Dr Laiene Olabarrieta presents her study on verbal fluency among bilingual people

“Study of phonological, semantic and action fluency in Basque / Spanish and Catalan / Spanish bilingual subjects” is the title of the thesis of the Doctor in Psychology Laiene Olabarrieta, whose conclusions she has presented today at Fundació ACE. The thesis, which the doctor defended in 2017 at the University of Deusto, highlights that the relationship between bilingualism and verbal fluency tests (VF) is not clear, since studies have shown conflicting results depending on the group or type of task used.

After analyzing different profiles of people by their sociodemographic, linguistic characteristics and the level of vocabulary, the conclusions of this doctoral thesis suggest that bilingual people with a high level of vocabulary score the same as monolinguals in verbal fluency tests. These tests, called VF, are used for their quick and easy administration and for their high sensitivity to brain damage.

For her research, Dr. Olabarrieta analyzed a sample composed of 360 participants: 89 monolinguals, 139 Basque-Spanish bilinguals from the Basque Country and Navarra and 132 Catalan-Spanish bilinguals from Catalunya.

Dr. Laiene Olabarrieta has focused her activity in the area of ​​neuropsychology, with experience in neuropsychological evaluation and implementation of cognitive rehabilitation programs in patients with brain damage. Currently, she works for the Public University of Navarra.