Lecture 3: Language - Word Recognition and Production

Question 1

Define lexicon.

Answer 1

A metaphorical mental dictionary

Question 2

What is the linguistic modality for written language?

Answer 2

Orthography

Question 3

What is the linguistic modality for spoken language?

Answer 3

Phonology

Question 4

Why is parallel activation of lexical competitors necessary?

Answer 4

Average word takes 500ms - must predict from partial input and context to keep up.

Question 5

What evidence is there for parallel activation of lexical competitors?

Answer 5

1. Eye-tracking - captures decision-making in real time
2. Cross-modal priming - faster to recognise written word when primed with semantically linked spoken word; priming effects larger for high-frequency competitors than lower

Question 6

What sort of model is TRACE?

Answer 6

‘Interactive-activation connectionist network model.

Interaction between levels; activates when reach threshold; feedback adjust weights within system.

Question 7

What are the 3 levels of the TRACE model?

Answer 7

1. phonological features - e.g. voicing node
2. phonemes - basic speech sounds that build words
3. words/lexical layer - reflects recurring perceptual patterns

Question 8

What is the effect of lexical feedback?

Answer 8

Cleans up uncertainty of speech.

Question 9

What happens at the lexical level to distinguish between competitors (nodes/hypotheses)?

Answer 9

Lateral inhibitory connection

Question 10

How do high frequency nodes get preferenced?

Answer 10

Lower thresholds for activation.

Question 11

What architecture and processing type do bilinguals use?

Answer 11

Integrated and non-selective.

That is, both languages belong to same architecture and are accessed together. This creates a language control problem.

Question 12

What fMRI evidence is there for integrated and non-selective processing for bilinguals?

Answer 12

1. Same brain areas used to represent both languages

2. Language represented in same region for bi- and monolinguals

Question 13

What behavioural evidence is there for integrated and non-selective processing for bilinguals?

Answer 13

1. bilinguals activate words from both languages on tasks requiring only one - visual lexical decision task in English-Dutch - bilinguals slower RT
2. eye-tracking - German bilinguals tempted by ‘deckel’ when told to look towards ‘desk’

Question 14

How does the bilingual activation model account for multiple languages?

Answer 14

Extra layer for language nodes - sends inhibitory signals towards language not consistent with them (top-down)

Question 15

What is the SAS of Grees inhibitory control model? What is it’s function?

Answer 15

Supervisory Attention System. Top-down inhibitory control mechanism. Activates language task schemas which enable selection of intended language by inhibiting irrelevant language tags

Question 16

Evidence for generalised inhibitory control benefits for bilinguals?

Answer 16

1. denser grey matter dACC (monitors correct responses)
2. denser grey matter DLPFC (guides response selection)
3. denser grey matter ACC (detects conflict)

BUT, recent meta-analyses show little evidence