How being bilingual can affect your first language - The effect of age and bilingual language entropy on L1 emotion word processing

Abstract

This study investigates the impact of bilingualism on the processing of emotion words in the first language (L1) among older adults, with a particular focus on the interplay between age, bilingual language use, and cognitive ageing. As the population of bilingual individuals continues to grow, understanding how emotional cognition is affected by bilingualism becomes increasingly important. This research aims to fill a critical gap in the literature by examining how older bilinguals process emotion words in their L1, considering factors such as valence and bilingual language entropy. Through a lexical decision task in the L1, the study reveals that age-related changes in cognitive processing can influence the emotional resonance of words, highlighting the complexities of emotion-cognition interactions in bilingual contexts. The findings contribute to a deeper understanding of the cognitive advantages and challenges faced by older bilinguals, offering insights into the broader implications for emotional communication and cognitive health in ageing populations.