Bilingualism and aging: reversal of the cognate advantage on older bilingual adults

Siyambalapitiya, Samantha, Chenery, Helen J., and Copland, David A. (2009) Bilingualism and aging: reversal of the cognate advantage on older bilingual adults. Applied Psycholinguistics, 30 (3). pp. 531-554.

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Abstract

This study aimed to investigate cognate/noncognate processing distinctions in young adult bilinguals and examined whether the previously reported cognate facilitation effect would also be demonstrated in older adult bilinguals. Two groups of Italian–English bilingual participants performed lexical decisions in repetition priming experiments. Results for the younger bilinguals corresponded to previous findings, and indicated the expected reaction time advantage for cognates over noncognates. The older bilinguals, however, only demonstrated a cognate advantage in the within-language condition, and in fact, showed faster reaction times for noncognates when repetition was across languages. These findings are interpreted in the context of the revised hierarchical model and the bilingual interactive activation model and in light of findings regarding the effect of aging on language processing.

Item ID: 10983
Item Type: Article (Research - C1)
ISSN: 1469-1817
Keywords: bilingualism; ageing; cognates
Date Deposited: 13 May 2010 23:45
FoR Codes: 17 PSYCHOLOGY AND COGNITIVE SCIENCES > 1702 Cognitive Science > 170204 Linguistic Processes (incl Speech Production and Comprehension) @ 30%
17 PSYCHOLOGY AND COGNITIVE SCIENCES > 1701 Psychology > 170102 Developmental Psychology and Ageing @ 60%
20 LANGUAGE, COMMUNICATION AND CULTURE > 2003 Language Studies > 200399 Language Studies not elsewhere classified @ 10%
SEO Codes: 97 EXPANDING KNOWLEDGE > 970117 Expanding Knowledge in Psychology and Cognitive Sciences @ 20%
95 CULTURAL UNDERSTANDING > 9502 Communication > 950299 Communication not elsewhere classified @ 80%
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