Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Concept Videos

Language and Cognition01:27

Language and Cognition

Language serves as a bridge between ideas and communication, influencing how individuals perceive and interact with the world. Psychologists have long debated whether language shapes thought or vice versa. This discussion gained grip with Edward Sapir and Benjamin Lee Whorf in the 1940s, who proposed that language determines thought, a concept known as linguistic determinism. They suggested that the vocabulary and structure of a language influence how its speakers think and perceive reality.
Working Memory01:24

Working Memory

Working memory refers to a combination of components, including short-term memory and attention, that allow an individual to hold information temporarily as we perform cognitive tasks. It is an essential cognitive function that enables the execution of complex tasks such as problem-solving, comprehension, and reasoning. Unlike short-term memory, which simply involves the storage of information for a brief period, working memory involves the active manipulation and processing of this information.
Language Development01:22

Language Development

Children master language quickly and with relative ease, supported by both biological predisposition and reinforcement. B. F. Skinner (1957) proposed that language is learned through reinforcement, while Noam Chomsky (1965) argued that language acquisition mechanisms are biologically determined.
The critical period for language acquisition suggests that the ability to acquire language is at its peak early in life. As people age, this proficiency decreases. Language development begins very...
Information Processing Approach01:30

Information Processing Approach

The information-processing theory of cognitive development centers on fundamental mental processes, including attention, memory, and problem-solving skills. Researchers in this field examine how cognitive abilities, such as working memory, evolve and influence children's overall development. Studies indicate that children with stronger working memory tend to excel in reading comprehension, math, and problem-solving compared to peers with less efficient memory skills. Low working memory is also...
Higher Mental Functions of the Brain: Language01:10

Higher Mental Functions of the Brain: Language

Language is a system of communication that allows the expression of thoughts, ideas, and feelings. The brain processes language in both hemispheres.
Language formation and comprehension take place in the dominant hemisphere. The dominant hemisphere is responsible for understanding the meaning of spoken, written, or sign language, as well as the ability to communicate. For most people, the left hemisphere is the dominant one. The right hemisphere, then, gives tone and emotional context to the...

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Biological sex and bilingualism: Its impact on risk and resilience for dementia.

Alzheimer's & dementia (Amsterdam, Netherlands)·2026
Same author

The activation of the mTOR pathway supports lysosome biogenesis in the sea urchin embryo.

Development (Cambridge, England)·2026
Same author

Cognitive reserve is associated with less cognitive decline from white matter hyperintensities.

Neurobiology of aging·2025
Same author

Calcium Reduces Fruit Abscission in <i>Persimmon</i> by Targeting Cell Wall Integrity.

Plants (Basel, Switzerland)·2025
Same author

Natural Speech Analysis Can Reveal Individual Differences in Executive Function Across the Adult Lifespan.

Journal of speech, language, and hearing research : JSLHR·2025
Same author

Cognitive Reserve Disrupts Cognitive Decline from White Matter Hyperintensities.

medRxiv : the preprint server for health sciences·2025

Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 17, 2026

Examining Recall Memory in Infancy and Early Childhood Using the Elicited Imitation Paradigm
06:35

Examining Recall Memory in Infancy and Early Childhood Using the Elicited Imitation Paradigm

Published on: April 28, 2016

Working memory development in monolingual and bilingual children.

Julia Morales1, Alejandra Calvo, Ellen Bialystok

  • 1Department of Experimental Psychology, Granada University, 18071 Granada, Spain.

Journal of Experimental Child Psychology
|October 13, 2012
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Bilingual children demonstrate enhanced working memory and executive functions compared to monolingual peers. This advantage is particularly noticeable in tasks with increased cognitive demands.

More Related Videos

Examining Bilingual Language Control Using the Stroop Task
05:31

Examining Bilingual Language Control Using the Stroop Task

Published on: February 26, 2020

Assessing Working Memory in Children: The Comprehensive Assessment Battery for Children &#8211; Working Memory (CABC-WM)
09:05

Assessing Working Memory in Children: The Comprehensive Assessment Battery for Children – Working Memory (CABC-WM)

Published on: June 12, 2017

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: May 17, 2026

Examining Recall Memory in Infancy and Early Childhood Using the Elicited Imitation Paradigm
06:35

Examining Recall Memory in Infancy and Early Childhood Using the Elicited Imitation Paradigm

Published on: April 28, 2016

Examining Bilingual Language Control Using the Stroop Task
05:31

Examining Bilingual Language Control Using the Stroop Task

Published on: February 26, 2020

Assessing Working Memory in Children: The Comprehensive Assessment Battery for Children &#8211; Working Memory (CABC-WM)
09:05

Assessing Working Memory in Children: The Comprehensive Assessment Battery for Children – Working Memory (CABC-WM)

Published on: June 12, 2017

Area of Science:

  • Cognitive Psychology
  • Developmental Psychology
  • Neuroscience

Background:

  • Bilingualism has been linked to cognitive advantages, particularly in executive functions.
  • Working memory and executive functions are crucial for complex cognitive tasks.
  • Understanding these differences in children is important for educational and developmental research.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To compare the working memory performance of monolingual and bilingual children.
  • To investigate how executive function demands influence bilingual children's cognitive advantages.
  • To examine performance on tasks with varying working memory and conflict resolution requirements.

Main Methods:

  • Two studies were conducted with children aged 5-7 years.
  • Study 1: 56 5-year-olds completed a Simon-type task with varying rule and conflict conditions.
  • Study 2: 125 children performed a visuospatial span task with simultaneous and sequential item presentation.

Main Results:

  • Bilingual children responded faster and were more accurate on incongruent trials in Study 1.
  • Bilinguals generally outperformed monolinguals in Study 2, with larger effects in demanding conditions.
  • An advantage for bilingual children in working memory was evident, especially with added executive function demands.

Conclusions:

  • Bilingual children exhibit superior working memory capabilities compared to monolinguals.
  • The cognitive benefits of bilingualism are amplified under increased executive function load.
  • These findings highlight the significant impact of bilingualism on executive functions in developing children.