ERIC Number: EJ1423278
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2024
Pages: 17
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0143-4632
EISSN: EISSN-1747-7557
Extending the Scope of the 'Cognitive Advantage' Hypothesis: Multilingual Individuals Show Higher Flexibility of Goal Adjustment
Werner Greve; Martin Koch; Verena Rasche; Kristin Kersten
Journal of Multilingual and Multicultural Development, v45 n4 p822-838 2024
The cognitive advantage (CA) hypothesis claims that multilingualism promotes the development of several basic cognitive capacities. A large number of empirical findings support this hypothesis, but recently there have also been numerous contradictory findings and methodological objections. The present paper extends the investigation of possible cognitive advantages from basic cognitive (executive) functions to broader cognitive competencies such as cognitive flexibility. A promising candidate for this is 'flexibility of goal adjustment' (FGA), a capacity of developmental regulation that solves problems through flexible adaptation processes. In a study with N = 119 monolingual and multilingual adults we found the predicted positive correlation between multilingualism and FGA. However, the mediator function of executive capacities entailed in the CA hypothesis operationalised as Stroop and flanker tasks could not be demonstrated.
Descriptors: Linguistic Theory, Cognitive Ability, Monolingualism, Multilingualism, Executive Function, Visual Stimuli, Interference (Learning), Color, Reaction Time, Adults, Correlation, Comparative Analysis, Goal Orientation, Foreign Countries, Task Analysis
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Germany
Identifiers - Assessments and Surveys: Stroop Color Word Test
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A