hard · MCAT psych-soc
A researcher studies a sample of bilingual immigrants and finds that those who report frequently switching between their heritage language and the host-country language show smaller decrements in performance on the Stroop task than monolingual controls. The researcher concludes this reflects superior executive control. A reviewer counters that the finding may instead reflect a confound rooted in how the sample was assembled.
Which feature of the study design, if true, would most directly support the reviewer's alternative explanation rather than the researcher's?
- The bilingual participants were recruited from a competitive graduate program, whereas monolingual controls were recruited from the surrounding community
- The Stroop task was administered in the host-country language for both groups, equating the linguistic demands of the measure itself
- Bilingual participants self-reported their frequency of language switching using a validated daily-experience questionnaire
- The smaller Stroop decrement among frequent switchers held even after statistically controlling for age and years of education
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