title: Prospective associations between bilingualism and executive function in Latino children: sustained effects while controlling for biculturalism.
abstract: The study purpose was to test 1-year prospective associations between English-Spanish bilingualism and executive function in 5th to 6th grade students while controlling for biculturalism. Participants included 182 US Latino students (50 % female). Self-report surveys assessed biculturalism, bilingualism, and executive function (i.e., working memory, organizational skills, inhibitory control, and emotional control, as well as a summary executive function score). General linear model regressions demonstrated that bilingualism significantly predicted the summary executive function score as well as working memory such that bilingual proficiency was positively related to executive function. Results are the first to demonstrate (a) prospective associations between bilingualism to executive function while controlling for the potential third variable of biculturalism, and (b) a principal role for working memory in this relationship. Since executive function is associated with a host of health outcomes, one implication of study findings is that bilingualism may have an indirect protective influence on youth development.
authors: Department of Human Development and Family Studies, Colorado State University, 317 Behavioral Sciences Building, 1570 Campus Delivery, Fort Collins, CO, 80525, USA, nathaniel.riggs@colostate.edu.
authors: Nathaniel R
authors: NR
authors: Riggs
authors: Hee-Sung
authors: HS
authors: Shin
authors: Jennifer B
authors: JB
authors: Unger
authors: Donna
authors: D
authors: Spruijt-Metz
authors: Mary Ann
authors: MA
authors: Pentz
mesh_terms: D000069:Acculturation; D002648:Child; D056348:Emotional Intelligence; D056344:Executive Function; D005260:Female; D006630:Hispanic or Latino / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D019303:Multilingualism; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D011446:Prospective Studies; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology
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