Document Type : Original article
Authors
1
Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Faculty of Educational Sciences and Psychology, University of Tabriz, Tabriz, Iran.
2
Department of Speech Therapy, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran.
3
Department of Biomedical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Shahed University, Tehran, Iran.
10.22037/sjrm.2025.117495.3398
Abstract
Background and Aims: Bilingualism is increasingly recognized as a dynamic cognitive experience shaped by continuous interaction with two language systems. While several studies have explored the effects of bilingualism on cognitive abilities such as working memory and cognitive flexibility, findings have been inconsistent. Factors such as the age of second language acquisition, cultural background, language proficiency, and demographic characteristics are believed to influence these cognitive outcomes. The present study aimed to investigate whether Persian-Turkish bilingualism results in differences in working memory capacity and cognitive flexibility among university students in Tehran.
Materials and Methods:
This study employed a descriptive-analytical design with a causal-comparative approach, due to the non-manipulable nature of bilingualism as a naturally occurring variable. The research sample consisted of 120 university students (60 Persian-Turkish bilinguals and 60 Persian monolinguals), aged between 18 and 32 years, selected via convenience sampling from universities in Tehran during the 2022–2023 academic year. Working memory was assessed using the auditory version of the n-back task (1-back and 2-back conditions), and cognitive flexibility was evaluated through the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test (WCST). Data were analyzed using SPSS version 27, including Levene’s test for homogeneity of variances and independent samples t-tests.
Results:
Statistical analysis revealed no significant differences in working memory performance between bilingual and monolingual groups. In the 1-back task, the mean accuracy for monolinguals was 106.23 (SD=12.92), while for bilinguals it was 106.20 (SD=13.99) (t(118)=0.014, p=0.98). Similarly, in the 2-back task, monolinguals scored a mean of 89.77 (SD=17.54), and bilinguals scored 84.55 (SD=21.11) (t(118)=1.472, p=0.14).
Regarding cognitive flexibility, most WCST indicators showed no significant group differences. For example, in the number of completed categories, monolinguals averaged 5.97 (SD=0.18) compared to bilinguals with 5.92 (SD=0.42) (t(118)= -0.841, p=0.40). However, a significant difference was observed in task completion time, where bilinguals took longer (M=153.55, SD=32.68) than monolinguals (M=132.45, SD=37.31) (t(118)=3.295, p=0.001).
Conclusion:
The findings of this study indicated that bilingualism in adults (Persian–Turkish bilinguals) does not necessarily lead to significant differences in working memory (as measured by the visual version of the n-back task) or cognitive flexibility. It should be noted that working memory in this research was assessed exclusively using visual stimuli, and no auditory version was administered; thus, results might differ in auditory or combined modalities. Furthermore, given the participants' educational background, limited familiarity with other languages, such as English or Arabic, is possible, which could influence their cognitive performance. These factors should be taken into account when interpreting the results, and future research should examine them using more controlled designs and multimodal stimuli.
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