Comparison of Selective Attention and Intelligence Profile in Bilingual and Monolingual Adolescents

Abstract

Objective Cognitive abilities can be affected by bilingualism because of the close relationship between cognition and language. In the current study, selective attention and intelligence profile in adolescents who were dominant learner of English with those who were not learner of English were compared. Materials & Methods This study is a retrospective analysis and conducted by the cross-sectional method. This study included all adolescent who were dominant learners in English and non-learners adolescent (aged 13-15 years) in Isfahan in 2015. Adolescent aged 13-15 years (n=64) in advanced levels of English (level RECE and REACH from the center of Iranian language and equivalent levels in other schools) and non-learner subjects (monolingual, n=51, control group) were selected from Region 3 of Isfahan. Adolescents in both groups were chosen from the same institute. Sampling was performed by non-random sampling method. To evaluate and measure adolescent’s Intelligence profile in both groups, Gardner’s multiple intelligence questionnaires were used. The classic Stroop test D-KEFS CW was used to measure the ability of selective attention of dominant learners in English and of non-learners adolescent. The data obtained by the classic Stroop test D-KEFS CW and Gardner’s multiple intelligence questionnaires were analyzed through descriptive statistics and multivariate variance (MANOVA). Data were analyzed using SPSS version 22. Results The results of the current study demonstrated that there is a significant difference between the two groups. Selective attention was different in dominant learners in English and non-learners adolescent as determined by the classic Stroop test D-KEFS CW (P<0.05). This suggests that reaction time for learners was less than the non-learners adolescent in the classic Stroop task D-KEFS CW. The result indicates their faster performance and subsequently demonstrates that learner adolescent’s functions are better than their non-learners counterparts in the classic Stroop test. Also, there is a significant difference between the scores of two groups in six components of intelligence profile including logical-mathematical intelligence and language intelligence (P<0.001) as well as in interpersonal intelligence, musical intelligence, intrapersonal intelligence, and naturalist intelligence (P<0.05). The results demonstrated that the scores of the learners were significantly higher than their peers’ non-learners adolescent in the six components of multiple intelligences. This demonstrates that the learners were better than non-learners adolescent counterparts in the six components of the intellectual profile. The learners had better performances than their non-learners adolescent counterparts in selective attention, logical-mathematical intelligence, language intelligence, interpersonal intelligence, musical intelligence, intrapersonal intelligence, and naturalist intelligence. Conclusion Learning a foreign language (e.g. English) may be an effective factor in selective attention and intelligence profile of adolescents. Therefore, the role of learning a foreign language should be considered in selective attention and intelligence profile of adolescents.

Keywords

• Attention
• Intelligence
• Multilingualism
• Monolingual