Second-language fluency predicts native language stroop effects: evidence from Spanish-English bilinguals

Area of Science:

• Cognitive Psychology
• Neuroscience
• Linguistics

Background:

• Previous research indicates bilinguals exhibit reduced Stroop interference compared to monolinguals.
• However, the impact of varying second language (L2) fluency levels on first language (L1) inhibitory control remains underexplored.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate how varying degrees of English fluency affect linguistic inhibitory control in native Spanish speakers.
• To examine the relationship between L2 fluency and the ability to inhibit automatic reading responses.

Main Methods:

• The study involved 141 adult native Spanish speakers from the U.S.-Mexico border region.
• A language dominance index was calculated using the Controlled Oral Word Association Test (COWAT) to quantify relative English fluency.
• Participants completed the Golden version of the Stroop Test administered in Spanish.

Main Results:

• A higher degree of English fluency, as measured by the language dominance index, predicted faster performance on the Stroop incongruent trial.
• This effect was independent of participants' educational attainment.
• Neither language dominance nor education predicted performance on the word reading or color-naming trials.

Conclusions:

• Greater second language ability is associated with an advantage in linguistic inhibitory control.
• This suggests that the cognitive benefits of bilingualism extend to enhanced executive functions, specifically inhibitory control in the L1.