Bilingual effects on cognitive control: a comprehensive bibliometric analysis of 50 years of research

Claims of cognitive advantages associated with bilingualism have generated substantial research interest and controversy, particularly regarding influences on cognitive control. While multiple reviews have synthesized findings across previous work, their limited scope, focused exclusively on monolingual-bilingual comparisons, has precluded a more comprehensive understanding of the field as a whole. To address this, the present study provides a comprehensive bibliometric analysis of all published and unpublished original research investigating bilingual effects on cognitive control. Searches conducted in Web of Science and ProQuest Dissertations and Theses returned 8,266 documents of which 764 met eligibility criteria and were included in the analyses. Performance analysis, science mapping, and co-citation analysis were conducted using the bibliometrix package in R. Investigation of bilingual effects on cognitive control has grown steadily since the mid-2000s and is approaching saturation. Research output and influence are heavily concentrated among Western institutions, with binary monolingual-bilingual comparisons remaining the dominant methodological paradigm. Co-citation analysis identified three foundational thematic clusters reflecting an intellectual trajectory from early claims of universal bilingual advantages, through empirical reconsideration, toward more nuanced, experience-sensitive theoretical frameworks. These findings highlight persistent structural and methodological limitations in the field and underscore the need for greater global representation, improved measurement practices, and theoretically refined frameworks to advance understanding of how bilingualism shapes cognitive control.