Chapter 17 Language

Question 1

Language is most strongly associated with what two regions?

These two regions are densely interconnected, but ________ support different aspects of language processing.

Answer 1

1. Left Inferior frontal gyrus (Broca’s area)
2. Left Posterior Auditory Association Cortex (Wernicke’s Area)

-independently

Question 2

Language processing occurs in _____ hemisphere.

The inferior portion contains “____ area” and is involved in ________ of language.

The posterior portion contains “______ area” and is involved in ______ of language.

Answer 2

Left hemisphere

inferior: Broca’s = Production

Posterior: Wernicke’s = Comprehension

Question 3

The specialization in language (Brocas vs Wernicke’s) was identified through region brain damage, often as a result of a _____.

Answer 3

Stroke

Question 4

Damage to Broca’s leads to ________ deficits such as:
-_____ speech
-tendency to ___ phrases or words (perserveration)
-Disordered ____ & _____
-Disordered ___ of individual words

BUT _________ is intact.

These are all characteristics of Broca’s ______.

Answer 4

Production deficits (Characteristics of Broca’s Aphasias (disorder that effects how you communicate)

-halting speech
-repeat phrases/words
-disordered syntax & grammar
-Disordered structure of individual words

BUT comprehension is in tact!!

Question 5

Damage to Wernicke’s Area leads to _________ deficits.

Characteristics of Wernickle’s
-_________ Speech
-Little spontaneous ______.
-Adequate _____ & ______.
-_____ or inappropriate words

_______ is NOT in tact.

Answer 5

Comprehension deficits.
-fluent speech
-little spontaneous repetition
-adequate syntax and grammar
-contrived or inappropriate words

Comprehension is NOT in tact.

Question 6

There is a significant role for the right hemisphere in language processing and production. ________ also called “robotic speech” results from damage from the right hemisphere.

Answer 6

Aprodosia (“robotic speech”)

Question 7

The left-hemisphere is involved in ______ and _____ language, ___ and ____. Whereas, the right-hemisphere is involved in ______ of language and _____ speech.

Answer 7

Left:
-lexical and syntactical language
-writing
-speech

Right:
-emotional coloring of language
-rudimentary speech (basic/elementary)

Question 8

The left hemisphere is activated by all words with and without meaning but the words must have _____ to activate right hemisphere.

Answer 8

meaning

Question 9

Efficient language processing is dependent on ________ about upcoming words within a sentence.

We anticipate “______” words that are likely to follow other words and if a word doesn’t meet these expectations, a ______ ERP appears. This is similar to conflict monitoring in ________.

Answer 9

expectations; anticipate predictable words; if don’t meet expectations -> N400 ERP appears; similar to conflict monitoring in DLPFC.

Question 10

Non-semantic changes (a word presented in a different _____), or spoken by a different person evokes a _______-like ERP.

Answer 10

font; evokes a P300-like ERP

Question 11

Only meaning-based violations trigger the ______. The bigger the deviation, the larger the ____.

Answer 11

N400

Question 12

Any given language is made up of _____ phones - or speech sounds.

Answer 12

30-100

Question 13

There are only ~____ total phones in all languages.

Answer 13

200

Question 14

Infants lose the ability to distinguish phones outside of their native language by ~___ years of age.

Answer 14

2

Question 15

When someone hears a phone, what is perceived is called a _______.

Answer 15

Phoneme

Question 16

The Phenome could be different than the phone as a result of ____, ____, or a ___ between sound and sight of speaker.

Answer 16

expectations, context effects, or a conflict

Question 17

If your language doesn’t include that phone, you will percieve it as your _________.

Answer 17

nearest phone

Question 18

A swedish 3 year old can classify 17 vowel phones correctly. A spanish 3 year old will only hear 5, and ‘force’ the other phones into the _____ spanish ______.

Answer 18

nearest spanish equivalent

Question 19

Language is strongly _______. We use both the sound and sight of someone speaking to decipher language.

When the sight doesn’t match the sound, we often percieve a ______ phenome, not actually present in either modality.

Answer 19

multimodal; if they don’t match -> percieve 3rd phenome

Question 20

When did language emerge in human evolution?

Answer 20

~7 million years ago

When humans split from primates due to a specific genetic mutations

Question 21

Humans share the ______ gene with all mammals, but they contain ___ copies. This distinction may partially underly our language abilities.

Answer 21

FOXP2; two copies

Question 22

In humans without a second ______ copy, speech and language is seriously _____. This discovery led to the manipulation of FOXP2 in mouse models.

Answer 22

FOXP2; speech and language is compromised

Question 23

Darwin’s model of evolved traits was based on __________.

Answer 23

Gradualism- a slow, continuous refinement of a trait providing an extra fitness benefit

Question 24

In contrast to Darwin’s model of evolved traits, he considered human language to have appeared ______.

Answer 24

suddenly

Question 25

Darwin believed human language appeared suddenly due to ______.

Answer 25

genetic mutations in vocal and brain anatomy

Question 26

Darwin’s idea that language suddenly appeared as a consequence of a genetic mutation in vocal and brain anatomy made the identified ______ gene an attractive ‘____ story’ for human language.

This could explain the lack of _______ in language evolution.

Answer 26

FOXP2 gene is an attractive ‘origin story’ for human language. Explains lack of gradualism.

Question 27

There is little evidence of non-human primate language. But Ghazanfar suggests there may be more to it than just _____.

Answer 27

more to it than FOXP2

Question 28

One trait all primates share is ________.

Answer 28

facial action

Question 29

Facial action in all primates is used to communicate _______, and need for ______.

Answer 29

communicate social intent, and need for joint attention.

Question 30

Structural connections between ______ and ______ areas exist in chimps, but are much weaker.

Answer 30

brocas and wernickes

Question 31

Ghazanfar & others review data suggesting that language could have evolved more ______. Maybe other primates’ language is better than we think.

Answer 31

gradually

Question 32

Ghazanfar presents evidence for 3 features?

Answer 32

1. Its audiovisual nature (it involved facial cues)
2. Rhythmicity (speech timing, meter)
3. Its turntaking pattern (conversation coordination)