Date of Award

10-1-2021

Publication Type

Thesis

Degree Name

M.A.

Department

Psychology

Keywords

Cognitive testing; ESL, Limited English proficiency, Neuropsychological testing, Verbal mediation

Supervisor

L. Erdodi

Supervisor

R. Biss

Rights

info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess

Abstract

A key assumption of neuropsychological testing in North America is that examinees are native speakers of English (NSE). The objective of the current study was to continue the line of investigations into the neurocognitive profiles associated with limited English proficiency (LEP). Participants were undergraduate students at a Canadian university. Data were collected from 40 NSEs and 40 participants with LEP. A battery of neuropsychological tests including measures with high (HVM) and low verbal mediation (LVM) was administered in counterbalanced order. As predicted, individuals with LEP performed more poorly on HVM measures and equivalent to NSEs on LVM measures, with some notable exceptions. Results suggest that clinicians should not interpret low scores on HVM tests as evidence of acquired cognitive impairment in individuals with LEP, since these measures may systematically underestimate cognitive ability in this population.

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