scholarly journals Semantic variables both help and hinder word production: Behavioural evidence from picture naming

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Leonie F. Lampe ◽  
Solene Hameau ◽  
Lyndsey Nickels
Keyword(s):  
Picture Naming ◽  
Naming Latency ◽  
Inhibitory Effect ◽  
Word Production ◽  
Lexical Representation ◽  
Facilitatory Effect ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Semantic Features ◽  
Psycholinguistic Variables ◽  
Semantic Variables

This research investigated how word production is influenced by six feature-based semantic variables (number of semantic features, intercorrelational density, number of near semantic neighbours, semantic similarity, typicality, and distinctiveness). We simultaneously investigated effects of the six semantic variables on spoken picture naming in a large group of participants (n = 87), while controlling for other psycholinguistic variables. Across analyses, number of semantic features was the most consistent predictor with a facilitatory effect on naming latency and accuracy. In addition, inhibitory effects were found on naming accuracy for intercorrelational density and on naming latency for distinctiveness. The facilitatory effect of number of semantic features is suggested to stem from stronger semantic activation with an increasing number of semantic features, which results in facilitated selection of the word’s lexical representation. In contrast, the inhibitory effect of intercorrelational density is most easily accounted for by increased competition at the lexical level. The mechanism underlying the inhibitory effect of distinctiveness is unclear. These findings indicate that future research on factors affecting word retrieval should also control for effects of number of semantic features, intercorrelational density, and distinctiveness. They also suggest that effects of the other semantic variables (e.g., semantic neighbours) reported in the literature were potentially overestimated due to insufficient control of other semantic and/or psycholinguistic variables.

scholarly journals Behavioral interference or facilitation does not distinguish between competitive and noncompetitive accounts of lexical selection in word production.

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gary M. Oppenheim ◽  
Nazbanou Nozari
Keyword(s):  
Picture Naming ◽  
Language Production ◽  
Word Production ◽  
Threshold Models ◽  
Semantic Features ◽  
Lexical Selection ◽  
Semantic Interference ◽  
Relative Threshold ◽  
Selection Algorithms ◽  
Naming Latencies

One of the major debates in the field of word production is whether lexical selection is competitive or not. For nearly half a century, semantic interference effects in picture naming latencies have been claimed as evidence for competitive (relative threshold) models of lexical selection, while semantic facilitation effects have been claimed as evidence for non-competitive (simple threshold) models instead. In this paper, we use a computational modeling approach to compare the consequences of competitive and noncompetitive selection algorithms for blocked cyclic picture naming latencies, combined with two approaches to representing taxonomic and thematic semantic features. We show that although our simple model can capture both semantic interference and facilitation, the presence or absence of competition in the selection mechanism is unrelated to the polarity of these semantic effects. These results question the validity of prior assumptions and offer new perspectives on the origins of interference and facilitation in language production.

scholarly journals Lexical-Semantic Variables Affecting Picture and Word Naming in Chinese: A Mixed Logit Model Study in Aphasia

2012 ◽  
Vol 25 (3) ◽  
pp. 165-184 ◽  
Author(s):  
Davide Crepaldi ◽  
Wei-Chun Che ◽  
I.-Fan Su ◽  
Claudio Luzzatti
Keyword(s):  
Word Frequency ◽  
Production System ◽  
Picture Naming ◽  
Morphological Structure ◽  
Age Of Acquisition ◽  
Word Production ◽  
Word Naming ◽  
Grammatical Class ◽  
Lexical Semantic ◽  
Semantic Variables

Lexical-semantic variables (such as word frequency, imageability and age of acquisition) have been studied extensively in neuropsychology to address the structure of the word production system. The evidence available on this issue is still rather controversial, mainly because of the very complex interrelations between lexical-semantic variables. Moreover, it is not clear whether the results obtained in Indo-European languages also hold in languages with a completely different structure and script, such as Chinese. The objective of the present study is to investigate this specific issue by studying the effect of word frequency, imageability, age of acquisition, visual complexity of the stimuli to be named, grammatical class and morphological structure in word and picture naming in Chinese. The effect of these variables on naming and reading accuracy of healthy and brain-damaged individuals is evaluated using mixed-effect models, a statistical technique that allows to model both fixed and random effects; this feature substantially enhances the statistical power of the technique, so that several variables–and their complex interrelations–can be handled effectively in a unique analysis. We found that grammatical class interacts consistently across tasks with morphological structure: all participants, both healthy and brain-damaged, found simple nouns significantly easier to read and name than complex nouns, whereas simple and complex verbs were of comparable difficulty. We also found that imageability was a strong predictor in picture naming, but not in word naming, whereas the contrary held true for age of acquisition. These results are taken to indicate the existence of a morphological level of processing in the Chinese word production system, and that reading aloud may occur along a non-semantic route (either lexical or sub-lexical) in this language.

Neural network dysfunction in bipolar depression: clues from the efficacy of lamotrigine

2009 ◽  
Vol 37 (5) ◽  
pp. 1080-1084 ◽  
Author(s):  
Charles H. Large ◽  
Elena Di Daniel ◽  
Xingbao Li ◽  
Mark S. George
Keyword(s):  
Bipolar Disorder ◽  
Valproic Acid ◽  
Protein Kinase ◽  
Glycogen Synthase ◽  
Bipolar Depression ◽  
Inhibitory Effect ◽  
Mood Stabilizers ◽  
Mitogen Activated Protein Kinase ◽  
Facilitatory Effect

One strategy to understand bipolar disorder is to study the mechanism of action of mood-stabilizing drugs, such as valproic acid and lithium. This approach has implicated a number of intracellular signalling elements, such as GSK3β (glycogen synthase kinase 3β), ERK (extracellular-signal-regulated kinase)/MAPK (mitogen-activated protein kinase) or protein kinase C. However, lamotrigine does not seem to modulate any of these targets, which is intriguing given that its profile in the clinic differs from that of valproic acid or lithium, with greater efficacy to prevent episodes of depression than mania. The primary target of lamotrigine is the voltage-gated sodium channel, but it is unclear why inhibition of these channels might confer antidepressant efficacy. In healthy volunteers, we found that lamotrigine had a facilitatory effect on the BOLD (blood-oxygen-level-dependent) response to TMS (transcranial magnetic stimulation) of the prefrontal cortex. This effect was in contrast with an inhibitory effect of lamotrigine when TMS was applied over the motor cortex. In a follow-up study, a similar prefrontal specific facilitatory effect was observed in a larger cohort of healthy subjects, whereas valproic acid inhibited motor and prefrontal cortical TMS-induced BOLD response. In vitro, we found that lamotrigine (3–10 μM) enhanced the power of gamma frequency network oscillations induced by kainic acid in the rat hippocampus, an effect that was not observed with valproic acid (100 μM). These data suggest that lamotrigine has a positive effect on corticolimbic network function that may differentiate it from other mood stabilizers. The results are also consistent with the notion of corticolimbic network dysfunction in bipolar disorder.

Modulation of release of [3H]acetylcholine in the major pelvic ganglion of the rat

1993 ◽  
Vol 264 (6) ◽  
pp. R1084-R1088
Author(s):  
G. T. Somogyi ◽  
W. C. de Groat
Keyword(s):  
Inhibitory Effect ◽  
Facilitatory Effect ◽  
K Channel ◽  
Muscarinic Agonist ◽  
Ach Release ◽  
Pelvic Ganglion ◽  
M1 Receptor ◽  
Major Pelvic Ganglion ◽  
Electrophysiological Findings ◽  
Frequency Of Stimulation

Cholinergic modulation of [3H]acetylcholine release evoked by electrical stimulation was studied in the rat major pelvic ganglion, which was prelabeled with [3H]choline. Acetylcholine (ACh) release was independent of the frequency of stimulation; 0.3 Hz produced the same volley output as 10 Hz. Tetrodotoxin (1 microM) or omission of Ca2+ from the medium abolished ACh release. The M1 receptor agonist (4-hydroxy-2-butynyl)-1-trimethylammonium m-chlorocarbanilate chloride (McN-A 343, 50 microM) increased release (by 136%), whereas the M2 muscarinic agonist oxotremorine (1 microM) decreased ACh release (by 22%). The muscarinic antagonists, atropine (1 microM) or pirenzepine (M1 selective, 1 microM), did not change ACh release. However, pirenzepine (1 microM) blocked the facilitatory effect of McN-A 343, and atropine (1 microM) blocked the inhibitory effect of oxotremorine. The cholinesterase inhibitor physostigmine (1-5 microM), the nicotinic agonist 1,1-dimethyl-4-phenylpiperazinium (DMPP, 10 microM), and the nicotinic antagonist D-tubocurarine (50 microM) did not change ACh release. 4-Aminopyridine, a K+ channel blocker, significantly increased the release (by 146%). Seven days after decentralization of the major pelvic ganglion, the evoked release of ACh was abolished. It is concluded that release of ACh occurs from the preganglionic nerve terminals rather than from the cholinergic cell bodies and is not modulated by actions of endogenous ACh on either muscarinic or nicotinic autoreceptors. These data confirm and extend previous electrophysiological findings indicating that synapses in the major pelvic ganglion have primarily a relay function.

Is lexical selection in bilingual speech production language-specific? Further evidence from Spanish–English and English–Spanish bilinguals

1999 ◽  
Vol 2 (3) ◽  
pp. 231-244 ◽  
Author(s):  
Albert Costa ◽  
Alfonso Caramazza
Keyword(s):  
Speech Production ◽  
Lexical Access ◽  
Picture Naming ◽  
Facilitatory Effect ◽  
Lexical Selection ◽  
Bilingual Speakers ◽  
L2 Spanish ◽  
Naming Latencies ◽  
Spanish Bilinguals

In this study we address the question of how lexical selection is achieved by bilingual speakers during speech production. Specifically, we test whether there is competition between the two lexicons of a bilingual during lexical access. In two picture–word interference experiments we explore the performance of two groups of bilinguals, English–Spanish and Spanish–English proficient bilinguals while naming pictures either in their L1 (Spanish) or in their L2 (Spanish). Picture naming was facilitated when the name of the picture and the distracter word were the “same”, regardless of the language in which the distracter was printed: same-language (e.g., mesa–mesa [table in Spanish]) or different-language pairs (e.g., mesa–table). The magnitude of this facilitatory effect was similar when naming in L1 (Experiment 1) and in L2 (Experiment 2). We also found that naming latencies were slower when the distracter word was semantically related to the picture's name (e.g., mesa–chair), regardless of the language in which the distracter was printed. The results suggest that there is no competition between the two lexicons of a bilingual during lexical access for production. This interpretation favors a model of lexical access in which lexical selection is language-specific both when speaking in L1 and in L2.

scholarly journals Comparing the cognate effect in spoken and written second language word production

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Merel Muylle ◽  
Eva Van Assche ◽  
Robert Hartsuiker
Keyword(s):  
Second Language ◽  
Picture Naming ◽  
Language Production ◽  
Naming Task ◽  
Written Language ◽  
Word Production ◽  
Error Pattern ◽  
Underlying Processes

Cognates – words that share form and meaning between languages – are processed faster than control words. However, it is unclear whether this effect is merely lexical (i.e., central) in nature, or whether it cascades to phonological/orthographic (i.e., peripheral) processes. This study compared the cognate effect in spoken and typewritten production, which share central, but not peripheral processes. We inquired whether this effect is present in typewriting, and if so, whether its magnitude is similar to spoken production. Dutch-English bilinguals performed either a spoken or written picture naming task in English; picture names were either Dutch-English cognates or control words. Cognates were named faster than controls and there was no cognate-by-modality interaction. Additionally, there was a similar error pattern in both modalities. These results suggest that common underlying processes are responsible for the cognate effect in spoken and written language production, and thus a central locus of the cognate effect.

scholarly journals An MEG Study of Picture Naming

1998 ◽  
Vol 10 (5) ◽  
pp. 553-567 ◽  
Author(s):  
Willem J. M. Levelt ◽  
Peter Praamstra ◽  
Antje S. Meyer ◽  
Päivi Helenius ◽  
Riitta Salmelin
Keyword(s):  
Picture Naming ◽  
Time Windows ◽  
Naming Latency ◽  
Cortical Activation ◽  
Response Patterns ◽  
Phonological Encoding ◽  
A Chain ◽  
Wernicke’S Area ◽  
The Individual ◽  
The Right

The purpose of this study was to relate a psycholinguistic processing model of picture naming to the dynamics of cortical activation during picture naming. The activation was recorded from eight Dutch subjects with a whole-head neuromagnetometer. The processing model, based on extensive naming latency studies, is a stage model. In preparing a picture's name, the speaker performs a chain of specific operations. They are, in this order, computing the visual percept, activating an appropriate lexical concept, selecting the target word from the mental lexicon, phonological encoding, phonetic encoding, and initiation of articulation. The time windows for each of these operations are reasonably well known and could be related to the peak activity of dipole sources in the individual magnetic response patterns. The analyses showed a clear progression over these time windows from early occipital activation, via parietal and temporal to frontal activation. The major specific findings were that (1) a region in the left posterior temporal lobe, agreeing with the location of Wernicke's area, showed prominent activation starting about 200 msec after picture onset and peaking at about 350 msec, (i.e., within the stage of phonological encoding), and (2) a consistent activation was found in the right parietal cortex, peaking at about 230 msec after picture onset, thus preceding and partly overlapping with the left temporal response. An interpretation in terms of the management of visual attention is proposed.

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