Comparing working memory in bilingual and monolingual Hispanic/Latino preschoolers with disruptive behavior disorders

•There were no differences among Hispanic/Latino children on verbal working memory.•Bilingual children outperformed monolingual children in visuospatial working memory.•Bilingualism may serve as a protective factor for children with disruptive behavior problems. The current study examined difference...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of experimental child psychology 2018-02, Vol.166, p.535-548
Main Authors: Garcia, Alexis M., Ros, Rosmary, Hart, Katie C., Graziano, Paulo A.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Attention Deficit and Disruptive Behavior Disorders - ethnology
Attention Deficit and Disruptive Behavior Disorders - psychology
Bilingualism
Child
Child, Preschool
Disruptive behavior disorders
Executive Function
Female
Hispanic or Latino - psychology
Hispanic/Latino
Humans
Male
Memory, Short-Term
Multilingualism
Preschoolers
Social Class
Spatial Learning
Spatial Memory
Verbal Learning
Visual Perception
Working memory
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Summary:•There were no differences among Hispanic/Latino children on verbal working memory.•Bilingual children outperformed monolingual children in visuospatial working memory.•Bilingualism may serve as a protective factor for children with disruptive behavior problems. The current study examined differences in working memory (WM) between monolingual and bilingual Hispanic/Latino preschoolers with disruptive behavior disorders (DBDs). A total of 149 children (Mage = 5.10 years, SD = 0.53; 76% male) with elevated levels of DBDs, as indicated by their parents or teachers, were recruited to participate in an 8-week summer program prior to the start of kindergarten (Summer Treatment Program for Pre-Kindergarteners). Prior to the start of treatment, parents completed several measures about their children’s behavior and executive function, and children were administered two subtests of the Automated Working Memory Assessment to examine their current WM capabilities. After controlling for demographic variables (i.e., age, sex, socioeconomic status, IQ, and diagnostic status), no significant differences were observed between bilingual and monolingual children in verbal WM performance (β = .03, p > .05). However, children who were bilingual did perform better than monolinguals on spatial WM tasks (β = .23, p 
ISSN:0022-0965
1096-0457
DOI:10.1016/j.jecp.2017.09.020