Impact of Bilingualism on Working Memory Capacity and Cognitive Flexibility in Undergraduate Students

Abstract

The mental and as well cognitive consequences of bilingualism have gathered increasing care and attention within psycholinguistics and mostly regarding managerial functions such as cognitive flexibility and operational memory. This research study investigates bilingualism effects on two crucial rational domains which names working memory capacity and also cognitive flexibility amongst undergraduate students. The research study employs a comparative quantitative design and examining performance differences between bilingual and monolingual members. Standardized tools such as the digit span task and the n-back test were used to assess working memory while on the other side cognitive flexibility was measured through the Stroop test and task-switching assessments. 200 undergraduate students were selected as a sample of research study from diverse linguistic backgrounds. After that Statistical analysis (SPSS) using independent samples t-tests revealed that bilingual students performed significantly better in both working memory and cognitive flexibility tasks compared to their monolingual peers. These findings support the hypothesis that bilingual language experience may enhance specific executive functions due to the constant mental coordination and switching between linguistic systems. The research study contributes appreciated visions to cognitive and learning psychology signifying that bilingualism not only enhances language skills but also offers cognitive advantages relevant to academic success. Allegations for curriculum design and linguistic policy are deliberated, endorsing bilingual education as a tool for mental development.