scholarly journals How the use of segmentation signs in compound reading affects reading behavior: an eye-tracking study

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Silvana Deilen ◽  
Silvia Hansen-Schirra ◽  
Arne Nagels
Keyword(s):  
Eye Tracking ◽  
Cognitive Processing ◽  
Contextual Information ◽  
Literacy Skills ◽  
Hearing Impaired ◽  
Low Literacy ◽  
Target Groups ◽  
Fast Recognition ◽  
Visual Segmentation ◽  
Initial Processing

Two eye-tracking experiments were conducted to investigate the effects of visual segmenta-tion, complexity, and context on the cognitive processing of compounds in German Easy Language. By presenting compounds in different boundary conditions, we determined whether a segmentation cue facilitates the processing of compounds presented with and without contextual information. The study was conducted with unimpaired adults and with hearing-impaired pupils, representing one of the target groups of Easy Language. The results indicate that visual segmentation facilitates processing of compounds for pupils with low literacy skills. However, they only benefit from segmentation when morpheme boundaries are marked in a subtle way, i.e., without strikingly deviating from the standard version. Pupils with higher literacy skills and unimpaired adults do not profit from segmentation. Even though hyphenation slows down compound processing for unimpaired readers, initial processing advantages of hyphenated over concatenated compounds emerged, which is explained by the fact that hyphenation forces a morpheme-based access and enables fast recognition of the compound’s first constituent. However, it hinders readers from accessing the compound via the direct route and thus slows down the processing of the compound as a whole. Furthermore, unimpaired readers and hearing-impaired pupils process compounds faster when presented with context.

The Opposition of Surprisal and Semantic Similarity in the Prediction of Language Processing: Evidence from Eye-tracking Data

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kun Sun
Keyword(s):  
Eye Tracking ◽  
Semantic Similarity ◽  
Cognitive Processing ◽  
Language Processing ◽  
Language Comprehension ◽  
Word Processing ◽  
Reading Time ◽  
Computational Models ◽  
Tracking Data ◽  
Dynamic Approach

Expectations or predictions about upcoming content play an important role during language comprehension and processing. One important aspect of recent studies of language comprehension and processing concerns the estimation of the upcoming words in a sentence or discourse. Many studies have used eye-tracking data to explore computational and cognitive models for contextual word predictions and word processing. Eye-tracking data has previously been widely explored with a view to investigating the factors that influence word prediction. However, these studies are problematic on several levels, including the stimuli, corpora, statistical tools they applied. Although various computational models have been proposed for simulating contextual word predictions, past studies usually preferred to use a single computational model. The disadvantage of this is that it often cannot give an adequate account of cognitive processing in language comprehension. To avoid these problems, this study draws upon a massive natural and coherent discourse as stimuli in collecting the data on reading time. This study trains two state-of-art computational models (surprisal and semantic (dis)similarity from word vectors by linear discriminative learning (LDL)), measuring knowledge of both the syntagmatic and paradigmatic structure of language. We develop a `dynamic approach' to compute semantic (dis)similarity. It is the first time that these two computational models have been merged. Models are evaluated using advanced statistical methods. Meanwhile, in order to test the efficiency of our approach, one recently developed cosine method of computing semantic (dis)similarity based on word vectors data adopted is used to compare with our `dynamic' approach. The two computational and fixed-effect statistical models can be used to cross-verify the findings, thus ensuring that the result is reliable. All results support that surprisal and semantic similarity are opposed in the prediction of the reading time of words although both can make good predictions. Additionally, our `dynamic' approach performs better than the popular cosine method. The findings of this study are therefore of significance with regard to acquiring a better understanding how humans process words in a real-world context and how they make predictions in language cognition and processing.

scholarly journals Disaster Literacy

2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 694-694
Author(s):  
Lisa Brown ◽  
Lindsay Peterson
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Health Literacy ◽  
Disaster Preparedness ◽  
Research Data ◽  
Literacy Skills ◽  
Public Health Issue ◽  
Low Literacy ◽  
Social Marketing Campaign ◽  
Life Saving ◽  
Response And Recovery

Abstract People who plan ahead typically fare better during the response and recovery phases of a disaster. However, problems arise when the needs, wants, abilities, and resources of vulnerable people are not adequately considered. The lack of alignment between the literacy demands of existing materials and the literacy skills of many vulnerable subgroups limits their ability to understand and effectively use potentially life-saving information. Existing health literacy models that have demonstrated effectiveness in changing health behaviors and improving outcomes is a first step to reducing disaster-related morbidity and mortality in low resource and low literacy areas. This presentation will 1) describe how interdisciplinary collaborations can be used to address this public health issue, 2) explain how health literacy techniques can be applied when developing disaster materials, and 3) present research data on a social marketing campaign to improved disaster preparedness of older adults. Part of a symposium sponsored by Disasters and Older Adults Interest Group.

Development of a Curriculum to Lower Dietary Fat Intake in a Multiethnic Population with Low Literacy Skills

1997 ◽  
Vol 29 (4) ◽  
pp. 215-223 ◽  
Author(s):  
Cheryl L. Albright ◽  
Bonnie Bruce ◽  
Beth Howard-Pitney ◽  
Marilyn A. Winkleby ◽  
Stephen P. Fortmann
Keyword(s):  
Dietary Fat ◽  
Literacy Skills ◽  
Fat Intake ◽  
Low Literacy ◽  
Dietary Fat Intake ◽  
Multiethnic Population

Literacy: Gateway to a World of Exploits

2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. 96
Author(s):  
Biale Zua
Keyword(s):  
Personal Development ◽  
National Development ◽  
Literacy Skills ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
Contemporary Society ◽  
Access To Information ◽  
Low Literacy ◽  
African Countries ◽  
Sub Saharan ◽  
National Governments

The importance of literacy to the personal development of an individual and existence of any nation cannot be overemphasized. Literacy is the foundation for meaningful development of any nation. It is not a single entity but an interconnection of several fields―education, health, agriculture, and more. For example, a literate individual can have access to information relating to her career or business. However, not every individual in the society is literate enough to contribute to national development. Thus, strong literacy skills are necessary to function in today’s contemporary society. This research examines literacy across African countries with a view of determining countries with high literacy rates. Countries in sub-Saharan Africa have low literacy rates with gender and regional disparity. Therefore, sub-Saharan Africa national governments need to develop strong literacy skills in their countries to participate effectively in the globalized society.

Tracking Children's Interactions with Traditional Text and Computer-Based Early Literacy Media

2017 ◽  
pp. 107-121
Author(s):  
Domenica De Pasquale ◽  
Eileen Wood ◽  
Alexandra Gottardo ◽  
Jeffery A. Jones ◽  
Rachel Kaplan ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Eye Tracking ◽  
Early Literacy ◽  
Software Design ◽  
Visual Information ◽  
Literacy Skills ◽  
Computer Mediated ◽  
Key Skills ◽  
Computer Based ◽  
Based Instruction ◽  
Tracking Technology

Early literacy skills have been the focus of considerable research for the past two decades. Many instructional interventions have been developed to help improve children's acquisition of key skills – among the most recent is an array of software programs. In this chapter we review the foundations for software design, instructional theories related to computer media-based instruction and an assessment of how children interact with the visual information provided in children's software. In particular, the chapter will highlight current research examining what features of software design impact children's ability to attend and learn from this media. Eye tracking technology has been used in research on early literary to better understand how learning occurs. This chapter identifies how eye-tracking technology can facilitate understanding of how young children interact with literacy tools in computer-mediated contexts.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document