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Modality-Specific Effects of Bilingualism and Musical Experience on Executive Control

Poster Session B - Sunday, March 8, 2026, 8:00 – 10:00 am PDT, Fairview/Kitsilano Ballroom

Alla Spinu¹ (spinu.alla@gmail.com), Caitlin O'Riordan, Lazaros Maroulis, Ellen Bialystok; ¹York University

Bilingualism and musical experience have both been shown to moderate aspects of executive functioning but little is known about the similarities and differences between these effects. The present study examined the ability of participants to classify visual and auditory stimuli both individually and in combination in a task that placed high demands on executive control. One hundred fifteen young adults completed single-modality (visual or auditory) and dual modality (combined visual and auditory) versions of the task. Bilingualism was measured using the Language and Social Background Questionnaire score and musical experience was quantified using a score derived from detailed self-report questionnaire. Data were analyzed categorically by groups and continuously using linear regression. For categorical analyses, bilinguals performed more poorly than monolinguals in the auditory modality for which rapid lexical retrieval was required, whereas musicians performed better than nonmusicians overall. In the continuous analyses, more bilingual experience was associated with poorer performance in the dual auditory conditions, whereas greater musical experience contributed to accuracy across both dual modality conditions. These results demonstrate that these experiences contribute to specific aspects of executive functioning rather than overall modifications.

Topic Area: LANGUAGE: Other