Shahid Beheshti University Journal of Neurodevelopmental Cognition 2645-565X 6 3 2025 10 01 Monolingual and Bilingual Children’s Processing of Novel Metaphors: A Comparative Study 93 109 107245 10.48308/jncog.2026.242880.1032 EN Fatemeh Hoseini Institute for Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Shahid Beheshti University, Tehran, Iran. Mehdi Purmohammad Department of Education, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada 0000-0003-3889-1876 Journal Article 2025 07 13 Objective: This study aimed to compare the comprehension of novel metaphors by monolingual children and Persian–Arabic bilingual children, and to examine the role of creativity in metaphor understanding. The research used a fundamental experimental design. The statistical population comprised students in District 20 of Tehran, from which 80 children—40 Persian–Arabic bilinguals and 40 monolinguals—were selected through convenience sampling based on predefined inclusion and exclusion criteria. Method: Data were collected using a newly developed computerized task based on semantic judgment to assess the comprehension of novel metaphors, along with the Torrance Test of Creative Thinking (1972) to measure creativity. Both groups completed the computerized task and the creativity assessment. Data were analyzed using independent t-tests and regression analyses in SPSS. Results: The findings revealed a significant correlation (p < .05) between bilingualism and the comprehension of novel metaphors. Bilingual children performed better than monolingual children on the novel metaphor task and also obtained higher scores on the creativity test. Discussion: These patterns indicate a positive correlation between bilingualism, creativity, and the comprehension of novel metaphors. These findings may have implications for the design of second-language education programs and for supporting the development of abstract-concept comprehension in elementary-school settings.

https://jncog.sbu.ac.ir/article_107245_22e4abeb2f9564e77ff48dd524e45645.pdf