Final published version
Licence: CC BY: Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License
Research output: Contribution to Journal/Magazine › Journal article › peer-review
Research output: Contribution to Journal/Magazine › Journal article › peer-review
}
TY - JOUR
T1 - On the phantom-like appearance of bilingualism effects on neurocognition
T2 - (How) should we proceed?
AU - Leivada, Evelina
AU - Westergaard, Marit
AU - Duñabeitia, Jon Andoni
AU - Rothman, Jason
N1 - Publisher Copyright: Copyright © The Author(s), 2020. Published by Cambridge University Press.
PY - 2021/1/31
Y1 - 2021/1/31
N2 - Numerous studies have argued that bilingualism has effects on cognitive functions. Recently, in light of increasingly mixed empirical results, this claim has been challenged. One might ponder if there is enough evidence to justify a cessation to future research on the topic or, alternatively, how the field could proceed to better understand the phantom-like appearance of bilingual effects. Herein, we attempt to frame this appearance at the crossroads of several factors such as the heterogeneity of the term 'bilingual', sample size effects, task effects, and the complex dynamics between an early publication bias that favours positive results and the subsequent Proteus phenomenon. We conclude that any definitive claim on the topic is premature and that research must continue, albeit in a modified way. To this effect, we offer a path forward for future multi-lab work that should provide clearer answers to whether bilingualism has neurocognitive effects, and if so, under what conditions.
AB - Numerous studies have argued that bilingualism has effects on cognitive functions. Recently, in light of increasingly mixed empirical results, this claim has been challenged. One might ponder if there is enough evidence to justify a cessation to future research on the topic or, alternatively, how the field could proceed to better understand the phantom-like appearance of bilingual effects. Herein, we attempt to frame this appearance at the crossroads of several factors such as the heterogeneity of the term 'bilingual', sample size effects, task effects, and the complex dynamics between an early publication bias that favours positive results and the subsequent Proteus phenomenon. We conclude that any definitive claim on the topic is premature and that research must continue, albeit in a modified way. To this effect, we offer a path forward for future multi-lab work that should provide clearer answers to whether bilingualism has neurocognitive effects, and if so, under what conditions.
KW - executive functions
KW - Key words bilingualism
KW - neurocognition
KW - Proteus phenomenon
U2 - 10.1017/S1366728920000358
DO - 10.1017/S1366728920000358
M3 - Journal article
AN - SCOPUS:85085689865
VL - 24
SP - 197
EP - 210
JO - Bilingualism
JF - Bilingualism
SN - 1366-7289
IS - 1
ER -