scholarly journals Properties of Spoken Persuasive Language Samples From Typically Developing Adolescents

2020 ◽  
Vol 51 (2) ◽  
pp. 441-456 ◽  
Author(s):  
John Heilmann ◽  
Thomas O. Malone ◽  
Marleen F. Westerveld
Keyword(s):  
Latent Variables ◽  
The United States ◽  
Spoken Language ◽  
Performance Data ◽  
Persuasive Communication ◽  
Typically Developing ◽  
Language Performance ◽  
Language Sampling ◽  
Persuasive Discourse ◽  
Language Measures

Purpose Persuasive communication skills are vital for achieving success in school, at work, and in social relationships. To facilitate assessment of persuasive discourse, we developed a clinically feasible persuasive speaking protocol and used it to compile a database of language samples. This database allowed us to describe the properties of adolescents' persuasive speaking skills. Method We collected spoken language samples from 179 typically developing students in Grades 8–12, recruited from the United States and Australia. Participants were asked to persuade an authority figure to make a change in a rule or policy. Results Language performance data reflecting both microstructural and macrostructural properties of spoken language were summarized and broken down by grade. We completed a factor analysis that documented three latent variables (syntax, discourse difficulties, and content). To test the validity of the persuasive measures, a subset of the participants completed an additional battery of assessments, which revealed weak to moderate relationships between the persuasive measures, general language ability, and working memory. There was no significant relationship between the persuasive language measures and an assessment of personality. Conclusion Our persuasive language sampling protocol facilitated the collection of valid language performance data. The summary data can be used as benchmarks for clinical evaluations of adolescents suspected of having language difficulties.

scholarly journals The Relationship Between Executive Functions and Language Abilities in Children: A Latent Variables Approach

2017 ◽  
Vol 60 (4) ◽  
pp. 912-923 ◽  
Author(s):  
Margarita Kaushanskaya ◽  
Ji Sook Park ◽  
Ishanti Gangopadhyay ◽  
Meghan M. Davidson ◽  
Susan Ellis Weismer
Keyword(s):  
Latent Variables ◽  
Receptive Language ◽  
School Age Children ◽  
School Age ◽  
Typically Developing ◽  
Language Performance ◽  
Typically Developing Children ◽  
Language Abilities ◽  
Language Measures ◽  
The Relationship

Purpose We aimed to outline the latent variables approach for measuring nonverbal executive function (EF) skills in school-age children, and to examine the relationship between nonverbal EF skills and language performance in this age group. Method Seventy-one typically developing children, ages 8 through 11, participated in the study. Three EF components, inhibition, updating, and task-shifting, were each indexed using 2 nonverbal tasks. A latent variables approach was used to extract latent scores that represented each EF construct. Children were also administered common standardized language measures. Multiple regression analyses were conducted to examine the relationship between EF and language skills. Results Nonverbal updating was associated with the Receptive Language Index on the Clinical Evaluation of Language Fundamentals–Fourth Edition (CELF-4). When composites denoting lexical–semantic and syntactic abilities were derived, nonverbal inhibition (but not shifting or updating) was found to predict children's syntactic abilities. These relationships held when the effects of age, IQ, and socioeconomic status were controlled. Conclusions The study makes a methodological contribution by explicating a method by which researchers can use the latent variables approach when measuring EF performance in school-age children. The study makes a theoretical and a clinical contribution by suggesting that language performance may be related to domain-general EFs.

scholarly journals Identifying Developmental Language Disorder in Vietnamese Children

2019 ◽  
Vol 62 (5) ◽  
pp. 1452-1467 ◽  
Author(s):  
Giang T. Pham ◽  
Sonja Pruitt-Lord ◽  
Catherine E. Snow ◽  
Yen Hoang Thi Nguyen ◽  
Ben Phạm ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Language Disorder ◽  
Risk Groups ◽  
Parent Report ◽  
Developmental Language Disorder ◽  
Clinical Markers ◽  
Expressive Vocabulary ◽  
Language Performance ◽  
Language Sampling ◽  
Language Measures ◽  
Mean Length Of Utterance

Purpose Developmental language disorder (DLD), defined by low language performance despite otherwise normal development, can negatively impact children's social and academic outcomes. This study is the 1st to examine DLD in Vietnamese. To lay the foundation, we identified cases of DLD in Vietnam and explored language-specific characteristics of the disorder. Method Teacher ratings of 1,250 kindergarteners living in Hanoi, Vietnam, were used to recruit children with and without risk for DLD. One hundred four children completed direct measures of vocabulary and language sampling, and their parents completed in-depth surveys. We examined convergence and divergence across tasks to identify measures that could serve as reliable indicators of risk. Then, we compared performance on direct language measures across ability levels. Results There were positive associations between teacher and parent report and between report and direct language measures. Three groups were identified based on convergence across measures: DLD, some risk for DLD, and no risk. The DLD group performed lowest on measures of receptive and expressive vocabulary, mean length of utterance, and grammaticality. Although children with DLD exhibited a greater number of errors, the types of errors found were similar across DLD and No Risk groups. Conclusions Similar to rates found globally, 7% of the kindergarten population in Vietnam exhibited risk for DLD. Results highlight the importance of parent and teacher report and the value of multiple measures to identify DLD. We discuss potential clinical markers for DLD in the Vietnamese language and outline future directions.

Language Sample Practices With Children Who Are Deaf and Hard of Hearing

2018 ◽  
Vol 49 (4) ◽  
pp. 950-964 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kristina M. Blaiser ◽  
Megan A. Shannahan
Keyword(s):  
Hard Of Hearing ◽  
Current Practice ◽  
Interprofessional Collaboration ◽  
The United States ◽  
Spoken Language ◽  
Descriptive Statistics ◽  
Common Language ◽  
Language Sampling ◽  
Language Sample ◽  
Excel File

Purpose In this study, we aimed to identify common language sample practices of professionals who work with children who are Deaf/hard of hearing (DHH) who use listening and spoken language as a means to better understand why and how language sampling can be utilized by speech-language pathologists serving this population. Method An electronic questionnaire was disseminated to professionals who serve children who are DHH and use listening and spoken language in the United States. Participant responses were coded in an Excel file and checked for completeness. Descriptive statistics were used to analyze trends. Results A total of 168 participants participated in the survey. A majority of participants reported that they use language sampling as a part of their intervention when working with children who are DHH. However, approximately half of participants reported using norm-referenced testing most often when evaluating language of children who are DHH, regardless of the fact that they felt that language samples were more sensitive in identifying the errors of children who are DHH. Participants reported using language samples to monitor progress and set goals for clients. Participants rarely used language samples for eligibility and interprofessional collaboration. Conclusions Language samples offer a unique way to examine a child's language development that norm-referenced assessments are not sensitive enough to detect, particularly for children who are DHH. This offers insights into current practice and implications for the development of a more clearly defined language sample protocol to guide practices in the use of language samples with children who are DHH and use listening and spoken language.

7. Use of Manual Signs and Gestures by Hearing Persons

2020 ◽  
pp. 235-280
Author(s):  
John D. Bonvillian ◽  
Nicole Kissane Lee ◽  
Tracy T. Dooley ◽  
Filip T. Loncke
Keyword(s):  
Intervention Strategy ◽  
Spoken Language ◽  
Typically Developing ◽  
Language Performance ◽  
Cognitive Domains ◽  
Effective Intervention Strategy ◽  
Academic Settings ◽  
Hearing Children ◽  
Iconic Signs ◽  
Deaf Persons

In Chapter 7, the authors change focus from the use of signs by deaf persons and with individuals with disabilities to how signing may enhance the learning and processing of spoken language by typically developing hearing children and adults. The first topic examined is the use of signs to foster infants’ and young children’s acquisition of their principal spoken language. Signs may further serve as an effective intervention strategy in academic settings for children with ADHD or as a means to improving vocabulary acquisition and reading comprehension for children who lag behind their age group on various language performance measures. Iconic signs and representative gestures may also be used to facilitate the acquisition of foreign language vocabulary when the signs are paired with the to-be-learned words. Finally, various studies concerning the positive benefits of learning to sign promote the possibility that using the visual-gestural modality may confer increased skills in various cognitive domains such as spatial memory, mental rotation, and facial discrimination.

Effects of divided input on bilingual children with language impairment

2018 ◽  
Vol 24 (1) ◽  
pp. 62-78 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elizabeth D Peña ◽  
Lisa M Bedore ◽  
Prarthana Shivabasappa ◽  
Luping Niu
Keyword(s):  
Language Impairment ◽  
Standardized Test ◽  
Bilingual Children ◽  
Typical Development ◽  
Typically Developing ◽  
Language Performance ◽  
Two Measures ◽  
Primary Language Impairment ◽  
Language Measures ◽  
Main Effects

Aims and objectives: We compare the performance of 600 bilingual children with and without language impairment relative to their level of current English input and output (EIO). Children were tested in both Spanish and English on measures of morphosyntax and semantics. Our aim was to examine whether children’s language performance was differentially affected by the level of EIO and/or language ability. Methodology: Participants were drawn from three different studies of bilingual language impairment where children between the ages of 5 and 10 years were tested using a standardized test of morphosyntax and semantics in both languages. Standard scores were compared for each language in each domain. Data and analysis: Multivariate regression was used to compare main effects of ability (children with typical language development versus children with language impairment) and interactions with EIO. This analysis was followed by a comparison of EIO across the four language measures. Findings/conclusions: There were main effects of language impairment status and EIO. There were ability differences in slope for two measures (English semantics and Spanish morphosyntax), where children with language impairment had a flatter slope as related to EIO compared to children with typical development. For Spanish semantics and English morphosyntax, slopes relative to EIO were similar, although children with language impairment scored lower than those with typical development. Originality: We observed how children with and without language impairment performed on semantics and morphosyntax tasks relative to their EIO. Implications: The similar slopes across language measures of children with and without language impairment suggest that there is no disadvantage to divided input by ability. Where there were differences by ability, children with language impairment showed a flatter slope relative to their typically developing peers, suggesting that bilingual children with primary language impairment (PLI) may be somewhat advantaged relative to more monolingual children with PLI.

Political bullshit receptivity and its correlates: a cross-cultural validation of the concept

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Vukašin Gligorić ◽  
Allard Feddes ◽  
Bertjan Doosje
Keyword(s):  
The Netherlands ◽  
Political Ideology ◽  
Voting Behavior ◽  
Free Market ◽  
Meta Analysis ◽  
The United States ◽  
Persuasive Communication ◽  
Lower Probability ◽  
Left Wing ◽  
Total N

Frankfurt defined persuasive communication that has no regard for truth, knowledge, or evidence as bullshit. Although there has been a lot of psychological research on pseudo-profound bullshit, no study examined this type of communication in politics. In the present research, we operationalize political bullshit receptivity as endorsing vague political statements, slogans, and political bullshit programs. We investigated the relationship of these three measures with pseudo-profound bullshit, ideology (political ideology, support for neoliberalism), populism, and voting behavior. Three pre-registered studies in different cultural settings (the United States, Serbia, The Netherlands; total N = 534) yielded medium to high intercorrelations between political bullshit measures and pseudo-profound bullshit, and good construct validity (hypothesized one-factor solution). A Bayesian meta-analysis showed that all political bullshit measures positively correlated with support for the free market, while only some positively correlated with social (political statements and programs) and economic conservatism (programs), and populism (programs). In the U.S., higher receptivity to political bullshit was associated with a higher probability that one voted for Trump (vs Clinton) in the past and higher intentions to vote for Trump (vs Biden and Sanders). In the Netherlands, higher receptivity to political bullshit predicted the intention to vote for the conservative-liberal People's Party for Freedom and Democracy. Exploratory analyses on merged datasets showed that higher receptivity to political bullshit was associated with a higher probability to vote for right-wing candidates/parties and lower probability for the left-wing ones. Overall, political bullshit endorsement showed good validity, opening avenues for research in political communication, especially when this communication is broad and meaningless.

Profiling structurally deficient bridges in the United States: Sampling bridge performance data for qualitative trends

2017 ◽  
Vol 12 (3-4) ◽  
pp. 55-72
Author(s):  
M. Battista ◽  
M. Arafa ◽  
H. Najm ◽  
H. Parvardeh ◽  
P. Jin ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
The United States ◽  
Performance Data ◽  
Bridge Performance

A Cross-Cultural Study on the Vocational Identity of American and Korean University Students

2018 ◽  
Vol 122 (6) ◽  
pp. 2348-2365
Author(s):  
Boyoung Kim ◽  
Gyuyoung Ha ◽  
Jiwon Kim ◽  
Joonyoung Yang ◽  
Suhyun Suh ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
College Students ◽  
University Students ◽  
Cultural Differences ◽  
Latent Variables ◽  
Career Guidance ◽  
The United States ◽  
Vocational Identity ◽  
Cross Cultural ◽  
Identity Status ◽  
Status Assessment

The purpose of this study was to examine the cross-cultural differences in vocational identity between American and Korean university students using the Vocational Identity Status Assessment. A total of 881 university students in both the United States and South Korea were sampled in this study assessing vocational identity. We compared means of latent variables (six dimensions of Vocational Identity Status Assessment in the present study) using latent mean analysis. The results indicated that Korean students showed higher scores on Career Self-doubt and Career Flexibility, whereas American students showed higher scores on In-breadth Exploration, In-depth Exploration, Commitment Making, and Commitment Identification. These results indicated the components of vocational identity that should be considered while providing career guidance to college students from diverse backgrounds. Implications for understanding the cultural differences of college students’ vocational identity and the need for conducting cross-cultural comparison studies to provide insights about the vocational development of college students in cross-cultural settings are discussed.

Factors Underlying Neuropsychological Test Performance in Chronic Severe Traumatic Brain Injury

1992 ◽  
Vol 35 (4) ◽  
pp. 810-818 ◽  
Author(s):  
Richard K. Peach
Keyword(s):  
Traumatic Brain Injury ◽  
Brain Injury ◽  
Test Performance ◽  
Neuropsychological Test ◽  
Cerebral Injury ◽  
Language Performance ◽  
Closed Head ◽  
Mental Efficiency ◽  
Language Measures ◽  
Head Type

The neuropsychological test performance of subjects with traumatic brain injury (TBI) of the closed head type was investigated using a test battery consisting of traditional clinical instruments with expanded language measures. TBI subjects were specifically selected to include only those with a pattern of predominantly diffuse cerebral injury to allow conclusions regarding language performance in the absence of focal aphasia-producing lesions. Factor analysis of the test scores resulted in the extraction of three interpretable factors associated with performance on this battery: perceptual, general language, and mental efficiency. The results were compared to those obtained in previous factor-analytic studies of brain-damaged subjects, revealing patterns for the language/verbal subtests that diverged from those observed formerly. Two explanations are considered for these findings, the first interpretation centering on the notion of select impairments to specific cognitive processes and the second relating to impairments in the capacity to allocate resources effectively.

The Efficacy of Computer-Provided Reading Treatment for Chronic Aphasic Adults

1997 ◽  
Vol 40 (3) ◽  
pp. 493-507 ◽  
Author(s):  
Richard C. Katz ◽  
Robert T. Wertz
Keyword(s):  
Treatment Group ◽  
Cognitive Rehabilitation ◽  
Language Performance ◽  
Communicative Ability ◽  
Visual Matching ◽  
Language Measure ◽  
Language Measures ◽  
Reading Activities ◽  
Language Content ◽  
Stimulation Group

We examined the effects of computer-provided reading activities on language performance in chronic aphasic patients. Fifty-five aphasic adults were assigned randomly to one of three conditions: computer reading treatment, computer stimulation, or no treatment. Subjects in the computer groups used computers 3 hours each week for 26 weeks. Computer reading treatment software consisted of visual matching and reading comprehension tasks. Computer stimulation software consisted of nonverbal games and cognitive rehabilitation tasks. Language measures were administered to all subjects at entry and after 3 and 6 months. Significant improvement over the 26 weeks occurred on five language measures for the computer reading treatment group, on one language measure for the computer stimulation group, and on none of the language measures for the notreatment group. The computer reading treatment group displayed significantly more improvement on the Porch Index of Communicative Ability “Overall” and “Verbal” modality percentiles and on the Western Aphasia Battery Aphasia “Quotient” and “Repetition” subtest than the other two groups. The results suggest that (a) computerized reading treatment can be administered with minimal assistance from a clinician, (b) improvement on the computerized reading treatment tasks generalized to non-computer language performance, (c) improvement resulted from the language content of the software and not stimulation provided by a computer, and (d) the computerized reading treatment we provided to chronic aphasic patients was efficacious.

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