Banca de QUALIFICAÇÃO: JULIANA BRAZILE SILVA
Uma banca de QUALIFICAÇÃO de MESTRADO foi cadastrada pelo programa.STUDENT : JULIANA BRAZILE SILVA
DATE: 11/12/2023
TIME: 14:30
LOCAL: https://hku.zoom.us/j/3965569175
TITLE:
INVESTIGATION OF POSSIBLE EFFECTS OF PROFICIENCY IN A SECOND LANGUAGE ON WORKING MEMORY CAPACITY
PAGES: 50
BIG AREA: Outra
AREA: Multidisciplinar
SUMMARY:
The present study aims to investigate the "cognitive advantages of bilingualism," with the main objective of analyzing whether the proficiency in the second language (L2) is associated with potential advantages in terms of working memory capacity. Previous studies present divergent findings regarding the cognitive consequences of bilingualism, especially concerning working memory capacity. This exploratory study seeks to investigate whether the heterogeneity of bilingual experience may contribute to the disagreement among studies. The present research will focus on the relationship between proficiency in the second language and verbal and non-verbal working memory capacity in adult bilinguals who are sequential, unbalanced, and not in an immersion context. As a secondary objective, we will investigate whether the potential effects are associated with the age of adult participants, as previous studies report differences in possible bilingualism advantages in children, adults, and the elderly. Methods: The project has been approved by the ethics committee of UFABC on May 04th, 2022. Ninety participants will be recruited for the study, with 45 aged between 18-45 years and another 45 aged 60 or older. Thirty participants will have basic level of English, 30 intermediate, and 30 advanced. Data collection will be done online. After characterizing the participants regarding bilingual experience and proficiency, individuals will perform verbal and non-verbal working memory tasks. Data will be analyzed using correlation tests and multiple linear regression to investigate whether proficiency and age factors are associated and predictive of working memory capacity. Expected results: According to the findings of a recent meta-analysis (Grundy et al., 2016), our hypothesis is that L2 proficiency is positively associated and predictive of working memory capacity. However, this study is also exploratory, as there are few studies on bilinguals who have Portuguese as their first language and are not in immersion. Additionally, few studies have investigated the bilingual advantage on working memory in older adults.
COMMITTEE MEMBERS:
Presidente - Interno ao Programa - 2139904 - CLAUDINEI EDUARDO BIAZOLI JUNIOR
Membro Titular - Examinador(a) Interno ao Programa - 1954058 - MARCELO SALVADOR CAETANO
Membro Titular - Examinador(a) Externo à Instituição - MARIA CRISTINA MICELLI FONSECA - UFC
Membro Suplente - Examinador(a) Interno ao Programa - 2353089 - KATERINA LUKASOVA
Membro Suplente - Examinador(a) Externo à Instituição - LILIAN CRISTINE HÜBNER - PUC - RS