Task Sky Search Attention Task

Results Vocabulary Test: Bilinguals named more words in Portuguese, but monolinguals performed better on Portuguese single vocabulary test. Expressive One Word Picture Vocabulary Test: Monolinguals performed better. Raven’s: Groups did not differ in abstract reasoning. Odd One Out and Dot Matrix: Groups did not differ on working memory.

Results Sky Search: Bilinguals faster on motor control, but overall scores do not significantly differ. Flanker: Bilinguals had faster reaction times (RT) in both congruent and incongruent trials. Between Groups: Bilinguals outperformed on control, but groups performed equally on representation

Descriptive statistics

Varimax rotation FACTOR 1 = REPRESENTATION FACTOR 2 = CONTROL Between Groups: Bilinguals outperformed on control factor, but groups performed equally on representation.

DISCUSSIONS Control and representation are two specific cognitive factors Bilingualism only affects control The bilingual control advantage showed in children in lower SES Higher demand for control required, the more likely this advantage emerges Dispels economic or cultural confounds Data consistent with idea that bilingualism strengthens “control” cognitive abilities because of sorting different lexicons

References Engel de Abreu PMJ, Cruz-Santos A, Tourinho CJ, Martin R, Bialystok E. Bilingualism Enriches the Poor: Enhanced Cognitive Control in Low-Income Minority Children. Psychological science. 2012;23(11):1364-1371. doi:10.1177/0956797612443836.