According to the passage, researcher Nairan Ramirez wanted to find out —.

Many bilingual individuals say they feel like a different person depending on which language they are speaking. A new study lends credibility to their claims. Nairan Ramirez at the University of Texas charted the personality traits of 225 Spanish/English bilinguals in both the US and Mexico as they responded to questions presented in each language. She found three significant differences: when using English, the bilinguals were extroverted, agreeable and more conscientious than when using Spanish. Bilingual individuals can assume different roles depending on environmental cues. To show that changes in personality can be triggered by something as subtle as language suggests that personality is more flexible than is widely expected. The results are significant in that they document the contextual nature of personality. Given the increasing number of bilingual people, it is important to develop a better understanding of bilingual minds.