Research shows that bilingualism confers substantial cognitive benefits in children and the elderly. Bilingual advantages on nonverbal working memory, updating, shifting and inhibition tasks are widely reported. However, advantages are not always observed in young adults. These disparities may be due to varied proficiency levels and task types (verbal versus nonverbal) administered. This study sought to detect bilingual performance advantages on executive function and working memory tasks (verbal and nonverbal working memory, updating, shifting and inhibition tasks) between groups of 37 high and 37 low proficiency Spanish-English bilingual and 40 English monolingual young adults. ... Young adulthood may represent a lull during which bilingualism does not confer cognitive advantages for functions examined. / by Laxmi N. Lalwani. / Thesis (M.A.)--Florida Atlantic University, 2012. / Includes bibliography. / Mode of access: World Wide Web. / System requirements: Adobe Reader.

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published_or_final_version / abstract / toc / Psychology / Master / Master of Philosophy

Activation of the representations of the two languages in bilingual memory has been shown to affect recognition during initial word comprehension (e.g., Dijkstra & Van Heuven, 2002). This study investigated whether the activation of semantic (i.e., meaning) and lexical (i.e., form) representations of words in a bilingual's two languages affects word recognition after the first stages of word comprehension. False recognition of words in one language that were similar in meaning and/or form to words studied in the other language was an indication of these effects. This study further investigated whether false recognition based on meaning and/or form is modulated by bilingual language proficiency. / by Marisol Parra. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--Florida Atlantic University, 2013. / Includes bibliography. / Mode of access: World Wide Web. / System requirements: Adobe Reader.

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Thesis (MA (General Linguistics))—University of Stellenbosch, 2009. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: It is well-known that there is an important relationship between language and schizophrenia, given that many of the primary symptoms of schizophrenia are language related (Cutting 1985; Wróbel 1990; Sadock & Sadock 2003; Paradis 2008). Furthermore, research has shown that certain schizophrenic bilinguals exhibit different symptoms in their first language (L1) than in their second language (L2) (De Zulueta 1984; De Zulueta, Gene-Cos & Grachev 2001; Paradis 2008; Southwood, Schoeman & Emsley 2009). This thesis investigates the L2 use of schizophrenic bilinguals to determine whether there are significant differences between the types and frequency of errors made in spontaneous L2 use by schizophrenic versus normal (i.e. non-schizophrenic) bilinguals. Four schizophrenic bilinguals and four normal bilinguals (the control group) participated in this study. The controls were matched to the schizophrenics in terms of age, gender, level of education, L1 (Afrikaans) and L2 (English). Informal, thirty minute interviews were conducted with each of the eight participants, recorded on video (for the schizophrenics) or audio tape (for the controls) and carefully transcribed. Each participant's speech sample was then analyzed grammatically by means of Morice & Ingram's (1982) assessment tool. This analysis involved determining the complexity of utterances (with reference to mean length of utterance, lexical density, and number of sentence-initial and sentence-medial conjunctions) and identifying phonological, morphological, lexical, syntactic and semantic errors. In this way a language profile was created for each participant and the differences between the two groups (schizophrenics and controls) were tested for statistical significance. On the basis of the results of these statistical tests, it is argued that the locus of differences between schizophrenic and normal L2 use is semantics, rather than any of the other aspects of grammar. The thesis concludes with a discussion of the main findings of the study, some criticisms of the assessment tool and suggestions for future research in this field. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Navorsing dui op 'n belangrike verhouding tussen taal en skisofrenie, aangesien baie van die primêre simptome van skisofrenie taalverwant is (Cutting 1985; Wróbel 1990; Sadock & Sadock 2003; Paradis 2008). Verder dui navorsing ook daarop dat sekere skisofreniese tweetaliges verskillende simptome toon in hul eerstetaal (T1) as in hul tweedetaal (T2) (De Zulueta 1984; De Zulueta, Gene-Cos & Grachev 2001; Paradis 2008; Southwood, Schoeman & Emsley 2009). Hierdie tesis ondersoek die T2 gebruik van skisofreniese tweetaliges om vas te stel of daar beduidende verskille tussen die tipe en die gereeldheid van die foute is wat in spontane T2 gebruik deur skisofreniese teenoor normale (d.w.s nie-skisofreniese) tweetaliges gemaak word. Vier skisofreniese tweetaliges en vier normale tweetaliges (die kontrolegroep) het deelgeneem aan hierdie studie. Die skisofreniese groep en die kontrolegroep is eenders in terme van ouderdom, geslag, vlak van skoolopleiding, T1 (Afrikaans) en T2 (Engels). Informele dertig-minuut lange onderhoude is gevoer met elk van die agt deelnemers, opgeneem op video (vir die skisofrene) en op band (vir die kontrolegroep) en noukeurig getranskribeer. Elke deelnemer se spraakdata is hierna grammatikaal geanaliseer deur middel van Morice & Ingram se (1982) assesseringsinstrument. Hierdie analise het die volgende ingehou: die vasstel van die kompleksiteit van uitinge (met betrekking tot gemiddelde uitingslengte, leksikale digtheid, en die getal van sinsinisiële en sinsinterne voegwoorde) en die identifisering van fonologiese, morfologiese, leksikale, sintaktiese en semantiese foute. Op hierdie wyse is 'n taalprofiel vir elke deelnemer opgestel en die verskille tussen die twee groepe (skisofreniese- en kontrolegroep) is getoets vir statistiese beduidendheid. Op grond van die resultate van hierdie statistiese toetse word daar geargumenteer dat semantiek, eerder as enige van die ander aspekte van grammatika, die lokus van die belangrikste verskil tussen skisofreniese en normale T2 gebruik is. Die tesis sluit af met 'n bespreking van die belangrikste bevindinge van die studie, enkele kritiese opmerkings oor die assesseringsinstrument, asook voorstelle vir verdere navorsing in hierdie veld.

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Reflective eye movementa as a function of cognitive nodes were studied in English speaking and Spanish bilingual populations (N=20). A total of 40 questions were asked with the initial, lateral eye movement recorded. Questions consisted of 20 verbal-mathematical type intended to elicit right-eye movement and 20 spatial questions intended to elicit left-eye movement. A significant difference in responses was found dependent on the type of questions asked (F=114.3421,p<.001). No significant differences were obtained between the two groups.

Bilinguals commonly report experiencing emotions differently depending on which language are they speaking. Emotionally loaded words were expected to be appraised differently in first versus second language in a sample of Spanish-English bilinguals (n=117). English (L2) ratings were subtracted from Spanish (L1) ratings; the resulted scores were used as dependent variable in the analyses. Three categories of words (positive, negative and taboo) were appraised in both languages (English and Spanish)and two sensory modalities (Visual and auditory). The differences in valence scores in Spanish (L1) and English (L2) were expected to be significantly higher when presented aurally than when presented visually. Additionally, taboo words were expected to yield larger differential scores than negative and positive words. The 2 X 3 general linear model (GLM) revealed no significant effect of sensory modality but a significant effect of word type. Additional analyses of the influence of language and sensory modality within each word category resulted in significant differences in ratings between languages. Positive word ratings were higher (more positive) in English than in Spanish. / Includes bibliography. / Thesis (M.S.)--Florida Atlantic University, 2015. / FAU Electronic Theses and Dissertations Collection