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Are Older Bilinguals' Better in Metaphor Generation?
P Phani Krishna1,2, S Arulmozi3, Shiva Ram Male4
1Department of Linguistics, University of Delhi, New Delhi, India. phanikrishna1992@gmail.com.
Journal of Psycholinguistic Research
|January 30, 2023
Summary
Older bilinguals show enhanced cognitive function and superior novel metaphor generation compared to monolinguals. This study explored cognitive abilities and metaphor creation in aging adults.
Area of Science:
- Cognitive Neuroscience
- Psycholinguistics
- Gerontology
Background:
- Metaphors are figurative language tools enhancing clarity and emphasizing similarities.
- Understanding cognitive functions in metaphor generation is crucial, especially in aging populations.
- Bilingualism's impact on cognitive reserve and language processing in older adults warrants investigation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the relationship between cognitive functions and metaphor generation in older adults.
- To compare metaphor generation abilities between older bilinguals and monolinguals.
- To explore associations between specific cognitive functions and novel vision metaphor creation.
Main Methods:
- Fifty-six participants (50-65 years) completed novel and conventional metaphor generation tasks using Telugu vision words.
- Cognitive functions assessed included attention (Flanker task), working memory (Corsi task), and vocabulary (LexTALE).
- Semantic Fluency task and a language questionnaire were also administered to assess cognitive and linguistic profiles.
Main Results:
- Bilingual participants demonstrated a significant advantage in overall cognitive function compared to monolinguals.
- Older bilinguals exhibited superior ability in generating novel metaphors.
- Specific cognitive functions correlated with metaphor generation capabilities in both groups.
Conclusions:
- Bilingualism in older adults is associated with enhanced cognitive function and improved novel metaphor generation.
- Cognitive reserve associated with bilingualism may facilitate more flexible and creative language use in aging.
- Findings highlight the benefits of bilingualism for cognitive health and linguistic creativity in later life.
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