Speech Patterns Heard Early in Life Influence Later Perception of the Tritone Paradox

2004 ◽  
Vol 21 (3) ◽  
pp. 357-372 ◽  
Author(s):  
DIANA DEUTSCH ◽  
TREVOR HENTHORN ◽  
MARK DOLSON
Keyword(s):  
Individual Differences ◽  
First Language ◽  
Large Individual ◽  
Critical Periods ◽  
Speech Patterns ◽  
Tritone Paradox ◽  
Shed Light

The tritone paradox occurs when two tones that are related by a half-octave (or tritone) are presented in succession and the tones are constructed in such a way that their pitch classes (C, C♯♯, D, etc.) are clearly defined but their octave placement is ambiguous. Previous studies have shown that there are large individual differences in how such tone pairs are perceived, and these differences correlate with the listener's language or dialect. We here present findings showing that perception of the tritone paradox can be heavily influenced by speech heard early in life, even for listeners who do not speak their first language fluently. Our findings point to a specific linkage between speech and music, and they also shed light on the issue of critical periods for the acquisition of intonational properties of speech.

Individual differences predict ERP signatures of second language learning of novel grammatical rules

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Emily S Nichols ◽  
Marc F Joanisse
Keyword(s):  
Second Language ◽  
Individual Differences ◽  
Language Learning ◽  
First Language ◽  
Event Related Potentials ◽  
Grammatical Gender ◽  
Grammatical Rule ◽  
Related Potentials ◽  
And Gender ◽  
Anterior Negativity

We investigated the extent to which second-language (L2) learning is influenced by the similarity of grammatical features in one’s first language (L1). We used event-related potentials to identify neural signatures of a novel grammatical rule - grammatical gender - in L1 English speakers. Of interest was whether individual differences in L2 proficiency and age of acquisition (AoA) influenced these effects. L2 and native speakers of French read French sentences that were grammatically correct, or contained either a grammatical gender or word order violation. Proficiency and AoA predicted Left Anterior Negativity amplitude, with structure violations driving the proficiency effect and gender violations driving the AoA effect. Proficiency, group, and AoA predicted P600 amplitude for gender violations but not structure violations. Different effects of grammatical gender and structure violations indicate that L2 speakers engage novel grammatical processes differently from L1 speakers and that this varies appreciably based on both AoA and proficiency.

The Perception of Distances and Spatial Relationships in Natural Outdoor Environments

Perception ◽  
10.1068/p5304 ◽  
2005 ◽  
Vol 34 (11) ◽  
pp. 1315-1324 ◽  
Author(s):  
J Farley Norman ◽  
Charles E Crabtree ◽  
Anna Marie Clayton ◽  
Hideko F Norman
Keyword(s):  
Individual Differences ◽  
Binocular Vision ◽  
Line Of Sight ◽  
Large Individual ◽  
Spatial Relationships ◽  
Outdoor Environments ◽  
Perceptual Distortions ◽  
Base Width

The ability of observers to perceive distances and spatial relationships in outdoor environments was investigated in two experiments. In experiment 1, the observers adjusted triangular configurations to appear equilateral, while in experiment 2, they adjusted the depth of triangles to match their base width. The results of both experiments revealed that there are large individual differences in how observers perceive distances in outdoor settings. The observers' judgments were greatly affected by the particular task they were asked to perform. The observers who had shown no evidence of perceptual distortions in experiment 1 (with binocular vision) demonstrated large perceptual distortions in experiment 2 when the task was changed to match distances in depth to frontal distances perpendicular to the observers' line of sight. Considered as a whole, the results indicate that there is no single relationship between physical and perceived space that is consistent with observers' judgments of distances in ordinary outdoor contexts.

Controlled Exertion of Force by Developmentally Delayed Young Men and Women

2005 ◽  
Vol 101 (2) ◽  
pp. 487-497
Author(s):  
Yoshinori Nagasawa ◽  
Shinichi Demura
Keyword(s):  
Sex Differences ◽  
Individual Differences ◽  
Young People ◽  
Voluntary Movement ◽  
Large Individual ◽  
Developmentally Delayed ◽  
Men And Women ◽  
Function Test ◽  
Delayed Group ◽  
Movement Function

Present purposes were to examine the characteristics of controlled force exertion in 28 developmentally delayed young people (14 men, 14 women), and sex differences compared to 28 normal young students (14 men, 14 women). The subjects matched their submaximal grip strength to changing demand values displayed in a bar chart on the display of a personal computer. The total sum of the differences between the demand value and grip exertion value for 25 sec. was used as an evaluation parameter for the test. The controlled force exertion was significantly poorer for the developmentally delayed group than for controls, and there were large individual differences. The developmentally delayed men scored poorer than women in coordination. Like the controls, the means between trials did not decrease significantly. For these developmentally delayed subjects, performance did not improve after only a few trials. The controlled force-exertion test is useful as a voluntary movement-function test for developmentally delayed subjects.

Kinaesthesis: Its Measurement, Training and Relationship to Motor Control

1983 ◽  
Vol 35 (2) ◽  
pp. 411-421 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. I. Laszlo ◽  
P. J. Bairstow
Keyword(s):  
Motor Control ◽  
Individual Differences ◽  
Motor Skills ◽  
Age Groups ◽  
Large Individual ◽  
Motor Behaviour ◽  
Perceptual Training ◽  
Developmental Trends ◽  
And Performance ◽  
Improved Accuracy

This paper reviews studies which demonstrate the importance of kinaesthesis in the acquisition and performance of motor skills. A method of measuring kinaesthetic sensitivity in children and adults (recently developed) is briefly described. Developmental trends in kinaesthetic perception are discussed and large individual differences found within age groups. It was shown that kinaesthetically undeveloped children can be trained to perceive and memorize kinaesthetic information with greatly improved accuracy. Furthermore perceptual training facilitates the performance of a drawing skill. On the basis of these results an argument is made for the importance of kinaesthesis in skilled motor behaviour.

scholarly journals In the Eye of the Beholder: Individual Differences in Perceived Social Isolation Predict Regional Brain Activation to Social Stimuli

2009 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
pp. 83-92 ◽  
Author(s):  
John T. Cacioppo ◽  
Catherine J. Norris ◽  
Jean Decety ◽  
George Monteleone ◽  
Howard Nusbaum
Keyword(s):  
Individual Differences ◽  
Social Isolation ◽  
Social Perception ◽  
Ventral Striatum ◽  
Neural Responses ◽  
Social Stimuli ◽  
Social And Emotional ◽  
The Right ◽  
Perceived Social Isolation ◽  
Shed Light

Prior research has shown that perceived social isolation (loneliness) motivates people to attend to and connect with others but to do so in a self-protective and paradoxically self-defeating fashion. Although recent research has shed light on the neural correlates of social perception, cooperation, empathy, rejection, and love, little is known about how individual differences in loneliness relate to neural responses to social and emotional stimuli. Using functional magnetic resonance imaging, we show that there are at least two neural mechanisms differentiating social perception in lonely and nonlonely young adults. For pleasant depictions, lonely individuals appear to be less rewarded by social stimuli, as evidenced by weaker activation of the ventral striatum to pictures of people than of objects, whereas nonlonely individuals showed stronger activation of the ventral striatum to pictures of people than of objects. For unpleasant depictions, lonely individuals were characterized by greater activation of the visual cortex to pictures of people than of objects, suggesting that their attention is drawn more to the distress of others, whereas nonlonely individuals showed greater activation of the right and left temporo-parietal junction to pictures of people than of objects, consistent with the notion that they are more likely to reflect spontaneously on the perspective of distressed others.

Operators' Monitoring Patterns and Fault Recovery in the Supervisory Control of a Semi-Automatic Process

1992 ◽  
Vol 36 (15) ◽  
pp. 1143-1147
Author(s):  
John D. Lee ◽  
Neville Moray
Keyword(s):  
Individual Differences ◽  
Supervisory Control ◽  
Critical Role ◽  
Normal Operation ◽  
Large Individual ◽  
Automatic Process ◽  
Successful Implementation ◽  
Control Actions ◽  
Integrate Control ◽  
And Control

Although technological innovations have changed the role of operators from active participants to supervisors of semiautomatic processes, an understanding of the cognitive demands of supervisory control has not kept pace. In particular, little is known about when, and how well, operators might intervene and switch control from automatic to manual. This research addresses this issue by monitoring the information use and control actions of operators of a simulated semiautomatic pasteurization plant. The results of this experiment shows that individual differences in operators” monitoring patterns during the normal operation of the plant correspond to differences in their ability to mitigate the effects of faults. Specifically, an operator who controls the plant well during both normal and fault conditions tends to observe the plant frequently, integrating control actions with other control actions, and does not fixate on narrow sub-systems of the plant. On the other hand, an operator who performs poorly when exposed to faults tends to observe the plant less often, fails to integrate control actions, and fixates attention on a narrow subset of plant variables. Although all operators interacted with the plant using the same interface and automation, large individual differences in the operators” monitoring patterns, and the associated differences in performance suggest that individuals” attitudes, motivation, and training may play a critical role in the successful implementation of automation.

scholarly journals Understanding individual variation in levels of second language attainment through the lens of critical period mechanisms

2018 ◽  
Vol 21 (5) ◽  
pp. 930-931 ◽  
Author(s):  
REBECCA REH ◽  
MARIA ARREDONDO ◽  
JANET F. WERKER
Keyword(s):  
Second Language ◽  
Category Learning ◽  
Critical Period ◽  
First Language ◽  
Visual Language ◽  
Phonetic Category ◽  
Critical Periods ◽  
L2 Acquisition ◽  
Language Discrimination ◽  
L1 Acquisition

Mayberry and Kluender (2017) present an important and compelling argument that in order to understand critical periods (CPs) in language acquisition, it is essential to disentangle studies of late first language (L1) acquisition from those of second language (L2) acquisition. Their primary thesis is that timely exposure to an L1 is crucial for establishing language circuitry, thus providing a foundation on which an L2 can build. They note that while there is considerable evidence of interference from the L1 on acquisition of the L2 – especially in late L2 learners (as in our work on cascading influences on phonetic category learning and visual language discrimination, e.g., Werker & Hensch, 2015 and Weikum, Vouloumanos, Navarra, Soto-Faraco, Sebastián-Gallés & Werker, 2013, respectively) – there are other examples of ways in which the L1 can scaffold L2 acquisition. Mayberry and Kluender take this evidence of L1 scaffolding L2 as undermining the value of considering CPs as useful in understanding L2 acquisition.

Perception of Slope and Distance in Photographs and in the Real World

Perception ◽  
1996 ◽  
Vol 25 (1_suppl) ◽  
pp. 33-33 ◽  
Author(s):  
I Davies ◽  
J Howes ◽  
J Huber ◽  
J Nicholls
Keyword(s):  
Individual Differences ◽  
Power Function ◽  
Real World ◽  
Natural World ◽  
Observation Point ◽  
Scale Factor ◽  
Large Individual ◽  
The Real ◽  
Series Of Experiments ◽  
Natural Slopes

We report a series of experiments in which spatial judgments of the real world were compared with equivalent judgments of photographs of the real-world scenes. In experiment 1, subjects judged the angle from the horizontal of natural slopes. Judgments of slope correlated with true slope (r=0.88) but judgments were in general overestimates. Equivalent judgments of slope in photographs again correlated with true slope (r=0.91) but judgments tended to be overestimates for small angles (6°) and underestimates for larger angles (up to 25°). In experiment 2 slope judgments were made under laboratory conditions rather than in the natural world. The slopes, which were viewed monocularly, varied from 5° – 45°, and were either plain, or textured, or included perspective information (a rectangle drawn on the surface) or had both texture and perspective. Judgments were overestimates, but the correlation with true slope was high (r=0.97). Slopes with either texture or perspective were judged more accurately than plain slopes, but combining texture and perspective information conferred no further benefit. Judgment of the angle of the same slopes in photographs produced similar results, but the degree of overestimation (closer to the vertical) was greater than for the real slopes. In experiment 3, subjects either judged the distance of landmarks ranging from 200 m to 5000 m from the observation point, or judged distance to the landmarks in photographs. In both cases subjects' judgments were well described by a power function with exponents close to one. Although there are large individual differences, subjects' judgments of slope and distance are accurate to a scale factor, and photographs yield similar judgments to real scenes.

Incubation of eggs of three species of Chelid tortoises, and notes on their embryological development

1968 ◽  
Vol 16 (5) ◽  
pp. 749 ◽  
Author(s):  
J Goode ◽  
J Russell
Keyword(s):  
Individual Differences ◽  
The Other ◽  
Large Individual ◽  
Embryological Development ◽  
Natural Conditions ◽  
Early Embryos ◽  
Incubation Periods ◽  
The Mean ◽  
Main Factors ◽  
Chelodina Longicollis

Incubation periods and nest contents of three species of chelid tortoises in northern Victoria were recorded. Mean incubation period for eggs of Emydura macquari (Cuvier) was 75 days and average number of eggs per nest was 15.7; for Chelodina longicollis (Shaw), 138 days and 10.7 eggs per nest; for Chelodina expansa Gray, normally exceeding 324 days and 15.4 eggs per nest. In abnormal seasons C. expansa hatchlings may emerge from the nest in less than 193 days or more than 522 days after eggs were deposited. Eggs artificially incubated at 30�C consistently develop more quickly than those at lower temperatures under natural conditions. In the field nest temperatures closely approximate the mean daily air temperature. Embryos of C. expansa are tolerant to nest temperatures ranging from 4.9�C minimum to 29.6�C maximum. The other species are subject to variations of about 15 degC with up to 8.5 degC variation being recorded in 1 day. Development of early embryos approximated that recorded for cryptodire tortoises. However, there are large individual differences in the period of incubation needed for specific stages to be reached, especially between embryos of the short-necked and long-necked species of these pleurodire tortoises. It is suggested that differences in the anatomy of their eggs are the main factors in the different incubation periods between short-necked and long-necked species.

scholarly journals Individual Differences in First Language Acquisition

2020 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
pp. 319-340
Author(s):  
Evan Kidd ◽  
Seamus Donnelly
Keyword(s):  
Individual Differences ◽  
Language Acquisition ◽  
Speech Processing ◽  
First Language ◽  
Past Research ◽  
First Language Acquisition ◽  
Grammatical Development ◽  
Linguistic System ◽  
Tightly Coupled ◽  
Developmental Dynamics

Humans vary in almost every dimension imaginable, and language is no exception. In this article, we review the past research that has focused on individual differences (IDs) in first language acquisition. We first consider how different theoretical traditions in language acquisition treat IDs, and we argue that a focus on IDs is important given its potential to reveal the developmental dynamics and architectural constraints of the linguistic system. We then review IDs research that has examined variation in children's linguistic input, early speech perception, and vocabulary and grammatical development. In each case, we observe systematic and meaningful variation, such that variation in one domain (e.g., early auditory and speech processing) has meaningful developmental consequences for development in higher-order domains (e.g., vocabulary). The research suggests a high degree of integration across the linguistic system, in which development across multiple linguistic domains is tightly coupled.

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