Relations among degree of bilingualism and bilateral information processing in children and adults

Bibliographic Data

ID15087516
AuthorsFrancisco J Sierra (0000-0002-0625-0911, The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, corresponding author), Amy A Weimer (0000-0003-4981-2133, Texas State University), Yu-Cheng Lin (0000-0002-5905-6928, The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley), Jerwen Jou (0000-0002-3056-5059, The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley), Nayda Castillo, Cedar Garcia, C Servia Garcia, Michelle Suarez, Michelle A Suarez, Flor I Garcia (The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley), Gabriela Alemán (0000-0003-0755-2302, The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley), Edson Ortiz (The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley), Francheli Romero (The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley)
Year2025
Volume29
Issue5
Pages1274-1293
Publication date2025-10-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueInternational Journal of Bilingualism (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 1367-0069 • E-ISSN: 1756-6878
PublisherSAGE Publications (PUBLISHER • US)
DOI10.1177/13670069241277499
OpenAlexW4402335935
LanguageEN
Citations received1
References cited59

Aims and objectives: The primary goal of this study was to examine whether degree of bilingualism related to dichotic listening accuracy, a measure of bilateral processing, after controlling for age and income. Methodology: Participants included 59 children ages 6–11 years ( M = 7.86, SD = 1.81) and 61 adults (18–83 years) ( M = 34.02, SD = 15.70). Participants completed demographic surveys, vocabulary assessments in English and Spanish, and a dichotic listening test. Data and analysis: Multiple linear regressions examined whether the degree of bilingualism predicted bilateral processing. Findings: Degree of bilingualism predicted bilateral processing in the whole sample of children and adults. Originality: This study is one of the first to examine bilingualism and bilateral processing while including both children and adults. It also importantly controlled for a possible cognate facilitatory effect and participant income differences and measured bilingualism on a continuum. Significance: Results highlight the importance of including bilingual groups of different ages when researching bilingualism and laterality

Developmental psychology · Linguistics · Neuroscience of multilingualism · Physics · Language Development and Disorders · Neurobiology of Language and Bilingualism · Psychology · Reading and Literacy Development

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