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Cognitive Science Jun 2023In the 1990s, language acquisition researchers and theoretical linguists developed an interest in learning mechanisms, and learning theorists rediscovered the verbal...
In the 1990s, language acquisition researchers and theoretical linguists developed an interest in learning mechanisms, and learning theorists rediscovered the verbal learning tradition. Nonetheless, learning theory and language acquisition continued to develop largely independently, which has stymied progress in both fields. However, exciting progress is happening in applying learning theory to language, and, more recently, in using language learning data to advance domain-general learning theory. These developments raise hopes for a bidirectional flow of information between the fields. The importance of language data for learning theory and of learning theory for understanding language is briefly discussed.
Topics: Humans; Learning; Language Development; Verbal Learning; Language
PubMed: 37303284
DOI: 10.1111/cogs.13301 -
Cognition Jul 2017The semantic bootstrapping hypothesis proposes that children acquire their native language through exposure to sentences of the language paired with structured...
The semantic bootstrapping hypothesis proposes that children acquire their native language through exposure to sentences of the language paired with structured representations of their meaning, whose component substructures can be associated with words and syntactic structures used to express these concepts. The child's task is then to learn a language-specific grammar and lexicon based on (probably contextually ambiguous, possibly somewhat noisy) pairs of sentences and their meaning representations (logical forms). Starting from these assumptions, we develop a Bayesian probabilistic account of semantically bootstrapped first-language acquisition in the child, based on techniques from computational parsing and interpretation of unrestricted text. Our learner jointly models (a) word learning: the mapping between components of the given sentential meaning and lexical words (or phrases) of the language, and (b) syntax learning: the projection of lexical elements onto sentences by universal construction-free syntactic rules. Using an incremental learning algorithm, we apply the model to a dataset of real syntactically complex child-directed utterances and (pseudo) logical forms, the latter including contextually plausible but irrelevant distractors. Taking the Eve section of the CHILDES corpus as input, the model simulates several well-documented phenomena from the developmental literature. In particular, the model exhibits syntactic bootstrapping effects (in which previously learned constructions facilitate the learning of novel words), sudden jumps in learning without explicit parameter setting, acceleration of word-learning (the "vocabulary spurt"), an initial bias favoring the learning of nouns over verbs, and one-shot learning of words and their meanings. The learner thus demonstrates how statistical learning over structured representations can provide a unified account for these seemingly disparate phenomena.
Topics: Algorithms; Bayes Theorem; Computer Simulation; Humans; Language; Language Development; Models, Theoretical; Semantics; Verbal Learning
PubMed: 28412593
DOI: 10.1016/j.cognition.2017.02.009 -
Lipids in Health and Disease Nov 2022The relationship between remnant cholesterol (RC) and atherosclerotic cardiovascular risk has been given increasing attention in recent years. However, its association...
BACKGROUND
The relationship between remnant cholesterol (RC) and atherosclerotic cardiovascular risk has been given increasing attention in recent years. However, its association with verbal learning and memory performance has not been reported.
METHODS
Data were extracted from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 2011-2014 database. Participants aged ≥60 years with available fasting lipid data were included. Verbal learning and memory performance were evaluated using the Consortium to Establish a Registry for Alzheimer's Disease Word List Memory Task (CERAD-WL) subtest. The CERAD total score was calculated as the mean of three immediate recalls and a delayed recall. RC was calculated as total cholesterol (TC) minus the sum of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C). Multivariate ordinal logistic regression was performed to evaluate the association between RC, as well as its derived marker, the TC/RC ratio, and age-stratified quartiles of the CERAD total score.
RESULTS
A total of 1377 participants were analysed. On a continuous scale, per 1 mmol/L increase in RC and per 1 unit increase in the TC/RC ratio were associated with multivariable adjusted odds ratios (95% CI) of 0.74 (0.58-0.94) and 1.45 (1.13-1.87), respectively, for having a CERAD total score in a higher quartile. On a categorical scale, higher RC quartiles were associated with a CERAD total score in a lower quartile; in contrast, the higher TC/RC quartile was associated with a CERAD total score in a higher quartile (all P for trend < 0.05).
CONCLUSIONS
The current study suggests that lower RC levels and a higher TC/RC ratio are associated with better verbal learning and memory function, which indicates that lowering RC levels could be beneficial for preventing cognitive impairment in elderly individuals. Further research is needed to validate the causal roles of RC and the TC/RC ratio in cognition.
Topics: Humans; Aged; Nutrition Surveys; Verbal Learning; Cognition; Cognitive Dysfunction; Cholesterol
PubMed: 36376895
DOI: 10.1186/s12944-022-01729-4 -
Applied Neuropsychology. Adult 2017Finding methods to describe subcortical processes assisting cognition is an important concern for clinical neuropsychological practice. In this study, we reviewed the... (Review)
Review
Finding methods to describe subcortical processes assisting cognition is an important concern for clinical neuropsychological practice. In this study, we reviewed the literature concerning the relationship between a neuropsychological instrument and the underlying neural substructure. We examined evidence indicating that one of the oldest neuropsychological tests still in use, the Rey Auditory Verbal Learning Test (RAVLT), includes reliable indicators of hippocampal integrity. We reviewed studies investigating the neural structures underlying seven tasks generated by the RAVLT, from the perspective of whether the performance of these tasks is dependent on the hippocampus. We found support for our hypothesis in five cases: learning capacity, proactive interference, immediate recall, delayed recall, and delayed recognition. No support for our hypothesis was found with regard to short-term memory and retroactive interference. The RAVLT appears to be a reliable tool for assessing the integrity of the hippocampus and for the early detection of dysfunction. There is a need for such assessments, due to the crucial role of the hippocampus in cognition, for instance, in terms of predicting future outcomes.
Topics: Hippocampus; Humans; Memory Disorders; Neuropsychological Tests; Verbal Learning
PubMed: 27045585
DOI: 10.1080/23279095.2015.1113536 -
Brain and Cognition Oct 2019Cystinosis is a rare genetic lysosomal storage disorder characterized by the accumulation of cystine in lysosomes. Many organ systems are vulnerable to this cystine...
Cystinosis is a rare genetic lysosomal storage disorder characterized by the accumulation of cystine in lysosomes. Many organ systems are vulnerable to this cystine accumulation including the CNS. A past study demonstrated that children with cystinosis have deficits in visual learning and memory while their verbal learning and memory and global intellectual function are spared (Spilkin, Ballantyne, & Trauner, 2009). However, no related study has been performed to assess the dissociation between visual and verbal learning and memory in adults with cystinosis who have had the benefit of longterm treatment with the cystine-depleting agent, cysteamine. In this study we assessed visual and verbal learning and memory in 15 adults with cystinosis, with a mean age of 30.2 years. The results indicate that adults with cystinosis have no significant deficits in either verbal or visual learning and memory. However, the individuals did perform better on the verbal assessment. The results suggest that if early and continued treatment is given to individuals with cystinosis there is a relative sparing of visual learning and memory that might have otherwise declined. This emphasizes the essential nature of the proper clinical management of cystinosis.
Topics: Adult; Cystinosis; Female; Humans; Male; Memory; Neuropsychological Tests; Spatial Learning; Verbal Learning
PubMed: 31233961
DOI: 10.1016/j.bandc.2019.103578 -
Psychonomic Bulletin & Review Dec 2022While many studies have highlighted the existence of the anchoring effect in a wide variety of domains, no study to date has investigated its impact on memory. The...
While many studies have highlighted the existence of the anchoring effect in a wide variety of domains, no study to date has investigated its impact on memory. The present study aimed to test whether an irrelevant numerical anchor not only influences an estimate but also modifies the memory of the associated event. Two experiments (total N = 259) were conducted, combining the methodology used by Loftus and Palmer (Journal of Verbal Learning and Verbal Behavior, 13, 585-589, 1974) and a classic anchoring paradigm. The results show that an irrelevant numerical anchor can modify the estimate of a car's speed and produce false memories of the event. We discuss the link between the processes underlying the anchoring effect and the false memory phenomenon.
Topics: Humans; Memory; Verbal Learning; Verbal Behavior; Repression, Psychology
PubMed: 35879592
DOI: 10.3758/s13423-022-02147-4 -
Cognitive Science Jul 2020Glossolalia ("speaking in tongues") is a rhythmic utterance of word-like strings of sounds, regularly occurring in religious mass gatherings or various forms of private...
Glossolalia ("speaking in tongues") is a rhythmic utterance of word-like strings of sounds, regularly occurring in religious mass gatherings or various forms of private religious practices (e.g., prayer and meditation). Although specific verbal learning capacities may characterize glossolalists, empirical evidence is lacking. We administered three statistical learning tasks (artificial grammar, phoneme sequence, and visual-response sequence) to 30 glossolalists and 30 matched control volunteers. In artificial grammar, participants decide whether pseudowords and sentences follow previously acquired implicit rules or not. In sequence learning, they gradually draw out rules from repeating regularities in sequences of speech sounds or motor responses. Results revealed enhanced artificial grammar and phoneme sequence learning performances in glossolalists compared to control volunteers. There were significant positive correlations between daily glossolalia activity and artificial grammar learning. These results indicate that glossolalists exhibit enhanced abilities to extract the statistical regularities of verbal information, which may be related to their unusual language abilities.
Topics: Cognition; Humans; Learning; Linguistics; Verbal Learning
PubMed: 32573809
DOI: 10.1111/cogs.12865 -
Memory & Cognition Nov 2019Recent research has begun to demonstrate the effectiveness of mindfulness in improving certain cognitive abilities, including verbal learning and memory. However, no...
Recent research has begun to demonstrate the effectiveness of mindfulness in improving certain cognitive abilities, including verbal learning and memory. However, no research has investigated the potential mechanism by which mindfulness may improve verbal learning and memory. We examined encoding, consolidation, and retrieval as potential mechanisms by which learning and memory may be increased on a list learning test (Rey Auditory Verbal Learning Task; RAVLT). After dividing participants into either a mindfulness or a control condition, in which they listened to a 10-min audio tape, results found that the mindfulness condition significantly outperformed the control condition on every RAVLT trial. Using the Item-Specific Deficit Approach, we discovered that this enhanced verbal learning and memory was specifically due to a significantly enhanced encoding process for the mindfulness group, which fully mediated the relationship between the mindfulness condition and performance on the RAVLT. There were no differences between the conditions on consolidation or retrieval. Furthermore, these improvements were not accompanied by improvements in verbal fluency or attention. In a second study, we presented a mindfulness or control audio before the first RAVLT delayed free-recall trial and another one before the second RAVLT delayed free-recall trial in order to better determine the effect of mindfulness on consolidation and retrieval. The results replicated Study 1, in that neither consolidation nor retrieval were significantly affected by mindfulness. This research indicates that mindfulness may primarily improve verbal learning and memory through improved encoding processes.
Topics: Adult; Female; Humans; Male; Memory Consolidation; Mental Recall; Mindfulness; Neuropsychological Tests; Verbal Learning; Young Adult
PubMed: 31215014
DOI: 10.3758/s13421-019-00947-z -
Ideggyogyaszati Szemle May 2023
The decline of episodic memory is one of the earliest cognitive markers of mild cognitive impairment and various types of dementia. Until today, however, there is no...
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE
The decline of episodic memory is one of the earliest cognitive markers of mild cognitive impairment and various types of dementia. Until today, however, there is no standardized Hungarian episodic memory test that takes into account the characteristics of the Hungarian language. The study presents the structure and standardized use of a new memory test (Verbal Episodic Memory Test, VEMT) as well as normative data in Hungary.
.METHODS
The VEMT is suitable for the comprehensive examination of verbal learning abilities in a broader sense, and more specifically, for the neuropsychological measurement of verbal list learning abilities. In the present study, we constructed a normative database consisting of data from 385 participants.
.RESULTS
We showed that the VEMT is sensitive to demographic factors (e.g., age) which are linked to differences in episodic memory performance. Open access to the test is provided, and the normative scores are presented as well.
.CONCLUSION
The indicators of the test are suitable for drawing a learning curve, for showing the interaction of new and previously learned information (interference effects), and for measuring differences between free recall and cued recall. Furthermore, the test scores are appropriate for distinguishing the effects of different types of memory encoding forms (phonological, semantic, and episodic), for measuring the ability to reconstruct the presentation of a sequence (memory order information), for detecting the rate of forgetting, for measuring recognition abilities, and for detecting hippocampus-related mnemonic pattern separation and completion functions.
.Topics: Humans; Memory, Episodic; Neuropsychological Tests; Mental Recall; Learning; Verbal Learning
PubMed: 37294027
DOI: 10.18071/isz.76.0159 -
Scientific Reports May 2021Vascular contributions to cognitive impairment and dementia (VCID) include structural and functional blood vessel injuries linked to poor neurocognitive outcomes....
Vascular contributions to cognitive impairment and dementia (VCID) include structural and functional blood vessel injuries linked to poor neurocognitive outcomes. Smoking might indirectly increase the likelihood of cognitive impairment by exacerbating vascular disease risks. Sex disparities in VCID have been reported, however, few studies have assessed the sex-specific relationships between smoking and memory performance and with contradictory results. We investigated the associations between sex, smoking, and cardiovascular disease with verbal learning and memory function. Using MindCrowd, an observational web-based cohort of ~ 70,000 people aged 18-85, we investigated whether sex modifies the relationship between smoking and cardiovascular disease with verbal memory performance. We found significant interactions in that smoking is associated with verbal learning performance more in women and cardiovascular disease more in men across a wide age range. These results suggest that smoking and cardiovascular disease may impact verbal learning and memory throughout adulthood differently for men and women.
Topics: Adult; Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Cigarette Smoking; Cognition; Cognitive Dysfunction; Cohort Studies; Dementia, Vascular; Female; Humans; Male; Memory; Middle Aged; Sex Factors; Verbal Learning
PubMed: 33986309
DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-88923-z