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- Title
Effect of Bimodal Bilingualism on the Performance of Selective Attention, Attention Switching Task and Attention Network Task.
- Authors
Devi, Thingom Medamni; Kuriakose, Rija; Kuriakose, Theaja; Raju, Suma
- Abstract
Introduction: Bilingualism is thought to be strongly associated with higher order cognitive processing such as attention switching under cognitive load. According to a code-switching theory (Peal & Lambert, 1962), switching between languages provides the bilingual individual with a higher degree of mental flexibility and concept formation. This cognitive advantage may be based on use of inhibitory functions of the frontal lobe such that interference from another language is inhibited and one can selectively attend to the language that is currently in use (Green, 1998). Bialystok, Craik, Klein, and Viswanathan (2004) found that complex attention performance under a cognitive load among bilingual adults exceeded that of the same-age monolingual adults. In a study with children, Yang (2007) reported higher performance among bilinguals compared to monolinguals on an attention network test that involves several aspects of executive control and attention shifting skills. Research suggests that that the cognitive advantage associated with bilingualism is specific to languages that share output modalities. When a bimodal-bilingual user simultaneously uses two languages with different output modalities (e.g., spoken language and Sign Language), neither language is actively suppressed, as compared to bilingual speakers who can only use one spoken language at a time, hence it is expected that deaf people will perform similarly on selective attention tasks, but may show variation on attention-switching task due to bilingual proficiency level. Emmorey et al. (2008) proposed that deaf people who are users of two same-modality signed languages (e.g., ASL and ISL) should demonstrate similar cognitive benefits to those observed in dual spoken-language bilinguals. The effect of these differences on the cognition of deaf readers and proficient signers has not been explored. It is essentially "uncharted territory". Need for the study: Early deafness is thought to affect low level sensorimotor processing such as selective attention, whereas bilingualism is thought to be strongly associated with higher order cognitive processing such as attention switching under cognitive load. Empirical studies on bilingualism and cognition thus far have been limited to participants whose hearing ability falls within normal limits especially in Indian population. This study explores the effects of bimodal-bilingualism (in ASL and Spoken Kannada) on attention control skills. Aim: To compare the performance of bimodal bilinguals (ASL and Spoken Kannada) and monolingual (ASL) adults on selective attention, attention switching task & Attention Network Task Method: Participants: A total of forty hearing impaired subjects in the age range of 18 to 22 years participated in the study. All the subjects had severe to profound congenital hearing loss and were using hearing aids and these subjects were diploma students in pph. They were divided into two groups group one consisted of thirty individuals who used ASL predominantly for their communication and second group consisted of twenty bimodal bilinguals who used ASL in educational setting and their rest of the communication was using verbal mode (native Kannada speakers). Procedure: two experiments were carried out. 1. Selective attention and attention switching task: Stimulus presentation and recording of responses were controlled by Dmdx software. The stimuli were presented on computer and responses were collected via any key pressed on the keyboard. Each of the attention conditions involved four cross-symbols (1) arranged in a square format in the center and corresponding 4cross-symbols in the periphery, with different instructions for each condition. Experiment comprised 120 test trials divided into three blocks (conditions) of 40 trials each. RT was recorded in milliseconds on all trials, for the "central" attention condition, the participant was asked to ignore the four distracters in the periphery and attend to the four crosses in the central vision and instructed to hit the key exactly "one red" cross appeared in the central vision (target). If not, asked to retain from hitting the key. For "peripheral" condition, the participant was asked to ignore the distracters in the center and press any key if exactly "one red" cross appeared in peripheral vision (target), third was the attention-switching condition, involved two types of cognitive load: switching between targets in the central and peripheral regions over trials and refraining from hitting the key or spacebar when a non target stimulus appeared after a repeated sequence of three targets. 2. Attention Network Task-Flanker Task (ANT): The task was designed using Dmdx software. The task consisted of a combination reaction time task with flankers. A row of 5 visually presented blue lines with arrowheads are shown pointing to the left or to the right. Target was a leftward or rightward pointing arrowhead at the center. Target was flanked on either side by two congruent or incongruent arrows (same or opposite direction), or by neutral lines. The task of the participant is to indicate the direction of the central target by pressing the right or left mouse button as quickly as possible. These tasks were carried out in a relatively quiet environment, all the subjects were instructed verbally and also using written mode. Ten practice trials were included with clinician's feedback. The reaction times of all correct responses and number of wrong responses were scored. Results: Independent "t" test was conducted to compare the differences between two groups. The variables included were reaction times of responses for the selective attention, attention switch and attention shifts in ANT. The number of errors in each of the tasks were also analyzed and subjected to statistical analysis. The results showed that there was no statistically significant difference in performance between the groups of bimodal bilinguals and monolinguals for all the tasks mentioned (p>0.05). Discussion: The results hence, indicated that there was no positive benefit of bimodal bilingualism on attention control skills considered in the present study. The results are in consonance with findings of Emmorey, Luk, Pyers, and Bailystok (2008), 15 hearing adults who are accustomed to speaking English while signing in ASL at the same time (bimodal-bilingual users) did not differ from 15 monolinguals (one spoken language) in performing a task requiring inhibition and mental flexibility. The authors argued that this is a consequence of simultaneous use of two different language output modalities such as spoken and signed language. This appears to promote development of a distinct neural system that permits simultaneous use or merging of these two languages, unlike using two spoken languages consecutively, which requires suppression or inhibition of one language during utilization of the other language. Another explanation would be however, subjects used ASL as the only signed language. They were able to read and write English, ranging from low to high fluency. Some of these individuals may not produce clear speech production but fluent in reading and writing English. If an individual is highly fluent in reading and writing English, then this individual is considered proficient in this language even if his/ her speech production is unclear. Conclusion: The results of the present study indicated no significant advantages on attentional abilities in bimodal bilinguals. The reading and writing abilities of the subjects would influence these findings. Studies in this direction considering the reading, writing abilities of hearing impaired may shed more light about the cognitive gains in bimodal bilinguals.
- Subjects
BILINGUALISM; COGNITIVE ability; CODE switching (Linguistics); MONOLINGUALISM; CONCEPTS
- Publication
Language in India, 2012, Vol 12, Issue 10, p450
- ISSN
1930-2940
- Publication type
Article