A-28 Stroop Performance in Bilingual Veterans

Abstract Objective The Stroop Color and Word Test is a well-known measure of executive functioning. The aim of this study is to determine if Stroop performance is impacted by bilingualism. Method A clinic-referred sample of veterans (n = 245; Mage = 55.84; Medu = 13.87) in whom a cognitive disorder diagnosis was ruled out were selected for inclusion. Participants self-identified as monolingual English (n = 192) or bilingual English/Spanish (n = 53) and were deemed appropriate for completing neuropsychological evaluation in English. All participants were administered the Stroop as part of a larger battery of tests. Analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) was used to examine Stroop scores across monolingual/bilingual groups, controlling for age. Results Stroop Word (raw) was significantly lower among bilingual participants (M = 79.13, SD = 18.24) compared to monolingual participants (M = 85.22, SD = 16.7), F = 4.48, p = .035. Although Color (F = 3.01, p = .084) and Color-Word Interference trials (F = 2.36, p = .125) were not significantly different across groups, there was a trend. When scores on the Color-Word Interference subtest were corrected using the Golden Equation, there were no significant group differences (F = .002, p = .966). Conclusions Bilingualism was related to reduced performance on speeded word-reading. Although there were no statistical differences on color-naming or inhibition, the sample size may have impacted statistical power. Despite this, there was no evidence of even a trend towards significance when applying the Golden Equation to correct for speed of word-reading and color-naming. Findings indicate Stroop is a valid measure of inhibitory control among bilingual individuals who are appropriate for completing testing in English, so long as adjustments are made to account for speed on the Word, Color, and Color-Word trials.