Abstract

Several lines of research suggest a bilingual advantage in executive control and working memory. At the same time, some research failed to show any benefits. This study aims to expand on previous literature and research on bilingual and multilingual advantages on working memory. This study tests the effects of bilinguals and multilingual on working memory compared to monolinguals. The Corsi block task and the Digit Span task measure two components of working memory, the visuospatial and phonological loop, respectively. A total of 44 people complete the Corsi-block task, and 64 complete Digit Span tasks, both forward and backward, on Qualtrics. For the digit span task, results show no statistically significant difference in all three-digit span scores between the language groups. However, there is a statistical difference between task performance, irrespective of language, with individuals performing better in forward digit span than backward digit span. For the Corsi-block task, there is a marginally statistically significant difference in Corsi span between the language groups, with monolinguals performing better. This study aims to close the gaps in the existing literature by using modified tasks in different conditions. Though it failed to produce significant results, it is a direction for future studies to develop better tasks to measure bilingual advantages in adults.

Advisor

Stavnezer, Amy Jo

Department

Psychology

Disciplines

Psychology

Publication Date

2022

Degree Granted

Bachelor of Arts

Document Type

Senior Independent Study Thesis

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