WK3 L6 Readings

• What advantage do bilingual children have in tasks requiring inhibitory control?

  Bilingual children excel in tasks requiring inhibitory control to ignore misleading perceptual cues
• What did Study 1 replicate regarding bilingual children's performance on the Simon task?

  Bilingual children perform the Simon task more rapidly than monolinguals under high inhibitory control demands
• What types of tasks were compared in the studies regarding bilingual children's performance?

  • Tasks requiring inhibition of attention to a specific cue (e.g., Simon task)
  • Tasks requiring inhibition of a habitual response (e.g., day-night Stroop task)
• What was the finding regarding bilingual children's advantage on different types of tasks?

  Bilingual children maintained their advantage on attention control tasks but not on response inhibition tasks
• What is the significance of early bilingualism according to Bialystok's research?

  Early bilingualism leads to precocious development of certain cognitive processes
• What types of problems have shown processing differences between monolinguals and bilinguals?

  Processing differences have been found in both linguistic and nonverbal problems
• What is an example of a nonverbal problem mentioned in the study material?

  The water level task
• What does the processing advantage for bilinguals involve according to the study material?

  It involves resolving perceptual conflict and responding based on a non-salient target cue
• What are the key tasks that demonstrate bilingual children's cognitive control advantages?

  • Water level task
  • Dimensional change card sort (DCCS)
  • Ambiguous figure reversal task
  • Appearance-reality problem
• How does bilingualism influence children's development of inhibitory control?

  Bilingualism influences the development of executive functioning and inhibitory control
• What developmental psychopathologies are linked to inefficient inhibition?

  Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, Tourette syndrome, and autistic spectrum disorder
• What is the primary hypothesis of the studies reported in the paper?

  Bilingual children will perform the Simon task better than monolinguals
• What are the three versions of the Simon task used in Study 1 designed to manipulate?

  • The delay between stimulus presentation and response opportunity
  • The saliency of the misleading cue
  • The processing demands of the task
• What is the expected outcome of inserting a delay before responding in the Simon task?

  The delay is expected to reduce the bilingual advantage
• What is the Simon effect?

  The reliable increase in response time to an incongruent trial relative to a congruent trial
• What does the Simon task measure?

  It measures stimulus-response incompatibility and attentional processes
• How do bilinguals perform on the Simon task compared to monolinguals across different age groups?

  Bilinguals perform more efficiently than monolinguals, with advantages increasing with age
• What is the significance of the mixed blocks of congruent and incongruent trials in the Simon task?

  They require participants to hold two rules in mind and anticipate switching between responses
• What was the outcome of the study using magneto-encephalography (MEG) with young adults performing the Simon task?

  Monolingual and bilingual participants did not differ in speed but used different frontal regions
• What are the main findings regarding bilinguals' performance on the Simon task in adults?

  • Bilinguals complete the Simon task more efficiently than monolinguals
  • The bilingual advantage increases with age
  • Differences are significant for both congruent and incongruent trials
• What is the primary focus of the present paper's studies?

  The studies focus on investigating executive functions, particularly inhibitory control, in young monolingual and bilingual children
• What is the expected performance of bilingual children in the Simon task according to the primary hypothesis?

  Bilingual children are expected to have faster reaction times
• What is the role of the delay in the Simon task according to the study's predictions?

  The delay is predicted to reduce the bilingual advantage
• What was the primary hypothesis regarding bilingual children in the study?

  Bilingual children will perform the Simon task better than monolinguals.
• What evidence was used to support the hypothesis about bilingual children?

  Faster reaction times in the Simon task.
• What effect does reducing processing demands have on performance between language groups?

  It should produce equal performance by monolingual and bilingual children.
• What were the three versions of the Simon task created in Study 1?

  • Immediate response task
  • Short delay task
  • Long delay task
• How does a delay affect the saliency of the misleading cue in the Simon task?

  A delay reduces the saliency of the misleading cue.
• What was predicted regarding bilinguals' performance with different delays in the Simon task?

  Bilinguals will outperform monolinguals in immediate tasks, but delays will reduce or eliminate this advantage.
• How many children participated in the study, and how were they divided?

  34 children, half monolingual and half bilingual.
• What was the mean age of the monolingual children?

  4 years and 7 months.
• What languages were the bilingual children fluent in?

  French and English.
• What is the significance of the French school system for the bilingual children?

  It provides instruction exclusively in French until the third grade.
• How were the children's language competencies assessed before testing?

  The experimenter conversed with the children in both languages.
• What tests were used to assess the children's cognitive abilities?

  • Forward Digit Span: Assesses short-term memory.
  • Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test Revised (PPVT-R): Assesses English receptive vocabulary.
  • Échelle Vocabulaire en Images Peabody (EVIP): Assesses French receptive vocabulary.
• What was the procedure for the Forward Digit Span test?

  Children repeated a random string of digits in the same order.
• What was the maximum score possible for each string length in the Forward Digit Span test?

  Two points for each string length.
• How was the PPVT-R administered?

  Children pointed to the picture named by the experimenter.
• What was the stopping criterion for the PPVT-R test?

  Children made six errors in eight consecutive trials.
• What was the purpose of the Simon task in the study?

  To assess children's reaction times and inhibitory control.