Funções executivas e a experiência bilíngue na infância: uma revisão de escopo

Abstract

Executive Functions (EFs) comprise a set of cognitive abilities responsible for the control, monitoring, and regulation of behavior, playing a fundamental role in processes such as planning, attention, problem-solving, and cognitive adaptation. In this context, considering the relationship between language and cognition, the present study aimed to investigate how bilingualism may contribute to the development of executive functions during childhood, namely working memory, inhibitory control, and cognitive flexibility. This study is an integrative literature review with a qualitative approach and a descriptive-analytical design, conducted in accordance with the PRISMA 2020 guidelines. The search was carried out in the CAPES Periodicals Portal, SciELO, Web of Science, and APA PsycNet databases using the descriptors “Executive functions,” “Bilingualism,” and “Children,” combined through the Boolean operators AND and OR. After applying the eligibility criteria, six studies composed the final sample. The results indicated that cognitive flexibility and inhibitory control were the executive functions most frequently associated with bilingualism, especially in tasks involving language switching, selective attention, and control of linguistic interference. Working memory appeared less frequently, although some studies identified positive associations between bilingual experience and performance in verbal memory and attention tasks. Divergences among the findings were also observed, suggesting the influence of methodological factors such as language proficiency level, bilingual profile, and study design. It is concluded that bilingualism may positively contribute to the development of certain executive functions during childhood; however, the findings remain inconsistent, highlighting the need for further investigations with greater methodological rigor.