Exploring word memorability: How well do different word properties explain item free-recall probability?

What makes some words more memorable than others? Words can vary in many dimensions, and a variety of lexical, semantic, and affective properties have previously been associated with variability in recall performance. Free recall data were used from 147 participants across 20 experimental sessions from the Penn Electrophysiology of Encoding and Retrieval Study (PEERS) data set, across 1,638 words. Here, I consider how well 20 different word properties—across lexical, semantic, and affective dimensions—relate to free recall. Semantic dimensions, particularly animacy (better memory for living), usefulness (with respect to survival; better memory for useful), and size (better memory for larger) demonstrated the strongest relationships with recall probability. These key results were then examined and replicated in the free recall data from Lau, Goh, and Yap (Quarterly Journal of Experimental Psychology, 71, 2207–2222, 2018), which had 532 words and 116 participants. This comprehensive investigation of a variety of word memorability demonstrates that semantic and function-related psycholinguistic properties play an important role in verbal memory processes.

مساقات ذكر الحيوان في السنة النبوية المطهرة: دراسة تحليلية (Description on Animals Mentioned Within The Sunnah: An Analytical Study)

تأتى أهمية هذا البحث لأهمية السنة النبوية المطهرة كمصدر للوحي، وأهميتها في تصفية وتنقية اللسان العربي من لوثة العجمى التى أصابته لبعد النّاس عن مصادر اللغة الفصيحة، وتعريف الدارس بكنوز السنة النبوية المطهرة في طرحها وذكرها للحيوان كمضرب مثل أو شفقة ورحمة به، أوفي كيفية معاملته والاحتفاء به، حيث تقف أجيالنا الجديدة على هذه المعاني السامية حتى يتسنى لهم العمل بها وتطبيقها في حياتهم، والمنهج المتبع في هذا الدراسة هو المنهج التحليلي، حيث تحلل الأحاديث التى سقناها حتى نصل إلى نتائج مرضية من خلال تلك الفوائد المستفادة من تلك الأحاديث والتى هي وحي من عند الله سبحانه تعالى. ولاشك أنّ الكثير من أسماء الحيوانات جاء ذكرها في القرآن الكريم بدءا بقصة الفيل وبقرة بنى اسرائيل والنملة وسورة العنكبوت، وحمار عزير وناقة سيدنا صالح عليه وعلى نبينا أفضل الصلاة وأتم التسليم، وذكر القرود والخنازير والذبابة وغيرها من العجماوات (زواحف أو طيور أو حيوانات) حيث هي من مخلوقات الله تعالى التى جاء ذكرها جنباً إلى جنبٍ مع ذكر بنى آدم الذى أعلا المولى ذكره وفضله وكرّمه على كثير ممن خلق، وكذلك جاء ذكر الحيوان في السنة النبوية المطهرة. ويهدف هذا البحث إلى بيان ذكر بعض النماذج المختارة للحيوان في السنة النبوية المطهرة، من خلال أحاديث المصطفى صلى الله عليه وسلم، حتى يعرف الدارس أسماء تلك الحيوانات وموقعها في الثقافة الإسلامية، مع الشرح والبيان مع الاستعانة بكتب الشروح الحديثية وكتب معاجم وقواميس اللغة العربية، مع التخريج لتلك الأحاديث وبيان درجتها وحكمها. الكلمات المفتاحية: السّنة، الحيوان، الرفق ، الرحمة. Abstract The paper attempts to highlight the position of the Sunnah that relates to exposition on diversity of animals and the way how to deal with them with the use of kindness and mercy. This study is aimed at giving guiding principles for the new generation to treat animals with the use of kindness based on the Sunnah’s guidance. We use the method of analysis toward textual evident covered within the Sunnah of the Prophet (pbuh) which represents the second part of the revelation. It is beyond any doubt that both the Qur’an and Sunnah mention about different types of animal starting from the elephant, cows of Israelites, ants, donkey, as well as buffalo of the Prophet Saleh. Other animals such as monkeys, pigs and flies are also mentioned in the Qur’an to indicate that they are creation of Allah. The study mainly deals with the selected names of animals mentioned in the Sunnah and their significance within Islamic literatures. The analysis will mainly be focused on the description of books of hadith as well as Arabic lexicography. Moreover, we also conduct the retrieval study of all those hadiths to ascertain the position of authenticity. Keywords: Sunnah, animals, kindness, and mercy.

Exploring word memorability: How well do different word properties explain item free-recall probability?

What makes some words more memorable than others? Words can vary in many dimensions, and a variety of lexical, semantic, and affective properties have previously been associated with variability in recall performance. Free recall data were used from 147 participants across 20 experimental sessions from the Penn Electrophysiology of Encoding and Retrieval Study (PEERS) data set, across 1,638 words. Here, I consider how well 20 different word properties—across lexical, semantic, and affective dimensions—relate to free recall. Semantic dimensions, particularly animacy (better memory for living), usefulness (with respect to survival; better memory for useful), and size (better memory for larger) demonstrated the strongest relationships with recall probability. These key results were then examined and replicated in the free recall data from Lau, Goh, and Yap (Quarterly Journal of Experimental Psychology, 71, 2207–2222, 2018), which had 532 words and 116 participants. This comprehensive investigation of a variety of word memorability demonstrates that semantic and function-related psycholinguistic properties play an important role in verbal memory processes.