Using Cognates to Improve Bilingual Verbal Assessment

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Virtually no standardized neuropsychological tests have been developed for bilinguals and very little is known about how normal bilinguals should perform on currently available neuropsychological measures. Considerable experimental evidence suggests that bilinguals demonstrate improved performance when tested on 'cognates' (i.e., cross-language translations that are similar in form, such as the Spanish word 'fruta' which means 'fruit'). This applicant proposes to evaluate the influence of cognate status on tests of naming, word recognition, fluency, and verbal memory. It is hypothesized that cognates will provide a more complete and accurate assessment of cognitive processing in bilinguals because cognates represent a bridge across the processing barrier between bilinguals' differing levels of competence in two different languages. In addition to their clinical utility the data collected in the proposed research will provide useful constraints for developing theoretical models of language processing in bilinguals. The applicant is requesting five years of funding through a Mentored Patient Oriented Research Career Development Award (K23) to enhance her skills for conducting research that will improve sensitivity in bilingual neuropsychological assessment. The applicant's strong background of research with bilingual language processing (in English, Spanish, and Hebrew), clinical training in neuropsychological assessment, and academic training in cognitive neuropsychology, provide the foundation for this work. The proposed training goals include acquiring 1) enhanced skills for using multiple experimental paradigms, 2) in-depth knowledge of current developments in bilingual research and theory, 3) increased skills for conducting research on older adults, and 4) advanced training in data analysis with naturalistic (not experimentally controlled) variables. These skills are needed for the applicant to pursue innovative, comprehensive, and theoretically motivated research on developing improved methods for assessing cognitive skills in bilinguals.