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Do Bilinguals Have an Advantage in Theory of Mind? A Meta-Analysis

Authors :
Scott R. Schroeder
Source :
Frontiers in Communication, Vol 3 (2018)
Publication Year :
2018
Publisher :
Frontiers Media S.A., 2018.

Abstract

Bilingualism might help children develop Theory of Mind, but the evidence is mixed. To address the disagreement in the literature, a meta-analysis was conducted on studies that compared bilingual and monolingual children on false belief and other Theory of Mind tests. The meta-analysis of 16 studies and 1,283 children revealed a small bilingual advantage (Cohen's d = 0.22, p = 0.050). A secondary analysis was conducted on studies (k = 8) that statistically adjusted the Theory of Mind scores to correct for a bilingual disadvantage in language proficiency. This secondary analysis indicated a medium-size bilingual advantage (Cohen's d = 0.58, p < 0.001). There was no evidence for publication bias in either analysis. Taken together, the results provide support for a beneficial effect of acquiring two languages on mental state reasoning. Explanations for this bilingual advantage, which include bilingual-monolingual differences in executive functioning, metalinguistic awareness, and socio-pragmatic abilities, are discussed.

Details

Language :
English
ISSN :
2297900X
Volume :
3
Database :
Directory of Open Access Journals
Journal :
Frontiers in Communication
Publication Type :
Academic Journal
Accession number :
edsdoj.5baf8841daf43dc86b651f4dc142b2f
Document Type :
article
Full Text :
https://doi.org/10.3389/fcomm.2018.00036