Viorica Marian

Viorica Marian's research focuses on bilingualism/multilingualism and the brain's ability to accommodate multiple languages at the same time. She studies the relationship between language and memory, as well as how people process spoken and written language. Her research uses cognitive, behavioral, and neurological measures to study the human linguistic capacity.

Lab

• Bilingualism and Psycholinguistics Research Group

Education

• PhD, Experimental Psychology, Cornell University
• MA, Experimental Psychology, Cornell University
• MA, Cognitive and Developmental Psychology, Emory University
• BA, Psychology, University of Alaska

Representative Publications

• Marian, Viorica. (2023). The Power of Language: How the Codes We Use to Think, Speak, and Live Transform Our Minds. New York: Dutton. ISBN: 9780593187074.
• The Language Experience and Proficiency Questionnaire (LEAP-Q): Assessing language profiles in bilinguals and multilinguals. V Marian, HK Blumenfeld, M Kaushanskaya, American Speech-Language-Hearing Association, 2007.

• Competing activation in bilingual language processing: Within-and between-language competition. V Marian, M Spivey. Bilingualism: Language and cognition 6 (2), 97-115, 2003.
• Cross talk between native and second languages: Partial activation of an irrelevant lexicon. MJ Spivey, V Marian. Psychological science 10 (3), 281-284, 1999.
• Language-dependent recall of autobiographical memories.V Marian, U Neisser. Journal of Experimental Psychology: General 129 (3), 361, 2000.

• Shared and separate systems in bilingual language processing: Converging evidence from eyetracking and brain imaging. V Marian, M Spivey, J Hirsch. Brain and language 86 (1), 70-82, 2003.
• Bilingual and monolingual processing of competing lexical items. V Marian, M Spivey. Applied Psycholinguistics 24 (2), 173-193, 2003.
• CLEARPOND: Cross-linguistic easy-access resource for phonological and orthographic neighborhood densities. V Marian, J Bartolotti, S Chabal, A Shook. PLOS, 2012.
• The bilingual advantage in novel word learning. M Kaushanskaya, V Marian. Psychonomic Bulletin & Review 16 (4), 705-710, 2009.
• Subcortical encoding of sound is enhanced in bilinguals and relates to executive function advantages. J Krizman, V Marian, A Shook, E Skoe, N Kraus.  Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 109 (20), 7877-7881, 2012.
• The cognitive benefits of being bilingual. V Marian, A Shook. Cerebrum, 2012.
• Self-construal and emotion in bicultural bilinguals. V Marian, M Kaushanskaya. Journal of Memory and Language 51 (2), 190-201, 2004.
• Constraints on parallel activation in bilingual spoken language processing: Examining proficiency and lexical status using eye-tracking. HK Blumenfeld, V Marian.  Language and cognitive processes 22 (5), 633-660, 2007.
• Bilingualism influences inhibitory control in auditory comprehension.  HK Blumenfeld, V Marian. Cognition 118 (2), 245-257, 2011.
• Bilingual two-way immersion programs benefit academic achievement. V Marian, A Shook, SR Schroeder. Bilingual research journal 36 (2), 167-186, 2013.
• The bilingual language interaction network for comprehension of speech. A Shook, V Marian. Bilingualism: Language and Cognition 16 (2), 304-324, 2013.
• Parallel language activation and cognitive control during spoken word recognition in bilinguals. HK Blumenfeld, V Marian. Journal of Cognitive Psychology 25 (5), 547-567, 2013.
• Language learning and control in monolinguals and bilinguals. J Bartolotti, V Marian. Cognitive science 36 (6), 1129-1147, 2012.
• Bilingual language processing and interference in bilinguals: Evidence from eye tracking and picture naming. M Kaushanskaya, V Marian. Language Learning 57 (1), 119-163, 2007.
• Bilingualism reduces native-language interference during novel-word learning. M Kaushanskaya, V Marian. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Learning, Memory, and Cognition 35 (3), 829, 2009.
• Language‐dependent memory in bilingual learning. V Marian, CM Fausey. Applied Cognitive Psychology, 2006.
• A bilingual advantage for episodic memory in older adults. SR Schroeder, V Marian. Journal of Cognitive Psychology 24 (5), 591-601, 2012.
• Lexical–semantic organization in bilingual children. L Sheng, KK McGregor, V Marian. American Speech-Language-Hearing Association, 2006.
• Cognitive control in bilinguals . HK Blumenfeld, V Marian. Bilingualism: Language and Cognition 17 (3), 610-629, 2014.
• Bimodal bilinguals co-activate both languages during spoken comprehension. A Shook, V Marian. Cognition 124 (3), 314-324, 2012.
• Bilingualism and inhibitory control influence statistical learning of novel word forms. J Bartolotti, V Marian, SR Schroeder, A Shook. Frontiers in psychology 2, 324, 2011.
• Sensitivity to phonological similarity within and across languages. V Marian, HK Blumenfeld, OV Boukrina. Journal of Psycholinguistic Research 37 (3), 141-170, 2008.
• Bilingualism increases neural response consistency and attentional control: Evidence for sensory and cognitive coupling. J Krizman, E Skoe, V Marian, N Kraus. Brain and language 128 (1), 34-40, 2014.
• Parallel language activation and inhibitory control in bimodal bilinguals. MR Giezen, HK Blumenfeld, A Shook, V Marian, K Emmorey. Cognition 141, 9-25, 2015.

Recent Awards and Honors

• 2019, Editor’s Award for best paper from the Journal of Speech, Language, and Hearing Research.

• 2017-2018, Fellow, Public Voices Thought Leadership Program.
• 2017, Student Faculty Interaction Grant, Northwestern University.
• 2016, Affiliated Faculty Honoree, Department of Linguistics, Northwestern University.

• 2015, University of Alaska Anchorage Alumni of Achievement Award
• 2008, Clarence Simon Award for Teaching and Mentoring
• 2006-2007, Outstanding Faculty of the Year, Northwestern Associated Student Government
• 1999-2000, National Research Service Award, National Institute of Health

Recent Grants and Funding

• 2022-2027, Cognitive Architecture of Bilingual Language Processing. National Institute of Health, NICHD RO1 HD059858, P.I.
• 2021-2023, Language Development in Bilingual Preschoolers: A Cross-Linguistic and Cross-Cultural Comparison.National Institutes of Health, 1R21 DC018349-01. P.I.
• 2022-2024, Bilingualism and Bidialectalism. Delaney Family Foundation Research Grant. P.I.

Courses

• CSD 309: Culture, Language, and Learning
• CSD 464: Linguistic and Cultural Diversity in Communication Sciences and Disorders
• CSD 551: Topics in CSD: Bilingualism