scholarly journals The Intonation and Pragmatics of Greek wh-Questions

2019 ◽  
Vol 63 (1) ◽  
pp. 56-94 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mary Baltazani ◽  
Stella Gryllia ◽  
Amalia Arvaniti
Keyword(s):  
Information Seeking ◽  
Acoustic Analysis ◽  
Compositional Analysis ◽  
Testing Hypotheses ◽  
Wh Questions ◽  
Intonational Meaning

We experimentally tested three hypotheses regarding the pragmatics of two tunes (one high-ending, one flat-ending) used with Greek wh-questions: (a) the high-ending tune is associated with information-seeking questions, while the flat-ending tune is also appropriate when wh-questions are not information-seeking, in which case their function can instead be akin to that of a statement; (b) the high-ending tune is more polite, and (c) more appropriate for contexts leading to information-seeking questions. The wh-questions used as experimental stimuli were elicited from four speakers in contexts likely to lead to either information-seeking or non-information-seeking uses. The speakers produced distinct tunes in response to the contexts; acoustic analysis indicates these are best analysed as L*+H L-!H% (rising), and L+H* L-L% (flat). In a perception experiment where participants heard the questions out of context, they chose answers providing information significantly more frequently after high-ending than flat-ending questions, confirming hypothesis (a). In a second experiment testing hypotheses (b) and (c), participants evaluated wh-questions for appropriateness and politeness in information- and non-information-seeking contexts. High-ending questions were rated more appropriate in information-seeking contexts, and more polite independently of context relative to their flat-ending counterparts. Finally, two follow-up experiments showed that the interpretation of the two tunes was not affected by voice characteristics of individual speakers, and confirmed a participant preference for the high-ending tune. Overall, the results support our hypotheses and lead to a compositional analysis of the meaning of the two tunes, while also showing that intonational meaning is determined by both tune and pragmatic context.

scholarly journals Wer kann denn schon ja sagen?

2019 ◽  
Vol 38 (2) ◽  
pp. 243-298
Author(s):  
Yvonne Viesel ◽  
Constantin Freitag
Keyword(s):  
Information Seeking ◽  
Exploratory Analysis ◽  
Follow Up Study ◽  
Discourse Particles ◽  
Wh Questions ◽  
Shared Information ◽  
Rhetorical Questions ◽  
Rhetorical Reading ◽  
Acceptability Judgment

Abstract The article explores German discourse particles (DiPs) in rhetorical wh-questions (wh-RQs). While schon (roughly ‘unexpectedly’) only marks rhetorical wh-questions, denn (roughly ‘I wonder’) marks contextually arising information-seeking or rhetorical Questions under Discussion (QuDs), with or without schon. Since ja (roughly ‘unquestionably’) marks shared information, it is incompatible with questions by itself, but occasionally occurs in wh-RQs left of DiPs like schon instead of denn. The results of two acceptability judgment experiments confirm that ja is strongly dispreferred in RQs, the presence of schon improves RQs with and without ja, and denn has no effect on acceptability. A follow-up study further indicated the rhetorical reading of our target questions to prevail independently from DiPs. We conclude that ja in RQs operates on the information contributed by elements like schon, denoting roughly that the issue in question arises ‘unquestionably against expectations’. Our contexts were neutral regarding the discourse functions of ja and denn (side remarks vs. QuDs), unlike the contexts of the findings, from which we deduce that the marked ja schon-RQs, while grammatical, require specific felicity conditions. A first attempt to confirm this experimentally was globally unsuccessful and could only reveal potential hints in an exploratory analysis.

scholarly journals Information seeking behaviors, attitudes, and choices of academic mathematicians

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ian D. Gordon ◽  
Brian D. Cameron ◽  
Debbie Chaves ◽  
Rebecca Hutchinson
Keyword(s):  
Information Seeking ◽  
Information Needs ◽  
Academic Librarians ◽  
Success Rates ◽  
University Libraries ◽  
Perceived Success ◽  
Survey Results ◽  
Use Of Social Media ◽  
Information Seeking Behaviors

Mathematicians in academic institutions utilize a variety of resources and strategies to seek, find, and use scholarly information and news. Using a sample of mathematicians, researchers surveyed 112 students and faculty at four Canadian university institutions to explore self-perceived success rates, resources consulted, databases used, use of social media, and citation management systems. Further, 12 follow-up interviews were completed with mathematicians to better interpret survey results, resulting information-seeking behaviors, choices, strategies, and feelings on keeping up to date with information needs. According to survey results, a minority of mathematicians (12.5 percent) acknowledged that they were successfully keeping up to date. However, a significant number of mathematicians (28.6 percent) indicated that they were unsuccessful and could do better in remaining current with information needs. Co-investigators, using qualitative analyses, identified four emergent themes related to remaining current: (1) The “slower pace of math” pervades all aspects of this discipline;” (2) There are “too many papers – and not enough time” to effectively search, evaluate, and read scholarly papers of interest; (3) Mathematicians collectively acknowledge that they are open to strategies and technologies where they “could do better” keeping up to date; and (4) Mathematicians have divided loyalties using databases when searching for information by means of “MathSciNet in a Google world.” Additional insights document how mathematicians are guided by mathematical peculiarities and discipline-specific practices. This study helps to shed light on opportunities for academic librarians to identify and meet mathematicians’ evolving information needs. Keywords: Mathematicians, information-seeking behaviors, information needs, information sources, graduate students, faculty, academic (university) libraries, knowledge management

scholarly journals Australian general practice trainees’ exposure to ophthalmic problems and implications for training: a cross-sectional analysis

2016 ◽  
Vol 8 (4) ◽  
pp. 295 ◽  
Author(s):  
Simon Morgan ◽  
Amanda Tapley ◽  
Kim M Henderson ◽  
Neil A Spike ◽  
Lawrie A McArthur ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
General Practice ◽  
Information Seeking ◽  
Learning Goals ◽  
Training Methods ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Cross Sectional Analysis ◽  
Australian General Practice ◽  
Simple Logistic ◽  
Sectional Analysis

ABSTRACT INTRODUCTION Eye conditions are common presentations in Australian general practice, with the potential for serious sequelae. Pre-vocational ophthalmology training for General Practitioner (GP) trainees is limited. AIM To describe the rate, nature and associations of ophthalmic problems managed by Australian GP trainees, and derive implications for education and training. METHODS Cross-sectional analysis from an ongoing cohort study of GP trainees’ clinical consultations. Trainees recorded demographic, clinical and educational details of consecutive patient consultations. Descriptive analyses report trainee, patient and practice demographics. Proportions of all problems managed in these consultations that were ophthalmology-related were calculated with 95% confidence intervals (CI). Associations were tested using simple logistic regression within the generalised estimating equations (GEE) framework. RESULTS In total, 884 trainees returned data on 184,476 individual problems or diagnoses from 118,541 encounters. There were 2649 ophthalmology-related problems, equating to 1.4% (95% CI: 1.38–1.49) of all problems managed. The most common eye presentations were conjunctivitis (32.5% of total problems), eyelid problems (14.9%), foreign body (5.3%) and dry eye (4.7%). Statistically significant associations were male trainee; male patient and patient aged 14 years or under; the problem being new and the patient being new to both trainee and practice; urban and of higher socioeconomic status practice location; the practice nurse not being involved; planned follow up not arranged; referral made; in-consultation information sought; and learning goals generated. DISCUSSION Trainees have comparable ophthalmology exposure to established GPs. However, associations with referral and information-seeking suggest GP trainees find ophthalmic problems challenging, reinforcing the critical importance of appropriate training.

scholarly journals Changes in Phonation and Their Relations with Progress of Parkinson’s Disease

2018 ◽  
Vol 8 (12) ◽  
pp. 2339 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zoltan Galaz ◽  
Jiri Mekyska ◽  
Vojtech Zvoncak ◽  
Jan Mucha ◽  
Tomas Kiska ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Parkinson’S Disease ◽  
Parkinson's Disease ◽  
Scientific Community ◽  
Partial Correlation ◽  
Acoustic Analysis ◽  
Partial Correlation Analysis ◽  
Clinical Scales ◽  
Clinical Scores ◽  
The Relationship

Hypokinetic dysarthria, which is associated with Parkinson’s disease (PD), affects several speech dimensions, including phonation. Although the scientific community has dealt with a quantitative analysis of phonation in PD patients, a complex research revealing probable relations between phonatory features and progress of PD is missing. Therefore, the aim of this study is to explore these relations and model them mathematically to be able to estimate progress of PD during a two-year follow-up. We enrolled 51 PD patients who were assessed by three commonly used clinical scales. In addition, we quantified eight possible phonatory disorders in five vowels. To identify the relationship between baseline phonatory features and changes in clinical scores, we performed a partial correlation analysis. Finally, we trained XGBoost models to predict the changes in clinical scores during a two-year follow-up. For two years, the patients’ voices became more aperiodic with increased microperturbations of frequency and amplitude. Next, the XGBoost models were able to predict changes in clinical scores with an error in range 11–26%. Although we identified some significant correlations between changes in phonatory features and clinical scores, they are less interpretable. This study suggests that it is possible to predict the progress of PD based on the acoustic analysis of phonation. Moreover, it recommends utilizing the sustained vowel /i/ instead of /a/.

Coffee House as Information Place?

2013 ◽  
Author(s):  
Laurie J Bonnici ◽  
Lynne Watson
Keyword(s):  
Comparative Analysis ◽  
Academic Libraries ◽  
Information Seeking ◽  
Third Place ◽  
Analyse Comparative ◽  
Information Seeking Behaviors

Through observations at two U.S. Starbucks locations and neighboring academic libraries the researchers conducted a comparative analysis of clients engaged in information seeking behaviors. A follow-up survey of client populations revealed reasons for preference of “information place.” Oldenberg’s theory of Third Place provides a lens for analysis of data findings.Par le biais d’observations effectuées à deux cafés Starbucks des États-Unis et aux bibliothèques universitaires du voisinage, les chercheurs ont mené une analyse comparative des comportements de recherche d’information des usagers. Un sondage de suivi effectué auprès de la population d’usagers a révélé les raisons de la préférence du « lieu d’information ». La théorie d’Oldenberg d’un « troisième lieu » offre un point de vue pour l’analyse de ces résultats. 

Acoustic Analysis of Diplophonia: A Follow-up Report

1993 ◽  
Vol 77 (3) ◽  
pp. 914-914 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lee Terrio ◽  
Diane Schreibweiss-Merin
Keyword(s):  
Adult Female ◽  
Acoustic Analysis ◽  
Vocal Folds ◽  
Endoscopic Examination ◽  
Additional Information ◽  
Ventricular Folds

Additional information on the physiology of the diplophonic speech produced by an adult female is provided. Direct endoscopic examination of the subject's laryngeal mechanism showed her diplophonia was produced by exerting differential tension on her vocal folds. The ventricular folds were not directly involved.

Error patterns in young German children's wh-questions*

2012 ◽  
Vol 40 (3) ◽  
pp. 656-671 ◽  
Author(s):  
DANIEL SCHMERSE ◽  
ELENA LIEVEN ◽  
MICHAEL TOMASELLO
Keyword(s):  
Longitudinal Analysis ◽  
Acoustic Analysis ◽  
Lexical Analysis ◽  
Error Patterns ◽  
German Child ◽  
Wh Questions ◽  
Stress Patterns ◽  
Omission Errors

ABSTRACTIn this article we report two studies: a detailed longitudinal analysis of errors in wh-questions from six German-learning children (age 2 ; 0–3 ; 0) and an analysis of the prosodic characteristics of wh-questions in German child-directed speech. The results of the first study demonstrate that German-learning children frequently omit the initial wh-word. A lexical analysis of wh-less questions revealed that children are more likely to omit the wh-word was (‘what’) than other wh-words (e.g. wo ‘where’). In the second study, we performed an acoustic analysis of sixty wh-questions that one mother produced during her child's third year of life. The results show that the wh-word was is much less likely to be accented than the wh-word wo, indicating a relationship between children's omission of wh-words and the stress patterns associated with wh-questions. The findings are discussed in the light of discourse–pragmatic and metrical accounts of omission errors.

Results of Fascial Augmentation in Unilateral Vocal Fold Paralysis

2002 ◽  
Vol 111 (6) ◽  
pp. 523-529 ◽  
Author(s):  
Petri Reijonen ◽  
Sari Lehikoinen-Söderlund ◽  
Heikki Rihkanen
Keyword(s):  
Vocal Fold ◽  
Acoustic Analysis ◽  
Voice Quality ◽  
Vocal Fold Paralysis ◽  
Unilateral Vocal Fold Paralysis ◽  
Inexpensive Method ◽  
Maximum Phonation Time ◽  
Perceptual Evaluation

The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects on voice quality of augmentation by injection of minced fascia in patients with unilateral vocal fold paralysis. Preoperative and postoperative voice samples from 14 patients (6 men and 8 women; mean age, 59 years) were analyzed by computerized acoustic analysis and blinded perceptual evaluation. Statistically significant improvements were seen in perturbation measurements (jitter and shimmer), noise-to-harmonics ratio, and maximum phonation time. A panel of evaluators rated 10 of the 14 postoperative voices as normal or near-normal. Injection laryngoplasty with minced fascia offers a new, effective, well-tolerated, and inexpensive method to medialize a paralyzed vocal fold. The graft seems to survive well, as indicated by good vocal results with a follow-up ranging from 5 to 32 months.

Skimming comprehension in two online document presentation environments

2014 ◽  
Vol 32 (3) ◽  
pp. 382-396 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nathan Lowrance ◽  
Heather Lea Moulaison
Keyword(s):  
Information Seeking ◽  
Online Reading ◽  
Information Foraging ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Software Products ◽  
Online Documentation ◽  
Seeking Behavior ◽  
Text Presentation ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose – Readability applications are the software products designed to make online text more readable. Using information foraging theory as a framework, the purpose of this paper is to study the extent, if at all, using a readability application improves skimming comprehension in a low-clutter online environment. It also seeks to identify the perceived benefits or effects of using a readability application for skimming comprehension. Design/methodology/approach – Ten participants skimmed two articles each, one in a low-clutter online document presentation environment, the other using an online readability application, as a timed, information foraging exercise. After reading each article, respondents answered true/false comprehension questions and follow up questions. Findings – There was little difference in the comprehension of respondents after skimming in the two online documentation presentation environments. The readability environment was the preferred environment. Practical implications – This study suggests that since participants claimed to prefer the text presentation of the readability application interface, interface designers may wish to create library interfaces for information seeking that follow the readability application format. Because some of the participants found themselves reading rather than skimming when using the readability application, readability for tasks other than skimming may be enhanced. Originality/value – This is a practical study investigating an existing online readability application and its effects on an existing online reading environment as they pertain to information seeking behavior in general and to information foraging in particular.

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