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Chapter 4. Adaptive control and brain plasticity

A multidimensional account of the bilingual experience and its relation to cognition
  • Anne L. Beatty-Martínez and Paola E. Dussias
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Bilingualism, Executive Function, and Beyond
This chapter is in the book Bilingualism, Executive Function, and Beyond

Abstract

A central question in cognitive neuroscience concerns how individuals’ cognitive abilities are shaped by learning from experience. This paper presents a critical overview of the discoveries that have emerged from the study of bilingualism, and the implications that they hold for language, cognition, and the brain. In particular, we review the range of cognitive control processes that appear to be influenced by bilingualism and the theoretical frameworks that have been proposed to account for the differences between bilinguals and monolinguals as well as among bilinguals themselves. We discuss current research directions on the consequences of bilingualism, and report emerging findings on the role of bilingual experience in the adaptation of the bilingual language system.

Abstract

A central question in cognitive neuroscience concerns how individuals’ cognitive abilities are shaped by learning from experience. This paper presents a critical overview of the discoveries that have emerged from the study of bilingualism, and the implications that they hold for language, cognition, and the brain. In particular, we review the range of cognitive control processes that appear to be influenced by bilingualism and the theoretical frameworks that have been proposed to account for the differences between bilinguals and monolinguals as well as among bilinguals themselves. We discuss current research directions on the consequences of bilingualism, and report emerging findings on the role of bilingual experience in the adaptation of the bilingual language system.

Chapters in this book

  1. Prelim pages i
  2. Table of contents v
  3. Chapter 1. Bilingualism, executive function, and beyond 1
  4. Part I. Beyond simple relations
  5. Chapter 2. The signal and the noise 17
  6. Chapter 3. Variation in language experience shapes the consequences of bilingualism 35
  7. Chapter 4. Adaptive control and brain plasticity 49
  8. Chapter 5. Comparing executive functions in monolinguals and bilinguals 67
  9. Chapter 6. Cooking pasta in La Paz 81
  10. Part II. Language processing
  11. Chapter 7. Interference control in bilingual auditory sentence processing in noise 103
  12. Chapter 8. Investigating grammatical processing in bilinguals 117
  13. Chapter 9. Referring expressions and executive functions in bilingualism 131
  14. Chapter 10. Language control and executive control 147
  15. Chapter 11. Effects of dense code-switching on executive control 161
  16. Chapter 12. Predicting executive functions in bilinguals using ecologically valid measures of code-switching behavior 181
  17. Part III. Cognition and bilingualism
  18. Chapter 13. Research on individual differences in executive functions 209
  19. Chapter 14. Does performance on executive function tasks correlate? 223
  20. Chapter 15. Putting together bilingualism and executive function 237
  21. Chapter 16. What cognitive processes are likely to be exercised by bilingualism and does this exercise lead to extra-linguistic cognitive benefits? 247
  22. Part IV. Development, aging, and impairment
  23. Chapter 17. Executive control in bilingual children 265
  24. Chapter 18. Interactions among speed of processing, cognitive control, age, and bilingualism 281
  25. Chapter 19. Teasing apart factors influencing executive function performance in bilinguals and monolinguals at different ages 295
  26. Chapter 20. Proficient bilingualism may alleviate some executive function difficulties in children with Autism Spectrum Disorders 337
  27. Chapter 21. Does bilingualism protect against cognitive aging? 355
  28. Author index 371
  29. Subject index 375
https://doi.org/10.1075/sibil.57.04bea

Chapters in this book

  1. Prelim pages i
  2. Table of contents v
  3. Chapter 1. Bilingualism, executive function, and beyond 1
  4. Part I. Beyond simple relations
  5. Chapter 2. The signal and the noise 17
  6. Chapter 3. Variation in language experience shapes the consequences of bilingualism 35
  7. Chapter 4. Adaptive control and brain plasticity 49
  8. Chapter 5. Comparing executive functions in monolinguals and bilinguals 67
  9. Chapter 6. Cooking pasta in La Paz 81
  10. Part II. Language processing
  11. Chapter 7. Interference control in bilingual auditory sentence processing in noise 103
  12. Chapter 8. Investigating grammatical processing in bilinguals 117
  13. Chapter 9. Referring expressions and executive functions in bilingualism 131
  14. Chapter 10. Language control and executive control 147
  15. Chapter 11. Effects of dense code-switching on executive control 161
  16. Chapter 12. Predicting executive functions in bilinguals using ecologically valid measures of code-switching behavior 181
  17. Part III. Cognition and bilingualism
  18. Chapter 13. Research on individual differences in executive functions 209
  19. Chapter 14. Does performance on executive function tasks correlate? 223
  20. Chapter 15. Putting together bilingualism and executive function 237
  21. Chapter 16. What cognitive processes are likely to be exercised by bilingualism and does this exercise lead to extra-linguistic cognitive benefits? 247
  22. Part IV. Development, aging, and impairment
  23. Chapter 17. Executive control in bilingual children 265
  24. Chapter 18. Interactions among speed of processing, cognitive control, age, and bilingualism 281
  25. Chapter 19. Teasing apart factors influencing executive function performance in bilinguals and monolinguals at different ages 295
  26. Chapter 20. Proficient bilingualism may alleviate some executive function difficulties in children with Autism Spectrum Disorders 337
  27. Chapter 21. Does bilingualism protect against cognitive aging? 355
  28. Author index 371
  29. Subject index 375
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