Bilingualism and Wandering Thoughts: Does Bilingualism Protect Against Mind Wandering?

Bilingualism and Wandering Thoughts: Does Bilingualism Protect Against Mind Wandering?

Previous research demonstrates that the benefits of speaking two languages extend beyond verbal communication to non-linguistic, executive function (EF) abilities. One component of EF, the ability to inhibit or ignore distracting information, has been shown to be better developed in bilinguals relative to monolinguals. However, little is known whether speaking two languages also enhances the ability to inhibit unwanted or intrusive thoughts. These intrusive thoughts, or mind wandering, have been shown to negatively impact performance on tasks of EF. Thus, the purpose of our study was to compare monolinguals and bilinguals on a self-report measure of mind wandering and performance on tasks of EF. We hypothesized that due to more developed EF abilities, bilinguals would report less mind wandering and show better performance on EF tasks. Results revealed that bilingualism does affect mind wandering and performance on some, but not all, tasks of EF.