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Psychological Review Jul 2022In the first year of life, infants' word learning is slow, laborious, and requires repeated exposure to word-referent co-occurrences. In contrast, by 14-18 months,... (Review)
Review
In the first year of life, infants' word learning is slow, laborious, and requires repeated exposure to word-referent co-occurrences. In contrast, by 14-18 months, infants learn words from just a few labeling events, use joint attention and eye gaze to decipher word meaning, and begin to use speech to communicate about absent things. We propose that this remarkable advancement in word learning results from attaining a -that words are linked to mental representations and used intentionally to communicate about real-world entities. We suggest that verbal reference is supported by codeveloping conceptual, social, representational, and statistical learning capacities. We also propose that infants' recognition of this tri-directional link between words, referents, and mental representations is enabled by their experience participating in and observing Understanding verbal reference signals a qualitative shift in infants' word learning. This shift enables infants to bootstrap word meanings from syntax and semantics, learn novel words and facts from nonostensive communication, and make inferences about speakers' epistemic competence based on their language production. In this paper, we review empirical findings across multiple facets of infant cognition and propose a novel developmental theory of verbal reference. Finally, we suggest new directions of empirical research that may provide stronger and more direct evidence for our theory and contribute to our understanding of the development of verbal reference and language-mediated learning in infancy and beyond. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved).
Topics: Humans; Infant; Language; Language Development; Learning; Semantics; Verbal Learning
PubMed: 34370496
DOI: 10.1037/rev0000320 -
Language and Speech Mar 2021Interest in iconicity (the resemblance-based mapping between aspects of form and meaning is in the midst of a resurgence, and a prominent focus in the field has been the... (Review)
Review
Interest in iconicity (the resemblance-based mapping between aspects of form and meaning is in the midst of a resurgence, and a prominent focus in the field has been the possible role of iconicity in language learning. Here we critically review theory and empirical findings in this domain. We distinguish local learning enhancement (where the iconicity of certain lexical items influences the learning of those items) and general learning enhancement (where the iconicity of certain lexical items influences the later learning of non-iconic items or systems). We find that evidence for local learning enhancement is quite strong, though not as clear cut as it is often described and based on a limited sample of languages. Despite common claims about broader facilitatory effects of iconicity on learning, we find that current evidence for general learning enhancement is lacking. We suggest a number of productive avenues for future research and specify what types of evidence would be required to show a role for iconicity in general learning enhancement. We also review evidence for functions of iconicity beyond word learning: iconicity enhances comprehension by providing complementary representations, supports communication about sensory imagery, and expresses affective meanings. Even if learning benefits may be modest or cross-linguistically varied, on balance, iconicity emerges as a vital aspect of language.
Topics: Comprehension; Humans; Language; Language Development; Linguistics; Semantics; Verbal Learning
PubMed: 32308121
DOI: 10.1177/0023830920914339 -
Wiley Interdisciplinary Reviews.... Jul 2017How do children acquire the meanings of words? Many word learning mechanisms have been proposed to guide learners through this challenging task. Despite the availability... (Review)
Review
How do children acquire the meanings of words? Many word learning mechanisms have been proposed to guide learners through this challenging task. Despite the availability of rich information in the learner's linguistic and extralinguistic input, the word-learning task is insurmountable without such mechanisms for filtering through and utilizing that information. Different kinds of words, such as nouns denoting object concepts and verbs denoting event concepts, require to some extent different kinds of information and, therefore, access to different kinds of mechanisms. We review some of these mechanisms to examine the relationship between the input that is available to learners and learners' intake of that input-that is, the organized, interpreted, and stored representations they form. We discuss how learners segment individual words from the speech stream and identify their grammatical categories, how they identify the concepts denoted by these words, and how they refine their initial representations of word meanings. WIREs Cogn Sci 2017, 8:e1435. doi: 10.1002/wcs.1435 This article is categorized under: Linguistics > Language Acquisition Psychology > Language.
Topics: Humans; Language; Language Development; Learning; Verbal Learning
PubMed: 28160453
DOI: 10.1002/wcs.1435 -
Neuropsychologia Apr 2017Variability in drug responsivity has prompted the development of Personalized Medicine, which has shown great promise in utilizing genotypic information to develop safer... (Review)
Review
Variability in drug responsivity has prompted the development of Personalized Medicine, which has shown great promise in utilizing genotypic information to develop safer and more effective drug regimens for patients. Similarly, individual variability in learning outcomes has puzzled researchers who seek to create optimal learning environments for students. "Personalized Learning" seeks to identify genetic, neural and behavioral predictors of individual differences in learning and aims to use predictors to help create optimal teaching paradigms. Evidence for Personalized Learning can be observed by connecting research in pharmacogenomics, cognitive genetics and behavioral experiments across domains of learning, which provides a framework for conducting empirical studies from the laboratory to the classroom and holds promise for addressing learning effectiveness in the individual learners. Evidence can also be seen in the subdomain of speech learning, thus providing initial support for the applicability of Personalized Learning to language.
Topics: Genetic Association Studies; Humans; Individuality; Language; Precision Medicine; Verbal Learning
PubMed: 27720749
DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2016.10.002 -
Arquivos de Neuro-psiquiatria Jan 2022Age-related cognitive decline impacts cognitive abilities essential for driving.
BACKGROUND
Age-related cognitive decline impacts cognitive abilities essential for driving.
OBJECTIVE
We aimed to measure main cognitive functions associated with a high number of traffic violations in different driving settings.
METHODS
Thirty-four elderly individuals, aged between 65 and 90 years, were evaluated with a driving simulator in four different settings (Intersection, Overtaking, Rain, and Malfunction tasks) and underwent a battery of cognitive tests, including memory, attention, visuospatial, and cognitive screening tests. Individuals were divided into two groups: High-risk driving (HR, top 20% of penalty points) and normal-risk driving (NR). Non-parametric group comparison and regression analysis were performed.
RESULTS
The HR group showed higher total driving penalty score compared to the NR group (median=29, range= 9-44 vs. median=61, range= 47-97, p<0.001). The HR group showed higher penalty scores in the Intersection task (p<0.001) and the Overtaking and Rain tasks (p<0.05 both). The verbal learning score was significantly lower in the HR group (median=33, range=12-57) compared with the NR group (median=38, range=23-57, p<0.05), and it was observed that this score had the best predictive value for worse driving performance in the regression model. General cognitive screening tests (Mini-Mental State Examination and Addenbrooke's Cognitive Evaluation) were similar between the groups (p>0.05), with a small effect size (Cohen's d=0.3 both).
CONCLUSION
The verbal learning score may be a better predictor of driving risk than cognitive screening tests. High-risk drivers also showed significantly higher traffic driving penalty scores in the Intersection, Overtaking, and Rain tests.
Topics: Accidents, Traffic; Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Attention; Cognition; Humans; Neuropsychological Tests; Verbal Learning
PubMed: 34932652
DOI: 10.1590/0004-282X-ANP-2021-0054 -
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 -
Ear and Hearing 2022This study examined the performance of a group of adult cochlear implant (CI) candidates (CIC) on visual tasks of verbal learning and memory. Preoperative verbal...
OBJECTIVES
This study examined the performance of a group of adult cochlear implant (CI) candidates (CIC) on visual tasks of verbal learning and memory. Preoperative verbal learning and memory abilities of the CIC group were compared with a group of older normal-hearing (ONH) control participants. Relations between preoperative verbal learning and memory measures and speech recognition outcomes after 6 mo of CI use were also investigated for a subgroup of the CICs.
DESIGN
A group of 80 older adult participants completed a visually presented multitrial free recall task. Measures of word recall, repetition learning, and the use of self-generated organizational strategies were collected from a group of 49 CICs, before cochlear implantation, and a group of 31 ONH controls. Speech recognition outcomes were also collected from a subgroup of 32 of the CIC participants who returned for testing 6 mo after CI activation.
RESULTS
CICs demonstrated poorer verbal learning performance compared with the group of ONH control participants. Among the preoperative verbal learning and memory measures, repetition learning slope and measures of self-generated organizational clustering strategies were the strongest predictors of post-CI speech recognition outcomes.
CONCLUSIONS
Older adult CI candidates present with verbal learning and memory deficits compared with older adults without hearing loss, even on visual tasks that are independent from the direct effects of audibility. Preoperative verbal learning and memory processes reflecting repetition learning and self-generated organizational strategies in free recall were associated with speech recognition outcomes 6 months after implantation. The pattern of results suggests that visual measures of verbal learning may be a useful predictor of outcomes in postlingual adult CICs.
Topics: Aged; Cochlear Implantation; Cochlear Implants; Deafness; Humans; Speech; Speech Perception; Verbal Learning
PubMed: 35319518
DOI: 10.1097/AUD.0000000000001155 -
Seminars in Speech and Language Feb 2017This article reviews existing research on the interactions between verbal short-term memory and language processing impairments in aphasia. Theoretical models of... (Review)
Review
This article reviews existing research on the interactions between verbal short-term memory and language processing impairments in aphasia. Theoretical models of short-term memory are reviewed, starting with a model assuming a separation between short-term memory and language, and progressing to models that view verbal short-term memory as a cognitive requirement of language processing. The review highlights a verbal short-term memory model derived from an interactive activation model of word retrieval. This model holds that verbal short-term memory encompasses the temporary activation of linguistic knowledge (e.g., semantic, lexical, and phonological features) during language production and comprehension tasks. Empirical evidence supporting this model, which views short-term memory in the context of the processes it subserves, is outlined. Studies that use a classic measure of verbal short-term memory (i.e., number of words/digits correctly recalled in immediate serial recall) as well as those that use more intricate measures (e.g., serial position effects in immediate serial recall) are discussed. Treatment research that uses verbal short-term memory tasks in an attempt to improve language processing is then summarized, with a particular focus on word retrieval. A discussion of the limitations of current research and possible future directions concludes the review.
Topics: Aphasia; Comprehension; Humans; Language; Linguistics; Memory, Short-Term; Psychological Theory; Serial Learning; Verbal Learning
PubMed: 28201834
DOI: 10.1055/s-0036-1597261 -
Psychopharmacology May 2021Prolonged use of cannabis, the most widely used illicit drug worldwide, has been consistently associated with impairment in memory and verbal learning. Although the...
RATIONALE
Prolonged use of cannabis, the most widely used illicit drug worldwide, has been consistently associated with impairment in memory and verbal learning. Although the neurophysiological underpinnings of these impairments have been investigated previously using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), while performing memory tasks, the results of these studies have been inconsistent and no clear picture has emerged yet. Furthermore, no previous studies have investigated trial-by-trial learning.
OBJECTIVES
We aimed to investigate the neural underpinnings of impaired verbal learning in cannabis users as estimated over repeated learning trials.
METHODS
We studied 21 adolescent-onset regular cannabis users and 21 non-users using fMRI performed at least 12 h after last cannabis use, while they performed a paired associate verbal learning task that allowed us to examine trial-by-trial learning. Brain activation during repeated verbal encoding and recall conditions of the task was indexed using the blood oxygen level-dependent haemodynamic response fMRI signal.
RESULTS
There was a significant improvement in recall score over repeated trials indicating learning occurring across the two groups of participants. However, learning was significantly slower in cannabis users compared to non-users (p = 0.032, partial eta-squared = 0.108). While learning verbal stimuli over repeated encoding blocks, non-users displayed progressive increase in recruitment of the midbrain, parahippocampal gyrus and thalamus (p = 0.00939, partial eta-squared = 0.180). In contrast, cannabis users displayed a greater but disrupted activation pattern in these regions, which showed a stronger correlation with new word-pairs learnt over the same blocks in cannabis users than in non-users.
CONCLUSIONS
These results suggest that disrupted medial temporal and midbrain function underlie slower learning in adolescent-onset cannabis users.
Topics: Adolescent; Adult; Female; Humans; Learning; Magnetic Resonance Imaging; Male; Marijuana Smoking; Memory; Mental Recall; Mesencephalon; Parahippocampal Gyrus; Verbal Learning; Young Adult
PubMed: 31814047
DOI: 10.1007/s00213-019-05407-9 -
Journal of Speech, Language, and... Apr 2019Purpose The purpose of this study was to investigate the information-processing strategies of early-implanted, prelingually deaf cochlear implant (CI) users with the...
Purpose The purpose of this study was to investigate the information-processing strategies of early-implanted, prelingually deaf cochlear implant (CI) users with the California Verbal Learning Test-Second Edition (CVLT-II; Delis, Kramer, Kaplan, & Ober, 2000 ), a well-established normed measure of verbal learning and memory used in neuropsychological assessments of memory loss. Method Verbal learning and memory skills were compared in 20 older adolescent and young adult prelingually deaf long-term early-implanted CI users and their 24 normal hearing (NH) peers using the CVLT-II, a widely used multitrial free recall test of verbal learning and memory. Results On average, CI users recalled fewer words than their NH peers across the immediate, delayed, and cued recall trials of the CVLT-II but were comparable to their NH peers on yes/no recognition memory. CI users showed little evidence of semantic clustering of words during free recall but greater serial clustering compared to their NH peers, suggesting fundamental disturbances in automatic semantic activation of words from long-term memory. No differences were found in verbal memory between CI users and their NH peers on measures of retroactive interference and encoding/retrieval interactions. Performance on the 2nd word list of the CVLT-II (List B) and amount of semantic clustering of words during recall were correlated with sentence recognition in the CI group. Conclusion Study findings demonstrate significant differences in free recall performance and information-processing strategies that early-implanted, prelingually deaf CI users use to encode, organize, store, and retrieve spoken words in conventional verbal list learning paradigms, compared to their NH peers. Because verbal learning and memory are core foundational processes routinely used in daily functioning for a wide range of neurocognitive and language processing operations, these findings suggest potential domains for assessment and novel interventions to promote the development of optimal outcomes in prelingually deaf early-implanted long-term CI users.
Topics: Adolescent; Adult; Cochlear Implantation; Cochlear Implants; Cognition; Cues; Deafness; Female; Humans; Male; Mental Recall; Postoperative Period; Recognition, Psychology; Secondary Prevention; Semantics; Time Factors; Verbal Learning; Young Adult
PubMed: 30986141
DOI: 10.1044/2018_JSLHR-H-18-0125