PROJECT TYPE:

• Scientific research project

PROJECT DURATION:

• 1st October 2025 – 30th September 2029

PROJECT LEADER AND COLLABORATORS:

• Dr. Nada Poropat Jeletić, Assoc. Prof., Faculty of Humanities, Juraj Dobrila University of Pula (Principal Investigator)
• Dr. Antonella Sorace, Full Prof., University of Edinburgh / University College London
• Dr. Andrea Marini, Full Prof., University of Udine / Neurocognitive Science Lab
• Dr. Renata Martinčić Marić, lecturer, Faculty of Educational Sciences, Juraj Dobrila University of Pula
• Dr. Sara Košutar, postdoc, UiT The Arctic University of Norway / Center for Language, Brain and Learning (C-LaBL)

PROJECT SUMMARY

Grounded in contemporary neuropsychological frameworks that conceptualize bilingualism as a dynamic and neuroplastic phenomenon, this project seeks to elucidate the correlational and causal interrelations between early bilingual exposure and the neural mechanisms underlying executive processes. The assessment of linguistic experience, semantic fluency, lexical diversity, narrative production and receptive vocabulary will be conducted through a combination of quantitative standardized instruments and linguistic tasks. The research focuses on the principal components of executive functioning — inhibition, cognitive flexibility, divergent nonverbal thinking, task-switching ability and working memory — all of which will be assessed using standardized and validated psychometric tools. The project’s scientific contribution lies in the advancement of contemporary neurocognitive theoretical models, particularly within underexplored linguistic configurations and in providing a deeper understanding of the dynamic interplay between linguistic competence and executive functioning. Through the implementation of advanced neuropsychological testing protocols and multilevel cognitive analysis, the project aims to generate novel empirical insights into how multiple language activation and cross-linguistic interaction contribute to the optimization of executive functions. In doing so, the project positions itself at the forefront of ongoing international scientific discourse on the cognitive and neuroplastic effects of early bilingualism.

PROJECT OBJECTIVES

The primary scientific objective of the project is to investigate the relationship between language exposure and executive functions, with collected data analyzed in relation to measures encompassing inhibition of automatic responses, cognitive flexibility, divergent nonverbal thinking, task-switching capacity and working memory. This multidimensional approach enables a comprehensive understanding of how multiple linguistic inputs shape complex processes of attentional control and planning. The relationship between language exposure and divergent nonverbal thinking will be examined through the Design Fluency subtest of NEPSY-II, which assesses nonverbal creativity and divergent cognition through time-constrained tasks requiring flexible generation of visual configurations. The relationship between language exposure, inhibition of automatic responses and task-switching will be analyzed through the Inhibition and Switching subtests of NEPSY-II, allowing precise measurement of the ability to suppress dominant yet inappropriate responses and to regulate both speed and accuracy under high cognitive load. Furthermore, the connection between language exposure and cognitive flexibility will be explored using the Animal Sorting subtest of NEPSY-II, evaluating the ability to categorize and adapt to varying grouping criteria, thus enabling the examination of how individuals reorganize and reconceptualize semantic relations in response to shifting contextual parameters. Through the synthesis of these research objectives, the project aspires to provide a holistic and empirically grounded model of the interaction between linguistic exposure and executive functioning, thereby contributing to contemporary neurocognitive theory on the role of language in shaping and modulating higher-order mental processes.

PROJECT HOLDER: “Juraj Dobrila” University of Pula