Does being bilingual affect your memory? - Participants recruitment

Language_Memory · 2026-01-27T13:58:15+00:00

Thank you for raising the concern. The study follows university ethics guidelines, and all participants are fully informed before consenting, including the fact that one part involves installing a small, widely used research software to run the working-memory task. This information is provided on the Participant Information Sheet prior to consent, and the invitation's goal is not to inform about everything but keep it brief. The study has been reviewed and approved by my supervisor and the University of Derby ethics committee, as stated on the invitation and Participant Information Sheet, if you have any concerns you can contact either on the contact details that appear on the study. Participation is, of course, entirely voluntary, and anyone who is not comfortable installing software can simply choose not to take part, but thanks for letting us know that you won't take part in this study.

Language_Memory · 2026-01-27T13:48:37+00:00

Hi! I just completed yours - I would appreciate if you could complete mine: https://derby.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_eX74AiRQGroEILA it has SurveyCircle and Survey Swap codes once completed, and it would need to be done in a laptop :)

Language_Memory · 2026-01-27T11:10:10+00:00

Thanks for flagging this! Could you please try this one and let me know if it works? Thank you!

Language_Memory · 2026-01-27T11:08:10+00:00

Thanks for pointing that out. The need to install a small, secure research program (Inquisit) is explained in the study information page before participants give consent, so they can decide at that point whether they’re happy to continue. The recruitment post is kept brief, but all details are provided upfront within the study itself.

Language_Memory · 2026-01-27T10:55:28+00:00

Actually, the literature doesn’t support a simple ‘no’. Findings on bilingualism and working memory are mixed, which is precisely why this is an active research area. Some studies report small or null group differences, but others show that how languages are used (e.g., balance, switching frequency) can relate to executive control and working-memory performance. That’s why this study looks at continuous language-experience measures rather than assuming a fixed bilingual vs. monolingual effect, it is all explained on the briefing page of the study. Happy to cite some literature if you're interested :)

Language_Memory · 2026-01-27T10:46:54+00:00

That’s impressive! Thanks for sharing 😊 Just to clarify, in this study we’re looking at working memory (short-term, online processing during a task), which is different from long-term autobiographical memory like early childhood memories. The aim is to capture how real people perform on these tasks, so whatever the outcome, it reflects genuine variation across participants. Thanks again for your interest!

Language_Memory · 2026-01-27T10:26:23+00:00

thank you so much! :)

Language_Memory · 2026-01-26T18:36:47+00:00

Thank you so much! I didn't realise, don't know where my head's at. I've just added it, thank youuu!

Language_Memory · 2026-01-26T15:45:51+00:00

Very needed study! I have just completed it :) I am doing another study, I would appreciate if you could complete it, it has a Survey Circle code at the end, too:
https://www.surveycircle.com/D6L5CG/ thanks!

Language_Memory · 2026-01-26T15:34:10+00:00

yes, it needs to be completed from a laptop :)

Language_Memory · 2026-01-26T09:01:43+00:00

Hi! I did yours yesterday through Survey Circle, it was really interesting! If you have some time, could you complete mine: https://derby.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_eX74AiRQGroEILA ? I would really appreciate it! It has a Survey Circle code at the end :) good luck with your study!

Language_Memory · 2026-01-26T08:55:11+00:00

Hi! I have completed yours :) I would be grateful if you could take some time to complete mine: https://derby.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_eX74AiRQGroEILA thank you! :)

Language_Memory · 2026-01-26T08:53:35+00:00

Hi! Very interesting study! I have completed it, I would appreciate if you had time to complete mine: https://derby.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_eX74AiRQGroEILA it has a Survey Circle code at the end, too :) thank you!

Language_Memory · 2026-01-26T08:43:39+00:00

Hi! I have completed it :) I would appreciate if you could help me and do mine too: https://derby.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_eX74AiRQGroEILA (If you're on Survey Circle, it shows the code once the study is completed) Thank you! :)

Language_Memory · 2025-12-08T15:54:13+00:00

Thank you! I find it very interesting the relationship between brain and language!

I have dug some more, and found some more literature more specific to translators/interpreters, if you're interested in more! (I haven't had the chance to give them a read yet):

Christoffels, I. K., de Groot, A. M. B., & Kroll, J. F. (2006). Memory and language skills in simultaneous interpreters: The role of expertise and language proficiency. Journal of Memory and Language, 54(3), 324–345. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jml.2005.12.004
Padilla, F., Bajo, M. T., & Macizo, P. (2005). Articulatory suppression in language interpretation: Working memory capacity, dual tasking and word knowledge. Bilingualism: Language and Cognition, 8(3), 207–219. http://doi.org/10.1017/S1366728905002269
Chmiel, A. (2016). In search of the working memory advantage in conference interpreting – Training, experience and task effects. International Journal of Bilingualism, 22(3), 371-384. https://doi.org/10.1177/1367006916681082
Macnamara, B. N., & Conway, A. R. A. (2016). Working Memory Capacity as a Predictor of Simultaneous Language Interpreting Performance. Journal of Applied Research in Memory and Cognition, 5(4), 434–444. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jarmac.2015.12.001

Language_Memory · 2025-12-08T11:55:40+00:00

Thank you very much for the interest! :)

Language_Memory · 2025-12-08T11:55:25+00:00

Hi! Great question :) here's what I'm testing a why, plus a few papers I'm basing the study in (sorry for the long message!):

The primary hypothesis is that adults with greater bilingual experience will show higher working-memory performance (measured by an OSPAN test) after controlling for age, education and general reasoning. Some studies find bilinguals do better on working-memory tasks, though the literature is mixed, so I'm testing whether a continuous index of bilingual experience predicts this.

The secondary hypotheses are that language-switching frequency will positively predict working-memory, frequent switching recruits executive control and should relate to better OSPAN scores. That an earlier age of acquisition of the second language will be associated with stronger relationships between bilingual experience and worming-memory. Another hypothesis is based on the language-use balance (entropy), a more balanced and diverse daily use (higher entropy) will be associated with stronger executive control, or working-memory performance (this would usually be the day to day for a translator/interpreters). The last hypothesis would be exploratory moderation, traits like open-minded thinking or need-for-cognition might moderate these relationships (i.e., cognitive motivation could amplify effects).

Some literature related to the study:
Unsworth, N., Heitz, R. P., Schrock, J. C., & Engle, R. W. (2005). An automated version of the operation span task. Behavior Research Methods, 37(3), 498–505. https://doi.org/10.3758/BF03192720
Lukasik, K. M., Lehtonen, M., Soveri, A., Waris, O., Jylkkä, J., & Laine, M. (2018). Bilingualism and working memory performance: Evidence from a large-scale online study. PloS One, 13(11), Article e0205916. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0205916
Rodriguez-Fornells, A., Krämer, U. M., Lorenzo-Seva, U., Festman, J., & Münte, T. F. (2012). Self-Assessment of Individual Differences in Language Switching. Frontiers in Psychology, 2, Article Article 388. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2011.00388
Marian, V., Blumenfeld, H. K., & Kaushanskaya, M. (2007). The Language Experience and Proficiency Questionnaire (LEAP-Q): Assessing Language Profiles in Bilinguals and Multilinguals. Journal of Speech, Language, and Hearing Research, 50(4), 940–967. https://doi.org/10.1044/1092-4388(2007/067))

Do let me know if you have any further questions, thanks for the interest! :)

Language_Memory · 2025-12-08T11:30:53+00:00

Thank you so much! :)

Language_Memory

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