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Chapter 16. Time course differences between bilinguals and monolinguals in the Simon task*

  • Manjunath Narra , Andrew Heathcote and Matthew Finkbeiner
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Cognitive Control and Consequences of Multilingualism
This chapter is in the book Cognitive Control and Consequences of Multilingualism

Abstract

In the Simon task, individuals need to indicate the colour of the target stimulus while ignoring its spatial location. The Simon Effect refers to the finding that participants respond more quickly when the target stimulus and response effector are spatially compatible compared to when they are not. Thus, to optimize performance in the Simon task, individuals need to ignore the task-irrelevant (spatial) information and attend to the task-relevant (colour) information. Interestingly, it has been reported that bilinguals are faster than monolinguals in the Simon task and that they exhibit a smaller Simon effect. The present study investigates whether this so-called bilingual advantage is due to bilinguals being better at ignoring task-irrelevant information, or better at activating task-relevant information, or both. In a button-press version of the task, we do not observe a bilingual advantage, but in a reach-to-touch paradigm, we find that bilinguals suppress task-irrelevant information for longer and activate task-relevant information sooner.

Abstract

In the Simon task, individuals need to indicate the colour of the target stimulus while ignoring its spatial location. The Simon Effect refers to the finding that participants respond more quickly when the target stimulus and response effector are spatially compatible compared to when they are not. Thus, to optimize performance in the Simon task, individuals need to ignore the task-irrelevant (spatial) information and attend to the task-relevant (colour) information. Interestingly, it has been reported that bilinguals are faster than monolinguals in the Simon task and that they exhibit a smaller Simon effect. The present study investigates whether this so-called bilingual advantage is due to bilinguals being better at ignoring task-irrelevant information, or better at activating task-relevant information, or both. In a button-press version of the task, we do not observe a bilingual advantage, but in a reach-to-touch paradigm, we find that bilinguals suppress task-irrelevant information for longer and activate task-relevant information sooner.

Chapters in this book

  1. Prelim pages i
  2. Table of contents v
  3. Acknowledgments ix
  4. About the editor xi
  5. About the contributors xiii
  6. Part I: Introduction
  7. Cognitive and neurocognitive implications of language control and multilingualism 3
  8. Part II: Cognitive control and multilingualism
  9. Chapter 1. Bilingualism, executive control, and eye movement measures of reading 11
  10. Chapter 2. Listening with your cohort 47
  11. Chapter 3. The role of executive function in the perception of L2 speech sounds in young balanced and unbalanced dual language learners 71
  12. Chapter 4. Are cognate words “special”? 97
  13. Chapter 5. Action speaks louder than words, even in speaking 127
  14. Chapter 6. Influence of preparation time on language control 145
  15. Chapter 7. When L1 suffers 171
  16. Chapter 8. Effects of cognitive control, lexical robustness, and frequency of codeswitching on language switching 193
  17. Chapter 9. The locus of cross-language activation 217
  18. Chapter 10. Syntactic interference in bilingual naming during language switching 239
  19. Chapter 11. Multi-component perspective of cognitive control in bilingualism 271
  20. Part III: Consequences of multilingualism
  21. Chapter 12. The bilingual advantage in the auditory domain 299
  22. Chapter 13. Executive functions in bilingual children 323
  23. Chapter 14. Home language usage and executive function in bilingual preschoolers 351
  24. Chapter 15. Cognitive mechanisms underlying performance differences between monolinguals and bilinguals 375
  25. Chapter 16. Time course differences between bilinguals and monolinguals in the Simon task* 397
  26. Chapter 17. Top down influence on executive control in bilinguals 427
  27. Index 451
https://doi.org/10.1075/bpa.2.17nar

Chapters in this book

  1. Prelim pages i
  2. Table of contents v
  3. Acknowledgments ix
  4. About the editor xi
  5. About the contributors xiii
  6. Part I: Introduction
  7. Cognitive and neurocognitive implications of language control and multilingualism 3
  8. Part II: Cognitive control and multilingualism
  9. Chapter 1. Bilingualism, executive control, and eye movement measures of reading 11
  10. Chapter 2. Listening with your cohort 47
  11. Chapter 3. The role of executive function in the perception of L2 speech sounds in young balanced and unbalanced dual language learners 71
  12. Chapter 4. Are cognate words “special”? 97
  13. Chapter 5. Action speaks louder than words, even in speaking 127
  14. Chapter 6. Influence of preparation time on language control 145
  15. Chapter 7. When L1 suffers 171
  16. Chapter 8. Effects of cognitive control, lexical robustness, and frequency of codeswitching on language switching 193
  17. Chapter 9. The locus of cross-language activation 217
  18. Chapter 10. Syntactic interference in bilingual naming during language switching 239
  19. Chapter 11. Multi-component perspective of cognitive control in bilingualism 271
  20. Part III: Consequences of multilingualism
  21. Chapter 12. The bilingual advantage in the auditory domain 299
  22. Chapter 13. Executive functions in bilingual children 323
  23. Chapter 14. Home language usage and executive function in bilingual preschoolers 351
  24. Chapter 15. Cognitive mechanisms underlying performance differences between monolinguals and bilinguals 375
  25. Chapter 16. Time course differences between bilinguals and monolinguals in the Simon task* 397
  26. Chapter 17. Top down influence on executive control in bilinguals 427
  27. Index 451
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