Monthly Archives: September 2010
Comprehension of a novel accent by young and older listeners.
The authors investigated perceptual learning of a novel accent in young and older listeners through measuring speech reception thresholds (SRTs) using speech materials spoken in a novel—unfamiliar—accent. Younger and older listeners adapted to this accent, but older listeners showed poorer comprehension of the accent. Furthermore, perceptual learning differed across groups: The older listeners stopped learning after the first block, whereas younger listeners showed further improvement with longer exposure. Among the older participants, hearing acuity predicted the SRT as well as the effect of the novel accent on SRT. Finally, a measure of executive function predicted the impact of accent on SRT. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)
from Psychology and Aging
Response latencies in auditory sentence comprehension: Effects of linguistic versus perceptual challenge.
Older adults with good hearing and with mild-to-moderate hearing loss were tested for comprehension of spoken sentences that required perceptual effort (hearing speech at lower sound levels), and two degrees of cognitive load (sentences with simpler or more complex syntax). Although comprehension accuracy was equivalent for both participant groups and for young adults with good hearing, hearing loss was associated with longer response latencies to the correct comprehension judgments, especially for complex sentences heard at relatively low amplitudes. These findings demonstrate the need to take into account both sensory and cognitive demands of speech materials in older adults’ language comprehension. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)
from Psychology and Aging
The rise and fall of word retrieval across the lifespan.
Picture-naming performance for 48 black-and-white drawings was investigated in 1,145 Hebrew speakers, ages 5–86. Both a linear and a curvilinear quadratic model fit the data, reflecting an increase in ability with age as well as an increase followed by a decrease beyond that linear rise. Late-life performance was more affected by access difficulty than was early-life performance, with children’s responses limited by lexicon size. Immigrants performed more poorly than nonimmigrants, but an identical correlation between participant age and naming scores was found in both groups. We discuss the role of vocabulary funds and controlled access in naming pictures throughout life. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)
from Psychology and Aging
Does Foreign Language Writing Benefit From Increased Lexical Fluency? Evidence From a Classroom Experiment
We report a classroom experiment directed at increasing lexical fluency in writing. Participants were 107 Dutch students in bilingual (EFL) education (Grades 10 and 11). According to current theories of writing such fluency allows writers to devote more attention to higher order aspects of text production, such as idea generation, selection and organization, and revision of content. Two contrasting assumptions are studied: the inhibition assumption that effortful word production prevents writers from attending to higher order aspects and the compensation assumption that writers compensate for effortful word production processes by sequential processing strategies. Results show that a group trained in writing and fluency in the deployment of useful words for writing in specific tasks outperformed a group receiving the same writing lessons but without fluency training both in fluency of trained words and in frequency of use of the target words in writing. However, the lexical fluency group did not produce foreign language texts of better quality than the group that received no fluency training. Both groups, however, outperformed a baseline control group that had not received writing lessons. The results are interpreted as support for the compensation assumption.
from Language Learning
Lateral semicircular canal fenestration for congenital conductive hearing loss: Solution for a dilemma
Conclusion
We demonstrated hearing improvement after lateral semicircular canal fenestration. This technique can be considered as an alternative for patients with middle ear anomalies who are not candidates for ossicular reconstruction.
Transfer of task-switching training in older age: The role of verbal processes.
This study investigated the influence of verbal self-instructions (VSI) on the transfer of task-switching training in older adults (56–78 years). We applied an internally cued switching paradigm in a pretest–training–posttest design. Training-related improvements were not modulated by VSI. Transfer (the pretest–posttest reduction of switch costs) was most pronounced when participants applied the VSI at posttest after practicing the switching task without VSI. The results indicate that in contrast to transfer of executive control training, transfer of (verbal) strategy training seems to be limited and that VSI is most beneficial when the task-switching abilities are already well practiced. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)
from Psychology and Aging
A corpus analysis of patterns of age-related change in conversational speech.
Conversational speech from over 300 speakers from 17 to 68 years of age was analyzed for age-related changes in the timing and content of spoken language production. Overall, several relationships between the lexical content, timing, and fluency of speech emerged, such that more novel and lower frequency words were associated with slower speech and higher levels of disfluencies. Speaker age was associated with slower speech and more filled pauses, particularly those associated with lexical selection. Increasing age, however, was also associated with longer utterances and greater lexical diversity. On balance, these analyses present a picture of age-related changes in speech performance that largely support data obtained from controlled laboratory studies. However, particular patterns of age-related change may be moderated in conversational situations. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)
from Psychology and Aging
Age-related deficits in auditory confrontation naming.
The naming of manipulable objects in older and younger adults was evaluated across auditory, visual, and multisensory conditions. Older adults were less accurate and slower in naming across conditions, and all subjects were more impaired and slower to name action sounds than pictures or audiovisual combinations. Moreover, there was a sensory by age group interaction, revealing lower accuracy and increased latencies in auditory naming for older adults unrelated to hearing insensitivity but modest improvement to multisensory cues. These findings support age-related deficits in object action naming and suggest that auditory confrontation naming may be more sensitive than visual naming. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)
from Psychology and Aging
The Educational Relevance of Communication Disorders
Meredith was born with multiple disabilities, including severe hearing loss. Through family involvement, early intervention, amplification, speech-language services in school and in a local university clinic, Meredith’s communication skills are approaching age level, with language and listening deficits typical of a child with hearing loss. During Meredith’s second-grade Individualized Education Program (IEP) meeting, some team members suggested that Meredith participate in the alternative assessment for special education students rather than the state assessment. Concerned about the implications for Meredith’s ability to pass the high school assessments—and therefore earn a diploma—the parents and the speech-language pathologists advocated for participation in the state assessments. The team agreed and included in the IEP speech-language services that focused on the vocabulary and language skills needed for mastery of the standards and the assessments. The following year, Meredith successfully passed the third-grade assessments.
from the ASHA Leader
SLPs Win Federal Grant for Research on Reading
“Reading for Understanding” Initiative Comprises National Network of Six Teams
from the ASHA Leader
Talking While Walking Puts Parkinson’s Patients At Risk For Falls
A new Florida State University study found that older adults with Parkinson’s disease altered their gaitvstride length, step velocity and the time they spent stabilizing on two feet when asked to perform increasingly difficult verbal tasks while walking. But the real surprise was that even older adults without a neurological impairment demonstrated similar difficulties walking and talking.
Building Language Skills More Critical For Boys Than Girls, Study Finds
Developing language skills appears to be more important for boys than girls in helping them to develop self-control and, ultimately, succeed in school, according to a study led by a Michigan State University researcher.
Less pain for learning gain
Research offers a strategy to increase learning with less effort
from EurekAlert.org
Phonological working memory impairments in children with specific language impairment: where does the problem lie?
Conclusions
We were able to ascertain which aspects of lexical learning are most problematic for children with SLI in terms of fast-mapping. These findings may allow clinicians to focus intervention on known areas of weakness. Future directions include extending these findings to slow mapping scenarios.
from the Journal of Communication Disorders
