The Bilingual Advantage in Children’s Executive Functioning Is Not Related to Language Status

A Meta-Analytic Review

Dados Bibliográficos

ID23359552
AutoresCassandra J Lowe (0000-0003-3830-5283, Department of Psychology, The University of Western Ontario), Isu Cho (0000-0003-2270-3068, Department of Psychology, The University of Western Ontario), Samantha F Goldsmith (0000-0002-4025-5839, Department of Psychology, The University of Western Ontario), J Bruce Morton (0000-0003-1112-0676, Department of Psychology, The University of Western Ontario, autor correspondente)
Ano2021
Volume32
Fascículo7
Páginas1115-1146
Data de publicação2021-07-01
Peer ReviewedSim
Open AccessSim
TipoARTICLE
PeriódicoPsychological Science (JOURNAL)
Identificadores do periódicoISSN: 0956-7976 • E-ISSN: 1467-9280
EditoraSAGE Publications (PUBLISHER • US)
DOI10.1177/0956797621993108
PMID34213379
OpenAlexW3174569935
IdiomaEN
Citações recebidas53
Referências citadas152

There is considerable debate about whether bilingual children have an advantage in executive functioning relative to monolingual children. In the current meta-analysis, we addressed this debate by comprehensively reviewing the available evidence. We synthesized data from published studies and unpublished data sets, which equated to 1,194 effect sizes from 10,937 bilingual and 12,477 monolingual participants between the ages of 3 and 17 years. Bilingual language status had a small overall effect on children’s executive functioning ( g = .08, 95% confidence interval = [.01, .14]). However, the effect of language status on children’s executive functioning was indistinguishable from zero ( g = −.04) after we adjusted for publication bias. Further, no significant effects were apparent within the executive-attention domain, in which the effects of language status have been hypothesized to be most pronounced ( g = .06, 95% confidence interval = [−.02, .14]). Taken together, available evidence suggests that the bilingual advantage in children’s executive functioning is small, variable, and potentially not attributable to the effect of language status.

Cognition · Cognitive psychology · Developmental psychology · Executive functions · Meta-analysis · Psychiatry · Language Development and Disorders · Neurobiology of Language and Bilingualism · Psychology · Reading and Literacy Development