scholarly journals Statistical Language Learning and Vagus Nerve Stimulation: A Pilot Study

2019 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ivette De Aguiar ◽  
Edith Kaan
Keyword(s):  
Vagus Nerve ◽  
Language Learning ◽  
Statistical Learning ◽  
Memory Task ◽  
Learning Task ◽  
Phonological Memory ◽  
Retest Reliability ◽  
Learning Tasks ◽  
Transcutaneous Stimulation ◽  
Test Retest Reliability

Applying transcutaneous stimulation to the auricular branch of the vagus nerve (tVNS) has been shown to enhance associative learning in humans. The main goal of the project is to investigate the effect tVNS has on procedural learning, specifically implicit statistical language learning. The aim of the experiment reported in this paper was to determine which statistical language learning paradigms would be appropriate to use with tVNS. Since we would be looking at within-subject changes between two sessions (one session with, one session without stimulation), we tested the test-retest reliability of two statistical learning paradigms.  We also tested the correlation between a explicit phonological memory task and the implicit statistical learning tasks to determine whether phonological memory was involved in the statistical learning tasks. Our results showed a high test-retest reliability for the word segmentation and adjacent dependencies statistical learning task. However, the second statistical learning task dealing with non-adjacent dependencies had low test-retest reliability, meaning it would not be appropriate for future studies incorporating tVNS. There was a high correlation between the phonological memory task and both statistical learning taks, indicating implicit statistical learning may recruit phonological memory.

A prioriassessment of language learning tasks by practitioners

2009 ◽  
Vol 42 (4) ◽  
pp. 504-518 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gerard J. Westhoff
Keyword(s):  
Teacher Education ◽  
Cognitive Psychology ◽  
Language Learning ◽  
A Priori ◽  
Reliability And Validity ◽  
Learning Task ◽  
Theoretical Framework ◽  
Learning Materials ◽  
Learning Tasks ◽  
Depth Analysis

Teachers' competence to estimate the effectiveness of learning materials is important and often neglected in programmes for teacher education. In this lecture I will try to explore the possibilities of designing scaffolding instruments fora prioriassessment of language learning tasks, based on insights from SLA and cognitive psychology, more specifically connectionist theory. I will subsequently outline the development and evaluation of a ‘yardstick’ to judge complex, integrated, life-like tasks, such as WebQuests. The possibilities will be explored of performing in-deptha prioritask analyses as a learning task for teachers in order to enhance their competence in making ‘educated guesses’ about task effectiveness. Finally, an experiment will be described to determine the reliability and validity of an instrument for in-depth analysis of language learning tasks based on the theoretical framework previously described.

Imagery and Meaningfulness Ratings of Sentences: Reliability and Relationship to Learning

1976 ◽  
Vol 42 (2) ◽  
pp. 479-483 ◽  
Author(s):  
Corey Bowen ◽  
Lionel Standing
Keyword(s):  
Dual Coding ◽  
Retest Reliability ◽  
Sentence Recognition ◽  
Learning Tasks ◽  
The Mean ◽  
Sentence Memory ◽  
Simple Sentences ◽  
Test Retest Reliability ◽  
Predictive Strength ◽  
Group Agreement

Exp. 1 assessed the test-retest reliability with which individuals and groups can rate simple sentences for image-evoking power and meaningfulness. For 10 different Ss rating 100 sentences on each dimension, the mean reliability coefficients were .69 and .67 for imagery and meaningfulness respectively. Within-group test-retest reliability of mean ratings was excellent (.90, imagery; .92, meaningfulness). Rating of both dimensions was also performed by a third group of 19 Ss, and inter-group agreement (estimated through correlation of group mean ratings) was substantial (.76, imagery; .87, meaningfulness). However, agreement between individual Ss was low for both dimensions (.18, imagery; .27, meaningfulness), though significant. Exp. 2 examined Paivio's (1971) dual-coding hypothesis applied to sentence memory through correlation of both individual ratings and group mean ratings with sentence recognition scores. Neither method yielded a significant correlation between learning and imagery, or meaningfulness. Apparently the dual-coding hypothesis cannot be straightforwardly applied to memory for sentences, despite its predictive strength for single-word learning tasks.

Test–retest reliability of EEG spectra during a working memory task

NeuroImage ◽  
2008 ◽  
Vol 43 (4) ◽  
pp. 687-693 ◽  
Author(s):  
Markus Näpflin ◽  
Marc Wildi ◽  
Johannes Sarnthein
Keyword(s):  
Working Memory ◽  
Memory Task ◽  
Retest Reliability ◽  
Eeg Spectra ◽  
Test Retest Reliability

scholarly journals Statistical Learning Ability as a Measure of Cognitive Function

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Steffen A. Herff ◽  
Nur Amirah Binte Abdul Rashid ◽  
Jimmy Lee Chee Keong ◽  
Lee Tih-Shih ◽  
Kat R. Agres
Keyword(s):  
Cognitive Function ◽  
Statistical Learning ◽  
Predictive Power ◽  
Learning Ability ◽  
Cognitive Science Society ◽  
Retest Reliability ◽  
Probabilistic Information ◽  
Methodological Considerations ◽  
Test Retest Reliability ◽  
High Test

Statistical Learning (SL), the ability to extract probabilistic information from the environment, is a subject of much debate. It appears intuitive that such a profound mechanism of learning should carry predictive power towards general cognitive ability. Yet, previous attempts have struggled to link SL ability to measures of general cognitive function, suffering from low correlations and mediocre test-retest reliability. Here, we deploy a new continuous auditory SL task that achieves high test-retest reliability (~ r = .8) and shows that SL ability does significantly correlate with general cognitive function (up to r =. 56). Results are discussed in light of i) the theoretical implications of the high test-retest reliability of our novel SL task, ii) SL ability as a marker of general cognitive function, and iii) future methodological considerations. -This manuscript has been peer-reviewed and accepted for publication in poster-from at the 41st Annual Meeting of the Cognitive Science Society in Montreal, Canada at the Palais des Congrès de Montréal on Wednesday July 24th – Saturday July 27th, 2019 -

scholarly journals Somatosensory working memory in human reinforcement-based motor learning

2018 ◽  
Vol 120 (6) ◽  
pp. 3275-3286 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ananda Sidarta ◽  
Floris T. van Vugt ◽  
David J. Ostry
Keyword(s):  
Working Memory ◽  
Motor Learning ◽  
Positive Feedback ◽  
Memory Performance ◽  
Memory Task ◽  
Learning Task ◽  
Visuomotor Adaptation ◽  
Subsequent Test ◽  
Learning Tasks ◽  
Study Participants

Recent studies using visuomotor adaptation and sequence learning tasks have assessed the involvement of working memory in the visuospatial domain. The capacity to maintain previously performed movements in working memory is perhaps even more important in reinforcement-based learning to repeat accurate movements and avoid mistakes. Using this kind of task in the present work, we tested the relationship between somatosensory working memory and motor learning. The first experiment involved separate memory and motor learning tasks. In the memory task, the participant’s arm was displaced in different directions by a robotic arm, and the participant was asked to judge whether a subsequent test direction was one of the previously presented directions. In the motor learning task, participants made reaching movements to a hidden visual target and were provided with positive feedback as reinforcement when the movement ended in the target zone. It was found that participants that had better somatosensory working memory showed greater motor learning. In a second experiment, we designed a new task in which learning and working memory trials were interleaved, allowing us to study participants’ memory for movements they performed as part of learning. As in the first experiment, we found that participants with better somatosensory working memory also learned more. Moreover, memory performance for successful movements was better than for movements that failed to reach the target. These results suggest that somatosensory working memory is involved in reinforcement motor learning and that this memory preferentially keeps track of reinforced movements. NEW & NOTEWORTHY The present work examined somatosensory working memory in reinforcement-based motor learning. Working memory performance was reliably correlated with the extent of learning. With the use of a paradigm in which learning and memory trials were interleaved, memory was assessed for movements performed during learning. Movements that received positive feedback were better remembered than movements that did not. Thus working memory does not track all movements equally but is biased to retain movements that were rewarded.

Test-Retest Reliability in Three Implicit Learning Tasks

2003 ◽  
Author(s):  
Karen L. Smith ◽  
Tisha Wiley ◽  
Sara Walkenback ◽  
Gloria Dirnbeck
Keyword(s):  
Implicit Learning ◽  
Retest Reliability ◽  
Learning Tasks ◽  
Test Retest Reliability

scholarly journals Online incidental statistical learning of audiovisual word sequences in adults: a registered report

2018 ◽  
Vol 5 (2) ◽  
pp. 171678 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sengottuvel Kuppuraj ◽  
Mihaela Duta ◽  
Paul Thompson ◽  
Dorothy Bishop
Keyword(s):  
Language Learning ◽  
Statistical Learning ◽  
Short Term Memory ◽  
Reaction Time Data ◽  
Learning Task ◽  
Two Dimensions ◽  
Learning Ability ◽  
Time Data ◽  
Novel Approach ◽  
Continuous Stream

Statistical learning has been proposed as a key mechanism in language learning. Our main goal was to examine whether adults are capable of simultaneously extracting statistical dependencies in a task where stimuli include a range of structures amenable to statistical learning within a single paradigm. We devised an online statistical learning task using real word auditory–picture sequences that vary in two dimensions: (i) predictability and (ii) adjacency of dependent elements. This task was followed by an offline recall task to probe learning of each sequence type. We registered three hypotheses with specific predictions. First, adults would extract regular patterns from continuous stream (effect of grammaticality). Second, within grammatical conditions, they would show differential speeding up for each condition as a factor of statistical complexity of the condition and exposure. Third, our novel approach to measure online statistical learning would be reliable in showing individual differences in statistical learning ability. Further, we explored the relation between statistical learning and a measure of verbal short-term memory (STM). Forty-two participants were tested and retested after an interval of at least 3 days on our novel statistical learning task. We analysed the reaction time data using a novel regression discontinuity approach. Consistent with prediction, participants showed a grammaticality effect, agreeing with the predicted order of difficulty for learning different statistical structures. Furthermore, a learning index from the task showed acceptable test–retest reliability ( r  = 0.67). However, STM did not correlate with statistical learning. We discuss the findings noting the benefits of online measures in tracking the learning process.

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