The Relationship between Cognitive Function and Bilingualism in Young Adults
Sierra S. Swenson
University of Minnesota Duluth
Keywords: bilingual, cognitive function, electroencephalogram, neuropsychological
Abstract
The study of bilingualism presents itself as a complex one. Within various disciplines, such as linguistics, the investigation of bilingualism has demonstrated societal benefits in academia, the workforce, and cultural relations. When identifying advantages in terms of cognitive function, a small body of research has been produced in the field of neuroscience. The current study aims to determine whether bilingual participants demonstrate higher cognitive functioning by result of their performance on neuropsychological working memory tasks. Thirty-two undergraduate students from the University of Minnesota-Duluth enrolled in the study. Participants were asked to complete various neuropsychological working memory tasks. In conjunction with the tasks, EEG technology was utilized to record the live neural activity of participants by use of facial electrodes and a specialized brain cap. Of the 32 participants enrolled in the study, 14 presented as bilingual and 18 as monolingual. Effectively, results indicate differences in cognitive performance and mental health variables between monolingual and bilingual participants.
