How bilingual people process language and make choices
Cognitive Architecture of Bilingual Language Processing
['FUNDING_R01'] · NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY · NIH-11167551
This project looks at how Spanish-English and Korean-English bilingual adults use both languages at once and how that affects their memory and decision-making.
Quick facts
| Phase | ['FUNDING_R01'] |
|---|---|
| Study type | Nih_funding |
| Sex | All |
| Sponsor | NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY (nih funded) |
| Locations | 1 site (Chicago, UNITED STATES) |
| Trial ID | NIH-11167551 on ClinicalTrials.gov |
What this research studies
If you join, you'll complete language and thinking tasks while researchers record your eye movements and brain activity with EEG. The team will test Spanish-English and Korean-English bilinguals to compare effects of different writing and sound systems. Some tasks use visual search where previously seen items and similar competitors affect memory, and others measure how language context influences choices. Advanced statistical methods will link brain signals to behavior to understand how speaking two languages shapes cognition.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal participants are adult Spanish-English or Korean-English bilinguals who regularly use both languages and can attend lab testing in Chicago.
Not a fit: Monolingual people, speakers of other language pairs, or those unable to undergo EEG or eye-tracking sessions are unlikely to benefit directly from participating.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could help clinicians and educators better understand how bilingualism influences thinking, memory, and everyday decisions.
How similar studies have performed: Earlier studies reliably show bilinguals co-activate both languages and that EEG and eye-tracking detect these effects, while applying this to decision-making is a newer extension.
Where this research is happening
Chicago, UNITED STATES
- NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY — Chicago, UNITED STATES (ACTIVE)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: MARIAN, VIORICA — NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY
- Study coordinator: MARIAN, VIORICA
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.