Dual-task decrements in mono-, bi- and multilingual participants: evidence for multilingual advantage

Sidat, S. M., Giannakopoulou, A., Hand, C. J. and Ingram, J. (2023) Dual-task decrements in mono-, bi- and multilingual participants: evidence for multilingual advantage. Laterality, 28(2-3), pp. 73-95. (doi: 10.1080/1357650X.2023.2178061) (PMID:36803667)

Abstract

Evidence suggests that language processing in bilinguals is less left-lateralized than in monolinguals. We explored dual-task decrement (DTD) for mono-, bi- and multilinguals in a verbal-motor dual-task paradigm. We expected monolinguals to show greater DTD than bilingual participants, who would show greater DTD than multilingual participants. Fifty right-handed participants (18 monolingual, 16 bilingual, 16 multilingual) completed verbal fluency and manual motor tasks in isolation and concurrently. Tasks were completed twice in isolation (left-handed, right-handed) and twice as dual-tasks (left-handed, right-handed); participants’ motor-executing hands served proxy for hemispheric activation. Results supported the hypotheses. Completing dual-tasks incurred greater cost for manual motor tasks than for verbal fluency tasks. Negative cost of performing dual-tasks diminished as number of languages spoken increased; in fact, multilingual individuals demonstrated a dual-task advantage in both tasks when using the right hand, strongest in the verbal task. Dual-tasking had the greatest negative impact on verbal fluency of monolingual participants when the motor task was completed with the right hand; for bi- and multi-lingual participants, the greatest negative impact on verbal fluency was seen when the motor task was completed with the left hand. Results provide support for the bi-lateralization of language function in bi- and multilingual individuals.

• Item Type: Articles
• Keywords: asymmetry, bilingualism, dual-task performance, functional distance, lateralisation.
• Status: Published
• Refereed: Yes
• Glasgow Author(s) Enlighten ID: Hand, Dr Christopher
• Authors: Sidat, S. M., Giannakopoulou, A., Hand, C. J., and Ingram, J.
• College/School: College of Social Sciences > School of Education
• Journal Name: Laterality
• Publisher: Taylor & Francis
• ISSN: 1357-650X
• ISSN (Online): 1464-0678
• Published Online: 19 February 2023
• Copyright Holders: Copyright © 2023 Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor and Francis Group
• First Published: First published in Laterality 28(2-3):73-95
• Publisher Policy: Reproduced in accordance with the publisher copyright policy
• Data DOI: 10.17605/OSF.IO/2698J