178 research outputs found
Pragmatics aid referent disambiguation and word learning in young children and adults
No full textHow do children succeed in learning a word? Research has shown robustly that, in ambiguous labeling situations, young children assume novel labels to refer to unfamiliar rather than familiar objects. However, ongoing debates center on the underlying mechanism: Is this behavior based on lexical constraints, guided by pragmatic reasoning, or simply driven by children's attraction to novelty? Additionally, recent research has questioned whether children's disambiguation leads to long-term learning or rather indicates an attentional shift in the moment of the conversation. Thus, we conducted a pre-registered online study with 2- and 3-year-olds and adults. Participants were presented with unknown objects as potential referents for a novel word. Across conditions, we manipulated whether the only difference between both objects was their relative novelty to the participant or whether, in addition, participants were provided with pragmatic information that indicated which object the speaker referred to. We tested participants’ immediate referent selection and their retention after 5 min. Results revealed that when given common ground information both age groups inferred the correct referent with high success and enhanced behavioral certainty. Without this information, object novelty alone did not guide their selection. After 5 min, adults remembered their previous selections above chance in both conditions, while children only showed reliable learning in the pragmatic condition. The pattern of results indicates how pragmatics may aid referent disambiguation and learning in both adults and young children. From early ontogeny on, children's social-cognitive understanding may guide their communicative interactions and support their language acquisition.the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft DF
Die P600, Noradrenalin und domänenübergreifende Prozesse während des Satzverstehens
No full textAre processes of language comprehension and their neural substrate shared with other cognitive domains or specific to language? The present dissertation investigated different aspects of this question in three electroencephalography experiments, focusing on the P600 component of the event-related potential observed in response to incongruencies during sentence comprehension.
The first aspect of this question was how independent the language system is from other aspects of cognition. Study 1 revealed that processes involved in language comprehension – as reflected in the P600 – can be modulated by sustained attention, suggesting they reflect rather controlled aspects of sentence comprehension. Study 2 demonstrates that the P600 correlates with indices of recognition memory, indicating that the underlying processes also promote explicit memory formation in sentence reading. These findings underscore the idea that language comprehension is an active process that recruits more general executive resources.
A second question related to language specificity concerns how involved domain-general neural substrates are when processing language. Study 2 and 3 address this question by providing evidence suggesting that the P600 might reflect phasic release of norepinephrine from the locus coeruleus as a general response to salient and motivationally significant events. Study 2 corroborates this idea by demonstrating that the P600 is correlated with explicit memory effects which are argued to arise as a consequence of norepinephrine release. In line with this, study 3 revealed that the P600 amplitude can be predicted by pupil dilation, a non-invasive marker of norepinephrine. These results reveal a link between locus coeruleus and markers of language comprehension such as the P600, highlighting the involvement of domain-general neural systems in language processing.
Together, these findings support the notion that sentence comprehension recruits more domain-general cognitive and neural resources. Thereby, these results may inspire future research on the causal links between the P600 and norepinephrine as well as novel computational accounts of the P600. In conclusion, this work provides insights advancing our understanding of the neural systems underlying language comprehension.Werden Prozesse des Sprachverstehens und ihre neuronalen Grundlagen mit anderen kognitiven Domänen geteilt oder sind sie sprachspezifisch? Die vorliegende Dissertation untersucht verschiedene Aspekte dieser Frage in drei Elektroenzephalographie-Experimenten. Der Schwerpunkt liegt dabei auf der P600-Komponente des ereignis-korrelierten Potenzials, welches durch Inkongruenzen während des Satzverstehens hervorgerufen wird.
Wie unabhängig ist das Sprachsystem von anderen Bereichen der Kognition? Studie 1 zeigt, dass Prozesse, die im Sprachverstehen involviert sind und welche die P600 auslösen, durch anhaltende Aufmerksamkeit beeinflusst werden. Dies deutet darauf hin, dass diese Prozesse eher kontrollierte Aspekte des Satzverstehens widerspiegeln. Studie 2 demonstriert, dass die P600 mit expliziten Gedächtniseffekten einhergeht, was darauf hinweist, dass die zugrundeliegenden Prozesse auch die Bildung von Erinnerungen beim Lesen von Sätzen fördern. Beide Befunde unterstreichen die Auffassung, dass Sprachverstehen ein aktiver Prozess ist, welcher allgemeinere exekutive Ressourcen einbezieht.
Ist domänenübergreifendes neuronales Substrat an Sprachverarbeitung beteiligt? Studie 2 und 3 liefern Hinweise darauf, dass die P600 eine phasische Freisetzung von Noradrenalin im Locus caeruleus widerspiegeln könnte, welche als allgemeine Reaktion auf saliente und motivational wichtige Ereignisse fungiert. Studie 2 untermauert diese Annahme, indem sie zeigt, dass die P600 mit expliziten Gedächtniseffekten korreliert, welche mutmaßlich durch die Freisetzung von Noradrenalin entstehen. Studie 3 liefert Evidenz, dass die Amplitude der P600 durch die Erweiterung der Pupille – einem nicht-invasiven Korrelat von Noradrenalin – vorhergesagt werden kann. Beide Studien legen somit eine Verbindung zwischen dem Locus caeruleus und der P600 während der Satzverarbeitung nahe und damit eine Einbindung domänenübergeifender neuronaler Systeme in die Sprachverarbeitung.
Gemeinsam stützen die Befunde die Annahme, dass Satzverstehen domänengenerelle kognitive und neuronale Ressourcen rekrutiert. Damit regen sie sowohl zukünftige Forschung zum möglichen kausalen Zusammenhang zwischen der P600 und Noradrenalin als auch computergestützte Erklärungsansätze der P600 an. Abschließend liefert die Dissertation wichtige weitere Erkenntnisse zu den neuronalen Grundlagen des Sprachsystems
Revision and Repetition : Uncovering the Feminine Aesthetic in the Work of Gerlind Reinshagen and Friederike Roth
No full textii, 414 p.The author presents original translations of two 20th Century German plays, "Die Clownin: ein Spiel" ("The Clown") by Gerlind Reinshagen and "Das Ganze ein Stuck" ("The Whole a Piece") by Friederike Roth. She includes biographical information, analysis of "Das Ganze ein Stuck," and notes on the translation process and the production of "The Clown.
PosRec I: P600 & explicit memory formation
No full textThe P600 event-related component is elicited by a wide range of anomalies during sentence comprehension and remains important for neurocognitive models of language comprehension. A recent hypothesis proposes that the P600 reflects phasic norepinephrine (NE) release from the locus coeruleus (LC) to salient stimuli that need selective attention and behavioral adaptation (e.g., Bornkessel-Schlesewsky & Schlesewsky, 2019, Front. Psychol.). Phasic release of NE plays an important role in explicit memory formation since the LC innervates limbic structures that are involved in consolidation of long-term memory (Sara, 2009, Nat. Rev. Neurosci.). If the P600 indeed reflects phasic NE release from the LC, an enhanced amplitude should thus lead to stronger explicit memory formation. This ERP study thus investigates whether the P600 amplitude relates to explicit memory formation.
To elicit the P600 during the encoding phase, participants will read 240 sentences word by word including a critical target noun that is either morphosyntactically violated (incorrect article), semantically deviant, or correct and semantically fitting. In a subsequent word recognition task, participants will judge whether a particular word (seen target vs unseen word) appeared in a sentence during the encoding phase or not (Y/N)
PosRec I: P600 & explicit memory formation
No full textThe P600 event-related component is elicited by a wide range of anomalies during sentence comprehension and remains important for neurocognitive models of language comprehension. A recent hypothesis proposes that the P600 reflects phasic norepinephrine (NE) release from the locus coeruleus (LC) to salient stimuli that need selective attention and behavioral adaptation (e.g., Bornkessel-Schlesewsky & Schlesewsky, 2019, Front. Psychol.). Phasic release of NE plays an important role in explicit memory formation since the LC innervates limbic structures that are involved in consolidation of long-term memory (Sara, 2009, Nat. Rev. Neurosci.). If the P600 indeed reflects phasic NE release from the LC, an enhanced amplitude should thus lead to stronger explicit memory formation. This ERP study thus investigates whether the P600 amplitude relates to explicit memory formation.
To elicit the P600 during the encoding phase, participants will read 240 sentences word by word including a critical target noun that is either morphosyntactically violated (incorrect article), semantically deviant, or correct and semantically fitting. In a subsequent word recognition task, participants will judge whether a particular word (seen target vs unseen word) appeared in a sentence during the encoding phase or not (Y/N)
Resources for leading a many-author non-empirical paper
No full textThis project contains resources related to the paper "Ten simple rules for leading a many-author non-empirical paper" (https://osf.io/preprints/osf/q3azn). Specifically, we provide examples of emails sent to authors explaining changes based on co-author feedback, and tips for being a co-author on a many-author non-empirical paper
Towards a Pan-European property index : methodological opportunities
Get PDFThesis (S.M. in Real Estate Development)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Architecture, Center for Real Estate, 2004 [first author]; and, (S.M. in Real Estate Development)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Urban Studies and Planning, Center for Real Estate, 2004 [second author].This electronic version was submitted by the student author. The certified thesis is available in the Institute Archives and Special Collections.Includes bibliographical references (p. 85-87).This study examines the methodological opportunities of index construction for the Pan-European property index, whose release is planned by the company Investment Property Databank (IPD). To address the question of temporal aggregation in appraisal indices, three index construction methods, namely "Stale Appraisal", "Linear Interpolation", and "Repeated Measures Regression", are tested for their accuracy in dealing with infrequent appraisals. Our model is based on a simulation approach, calculating appraised indices from a simulated "true index" of randomly generated returns, and directly comparing the statistical characteristics of these index returns to the true return. As broader context, this paper also gives an overview of the current theories in respect to general valuation issues on a disaggregate, aggregate and international level. We also investigate the European real estate market regarding currently applied market size measuring, structure and country performance. In particular, we explore crucial valuation issues that are relevant for the planned Pan-European property index to obtain the respect of the international investment community.by Friederike Helfer and Markus Witta.S.M.in Real Estate Developmen
Pragmatics Aid Referent Disambiguation and Word Learning in Young Children and Adults
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Ten Simple Rules for Being a Co-author on a Many-Author Non-Empirical Paper
No full textMany-author non-empirical papers include “how to” articles, recommendations or consensus statements, roadmaps for future research, catalogs of ideas, or calls to action. These papers benefit the research community and broader academic ecosystem by addressing unmet needs or introducing new perspectives and approaches. Large, diverse authorship teams that examine an issue from many different perspectives can create valuable resources that individual co-authors could not develop independently, or in smaller groups. Realizing the potential of many-author non-empirical papers, however, requires very different strategies than researchers would typically use to write papers with fewer authors. A core team of lead writers typically work together to lead the content generation and writing processes, while many co-authors collaboratively create content and provide feedback on outlines and drafts. Challenges for co-authors may include learning to write a different type of paper, adapting to high volume feedback, and understanding the very diverse perspectives shared by fellow co-authors. This paper outlines ten simple rules for being a co-author on a many-author non-empirical paper. Although the rules were developed for papers with at least 30 authors, some rules may be useful for many-author research papers, or for non-empirical papers with fewer authors. Co-authors may also want to consult our companion paper on ten simple rules for leading a many-author non-empirical paper, as understanding the challenges faced by lead writers will help co-authors to contribute more efficiently and effectively
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