Presentation
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What would Kuhn Say? Cognitive Control, bilingualism, and paradigm shifts
Poster B37 in Poster Session B, Tuesday, October 24, 3:30 - 5:15 pm CEST, Espace Vieux-Port
Arturo Hernandez1; 1University of Houston
In the past twenty years, a heated debate has emerged with regard to the link between bilingual experience and performance on cognitive control tasks. More recently, research has begun to look at variability in bilingualism and on the nature of the control tasks used. To date, however, very few studies have focused on the models used to conceptualize cognitive control. In this talk, the views of Kuhn on scientific revolutions are brought to bear on this question. In particular, an alternative to the current models will be presented that is centered on reinforcement learning (RL) and interactive specialization (IS). RL suggests that the interactions between the basal ganglia and the prefrontal cortex are at the core of cognitive control. This view also takes into account neurotransmitters such as dopamine. IS focuses on emergent modularization across development. A natural question that arises is whether a synthesis of RL and IS represent what Kuhn might consider a paradigm shift. The presentation will end by emphasizing the implications of a potential paradigm shift on current views on the impact of bilingualism on the cognitive system and the role of development in this process.
Topic Areas: Multilingualism, Control, Selection, and Executive Processes