Uma análise comparativa das funções executivas entre sujeitos bilíngues precoces e monolíngues.

Bilingualism is a common phenomenon, understudied in our country and demonstrates relation with executive functions (EF). This research follows the quantitative model and aimed to compare the executive functions (Inhibitory control, including self-control and selective attention, working memory and cognitive flexibility) between early bilinguals and monolinguals, verifying possible differences in the scores between the two groups. For that, 10 early bilinguals and 10 monolinguals, who did not frequently use alcohol and other psychoactive substances, neither had diagnostic of depression or anxiety disorders, were part of the sample. In these subjects, the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test (WCST), Five Digit Test (FDT) and Digits Span Test were applied. The scores were compared statistically between the two groups in order to test differences between them, using Mann-Whitney non-parametric variance test. The results were compared with those of the specialized literature. Based on them, it was found that bilinguals scored more favorably than monolinguals in all of the tests used, with significant results in most of the categories, indicating advantages in inhibitory control, attention, processing speed and cognitive flexibility. In conclusion, bilingualism can be a factor that positively assists processes that involve the EF, indicating advantages in early bilingual that can perdure until adulthood. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]