A Test of the Cognitive Benefits of Bilingualism With the Early Childhood Inhibitory Touchscreen Task

There is some evidence suggesting that bilingual children differ from monolingual children in cognitive processing due to their exposure to a more complex environment. While several studies have supported this hypothesis, most research has focused on school-age children. The present study examined whether differences in inhibitory control between monolinguals and bilinguals are present early in life with the Early Childhood Inhibitory Touchscreen Task (ECITT). This task provides a reliable measure of inhibition control in infants, requiring them to shift their responses from a previously rewarded location to a new one. It minimizes language and memory demands while engaging infants through animations, making it an ideal measure for very young children. A sample of 60 infants (mean age 20.21 months) was tested, with language exposure measured on a continuum using the Language Exposure Assessment Tool (LEAT). Vocabulary was assessed using the McArthur-Bates Communicative Development Inventory (MCDI), and inhibitory control was assessed, as well as a range of executive functions, with the Early Executive Functions Questionnaire (EEFQ). The ECITT data replicate previous research, showing that overall performance on this task improves with age. However, inhibitory control skills did not vary as a function of the amount of second language exposure. The current results suggest that inhibitory control skills do not differ as a function of language exposure diversity in toddlers younger than 24 months.