scholarly journals Constructing the Mandarin Phonological Network: Novel Syllable Inventory Used to Identify Schematic Segmentation

Complexity ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 2019 ◽  
pp. 1-21 ◽  
Author(s):  
Karl D. Neergaard ◽  
Chu-Ren Huang

The purpose of this study was to construct, measure, and identify a schematic representation of phonological processing in the tonal language Mandarin Chinese through the combination of network science and psycholinguistic tasks. Two phonological association tasks were performed with native Mandarin speakers to identify an optimal phonological annotation system. The first task served to compare two existing syllable inventories and to construct a novel system where either performed poorly. The second task validated the novel syllable inventory. In both tasks, participants were found to manipulate lexical items at each possible syllable location, but preferring to maintain whole syllables while manipulating lexical tone in their search through the mental lexicon. The optimal syllable inventory was then used as the basis of a Mandarin phonological network. Phonological edit distance was used to construct sixteen versions of the same network, which we titled phonological segmentation neighborhoods (PSNs). The sixteen PSNs were representative of every proposal to date of syllable segmentation. Syllable segmentation and whether or not lexical tone was treated as a unit both affected the PSNs’ topologies. Finally, reaction times from the second task were analyzed through a model selection procedure with the goal of identifying which of the sixteen PSNs best accounted for the mental target during the task. The identification of the tonal complex-vowel segmented PSN (C_V_C_T) was indicative of the stimuli characteristics and the choices participants made while searching through the mental lexicon. The analysis revealed that participants were inhibited by greater clustering coefficient (interconnectedness of words according to phonological similarity) and facilitated by lexical frequency. This study illustrates how network science methods add to those of psycholinguistics to give insight into language processing that was not previously attainable.

2017 ◽  
Vol 60 (7) ◽  
pp. 1911-1918 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nichol Castro ◽  
Kristin M. Pelczarski ◽  
Michael S. Vitevitch

Purpose Methods from network science have examined various aspects of language processing. Clinical populations may also benefit from these novel analyses. Phonological and lexical factors have been examined in adults who stutter (AWS) as potential contributing factors to stuttering, although differences reported are often subtle. We reexamined the performance of AWS and adults who do not stutter (AWNS) from a previously conducted lexical decision task in an attempt to determine if network science measures would provide additional insight into the phonological network of AWS beyond traditional psycholinguistic measures. Method Multiple regression was used to examine the influence of several traditional psycholinguistic measures as well as several new measures from network science on response times. Results AWS responded to low-frequency words more slowly than AWNS; responses for both groups were equivalent for high-frequency words. AWS responded to shorter words more slowly than AWNS, producing a reverse word-length effect. For the network measures, degree/neighborhood density and closeness centrality, but not whether a word was inside or outside the giant component, influenced response times similarly between groups. Conclusions Network analyses suggest that multiple levels of the phonological network might influence phonological processing, not just the micro-level traditionally considered by mainstream psycholinguistics.


1988 ◽  
Vol 53 (3) ◽  
pp. 316-327 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alan G. Kamhi ◽  
Hugh W. Catts ◽  
Daria Mauer ◽  
Kenn Apel ◽  
Betholyn F. Gentry

In the present study, we further examined (see Kamhi & Catts, 1986) the phonological processing abilities of language-impaired (LI) and reading-impaired (RI) children. We also evaluated these children's ability to process spatial information. Subjects were 10 LI, 10 RI, and 10 normal children between the ages of 6:8 and 8:10 years. Each subject was administered eight tasks: four word repetition tasks (monosyllabic, monosyllabic presented in noise, three-item, and multisyllabic), rapid naming, syllable segmentation, paper folding, and form completion. The normal children performed significantly better than both the LI and RI children on all but two tasks: syllable segmentation and repeating words presented in noise. The LI and RI children performed comparably on every task with the exception of the multisyllabic word repetition task. These findings were consistent with those from our previous study (Kamhi & Catts, 1986). The similarities and differences between LI and RI children are discussed.


2021 ◽  
pp. 1-7
Author(s):  
Vasudha Hande ◽  
Shantala Hegde

BACKGROUND: A specific learning disability comes with a cluster of deficits in the neurocognitive domain. Phonological processing deficits have been the core of different types of specific learning disabilities. In addition to difficulties in phonological processing and cognitive deficits, children with specific learning disability (SLD) are known to also found have deficits in more innate non-language-based skills like musical rhythm processing. OBJECTIVES: This paper reviews studies in the area of musical rhythm perception in children with SLD. An attempt was made to throw light on beneficial effects of music and rhythm-based intervention and their underlying mechanism. METHODS: A hypothesis-driven review of research in the domain of rhythm deficits and rhythm-based intervention in children with SLD was carried out. RESULTS: A summary of the reviewed literature highlights that music and language processing have shared neural underpinnings. Children with SLD in addition to difficulties in language processing and other neurocognitive deficits are known to have deficits in music and rhythm perception. This is explained in the background of deficits in auditory skills, perceptuo-motor skills and timing skills. Attempt has been made in the field to understand the effect of music training on the children’s auditory processing and language development. Music and rhythm-based intervention emerges as a powerful intervention method to target language processing and other neurocognitive functions. Future studies in this direction are highly underscored. CONCLUSIONS: Suggestions for future research on music-based interventions have been discussed.


Author(s):  
Pouneh Shabani-Jadidi

Psycholinguistics encompasses the psychology of language as well as linguistic psychology. Although they might sound similar, they are actually distinct. The first is a branch of linguistics, while the latter is a subdivision of psychology. In the psychology of language, the means are the research tools adopted from psychology and the end is the study of language. However, in linguistic psychology, the means are the data derived from linguistic studies and the end is psychology. This chapter focuses on the first of these two components; that is, the psychology of language. The goal of this chapter is to give a state-of-the-art perspective on the small but growing body of research using psycholinguistic tools to study Persian with a focus on two areas: presenting longstanding debates about the mental lexicon, language impairments and language processing; and introducing a source of data for the linguistic analysis of Persian.


2020 ◽  
Vol 18 (4) ◽  
pp. 431-444
Author(s):  
Sousan Salehi ◽  
◽  
Ahmad Reza Khatoonabadi ◽  
Mahmoud Reza Ashrafi ◽  
Ghasem Mohammadkhani ◽  
...  

Objectives: Stuttering and phonological processing are mutually related. Emotion is an effective factor in fluency and language processing; however, its underlying neural mechanism remains unclear. Event-Related Potential (ERP) is a non-invasive highly-beneficial method with high time resolution for language processing. The present study aimed to explore phonological processing in emotional words in Children Who Stutter (CWS), compared to Typically-Developing Children (TDC). Methods: Ten Persian-speaking CWS (3 girls, 7 boys), aged 7-10 years (Mean±SD = 8.9±0.11) and 10 TDC who are matched in age (Mean±SD = 8.7±0.12) and gender were given 120 emotional words (high-valence low-valence) and neutral words to read. Phonological processing was measured by the aloud reading task, while ERP was simultaneously recorded. The collected results were analyzed as behavioral (reaction time and reading accuracy) and electrophysiological (amplitude and topography). Repeated-measures Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) and Independent Samples t-test were used for between-group comparisons. Results: The obtained behavioral data included Reaction Time (RT) and accuracy. There were no significant differences between the explored CWS and TDC in RT and accuracy (P>0.05). The mean value of amplitudes presented significant differences between CWS and TDC in language processing areas (P<0.05). The collected results indicated higher mean values of amplitude for neutral words. The distribution highly differed between the investigated CWS and TDC in neutral and negative words. However, there were similarities in positive words in distribution between the study groups. Discussion: The studied CWS and TDC were similar concerning behavioral results. High-valence words in the CWS group presented a higher similar distribution, compared to the TDC groups; however, low-valence words in the explored CWS had a more similar amplitude to the TDC group for neutral words. Then, emotional content facilitated phonological processing in the investigated CWS in the given time range.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Sifeng Liu ◽  
Tao Liu ◽  
Wenfeng Yuan ◽  
Yingjie Yang

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to solve the dilemma in the process of major selection decision-making.Design/methodology/approachFirstly, the group of weight vector with kernel has been defined. Then, the weighted comprehensive clustering coefficient vector was calculated based on the group of weight vector with kernel. Under the action of weighted comprehensive clustering coefficient vector, the information including in other components around component k and supporting object i to be classified into the k-th category has been gathered to component k. At last, a novel two-stage decision model based on the group of weight vector with kernel and the weighted comprehensive clustering coefficient vector is put forward to solve the dilemma in grey clustering evaluation. Then the overall evaluation conclusion can be consistent with the clustering result according to the rule of maximum value.FindingsA new way to solve the dilemma in the process of major selection decision-making has been found. People can obtain a consistent result with two-stage decision model at the case of dilemma. That is, the conclusion of the overall evaluation is consistent with the clustering result according to the rule of maximum value.Practical implicationsSeveral functional groups of weight vector with kernel have been put forward. The proposed model can solve the clustering dilemma effectively and produce consistent results. A practical application of decision problem to solve the dilemma in supplier evaluation and selection of a key component of large commercial aircraft C919 have been completed by the novel two-stage decision model.Originality/valueThe two-stage decision model, the group of weight vector with kernel and the weighted comprehensive clustering coefficient vector were presented in this paper firstly. People can solve the dilemma in grey clustering evaluation effectively by the novel two-stage decision model based on the group of weight vector with kernel and the weighted comprehensive clustering coefficient vector.


Author(s):  
Hakan Cangır

The chapter starts with a definition and models of mental dictionary. It then builds on the bilingual lexical activation models and goes on to discuss formulaic language (collocations in particular). After explaining the basics of formulaic language processing, the author attempts to address the issue of lexical and collocational priming theory by Hoey, which has its roots in cognitive linguistics and usage-based language models. Last but not least, some suggestions for future research are provided in an attempt to address the needs of the lexical research literature in the Turkish setting.


SLEEP ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 43 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Takashi Abe ◽  
Kazuo Mishima ◽  
Shingo Kitamura ◽  
Akiko Hida ◽  
Yuichi Inoue ◽  
...  

Abstract Vigilance deficits account for a substantial number of accidents and errors. Current techniques to detect vigilance impairment measure only the most severe level evident in eyelid closure and falling asleep, which is often too late to avoid an accident or error. The present study sought to identify ocular biometrics of intermediate impairment of vigilance and develop a new technique that could detect a range of deficits in vigilant attention (VA). Sixteen healthy adults performed well-validated Psychomotor Vigilance Test (PVT) for tracking vigilance attention while undergoing simultaneous recording of eye metrics every 2 hours during 38 hours of continuous wakefulness. A novel marker was found that measured VA when the eyes were open—the prevalence of microsaccades. Notably, the prevalence of microsaccades decreased in response to sleep deprivation and time-on-task. In addition, a novel algorithm for detecting multilevel VA was developed, which estimated performance on the PVT by integrating the novel marker with other eye-related indices. The novel algorithm also tracked changes in intermediate level of VA (specific reaction times in the PVT, i.e. 300–500 ms) during prolonged time-on-task and sleep deprivation, which had not been tracked previously by conventional techniques. The implication of the findings is that this novel algorithm, named “eye-metrical estimation version of the PVT: PVT-E,” can be used to reduce human-error-related accidents caused by vigilance impairment even when its level is intermediate.


2016 ◽  
Vol 6 (8) ◽  
pp. 1584
Author(s):  
Li Li

This study is to compare L1 (first language) roles between Chinese-English and alphabetic bilinguals’ mental lexicons through reviewing empirical studies. L1 lexicon plays an important role in L2 (second language) processing in two aspects for alphabetic bilinguals, automatic activation of similar L1 to sensory input of L2, and that of L1 translation equivalent. While for Chinese English learners, L1 lexicon basically influences L2 by equivalent activation only, and the effect may persist throughout their lives, which is dramatically different from the developmental pattern of alphabetic bilinguals. The differences may come from different typological distance between the two languages, different composition of L2 mental lexicon, and their unique English acquisition experience in China.


2004 ◽  
Vol 10 (6) ◽  
pp. 818-827 ◽  
Author(s):  
MARY H. KOSMIDIS ◽  
KYRANA TSAPKINI ◽  
VASILIKI FOLIA ◽  
CHRISTINA H. VLAHOU ◽  
GRIGORIS KIOSSEOGLOU

Researchers of cognitive processing in illiteracy have proposed that the acquisition of literacy modifies the functional organization of the brain. They have suggested that, while illiterate individuals have access only to innate semantic processing skills, those who have learned the correspondence between graphemes and phonemes have several mechanisms available to them through which to process oral language. We conducted 2 experiments to verify that suggestion with respect to language processing, and to elucidate further the differences between literate and illiterate individuals in the cognitive strategies used to process oral language, as well as hemispheric specialization for these processes. Our findings suggest that semantic processing strategies are qualitatively the same in literates and illiterates, despite the fact that overall performance is augmented by increased education. In contrast, explicit processing of oral information based on phonological characteristics appears to be qualitatively different between literates and illiterates: effective strategies in the processing of phonological information depend upon having had a formal education, regardless of the level of education. We also confirmed the differential abilities needed for the processing of semantic and phonological information and related them to hemisphere-specific processing. (JINS, 2004,10, 818–827.)


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