RSS 1.0Research from April 2016
This area brings together all research published after April 2016.
Collections in this community
Recent Submissions
-
Model based clustering of political finance regimes: developing the regulation of political finance indicatorPolitical finance literature lacks a common framework for classifying regulatory systems. As these tools are influential in the identification of generalizable relationships, studies assessing political finance in areas such as corruption, competition, and electoral outcomes, often present case specific findings. Using updated International IDEA data, the application of a Multiple Correspondence Analysis and Model Based Clustering framework presents a variable to measure levels of regulation; the ‘Unregulated’, ‘Partially Regulated’ and ‘Strongly Regulated’ system types; and statistics for assessing the certainty of each country’s classification. Applying this methodology to a 180-country sample represents an improvement on previous studies which, due to data limitations, have often used reductive methods and limited sampling. In closing, the ‘Regulation of Political Finance Indicator’ is introduced via Multinomial Logistic Regression, where analyses from prior literature are revisited. Avenues for further study are provided, which may seek to identify generalizable relationships in the areas described above, while also looking to produce ongoing panel data.
-
Dual-task decrements in mono-, bi-, and multilingual participants: evidence of multilingual advantageEvidence suggests that language processing in bilinguals is less left-lateralized than in monolinguals. We explored dual-task decrement (DTD) for mono-, bi- and multilinguals in a verbal-motor dual-task paradigm. We expected monolinguals to show greater DTD than bilingual participants, who would show greater DTD than multilingual participants. Fifty right-handed participants (18 monolingual, 16 bilingual, 16 multilingual) completed verbal fluency and manual motor tasks in isolation and concurrently. Tasks were completed twice in isolation (left-handed, right-handed) and twice as dual-tasks (left-handed, right-handed); participants’ motor-executing hands served proxy for hemispheric activation. Results supported the hypotheses. Completing dual-tasks incurred greater cost for manual motor tasks than for verbal fluency tasks. Negative cost of performing dual-tasks diminished as number of languages spoken increased; in fact, multilingual individuals demonstrated a dual-task advantage in both tasks when using the right hand, strongest in the verbal task. Dual-tasking had the greatest negative impact on verbal fluency of monolingual participants when the motor task was completed with the right hand; for bi- and multi-lingual participants, the greatest negative impact on verbal fluency was seen when the motor task was completed with the left hand. Results provide support for the bi-lateralization of language function in bi- and multilingual individuals.
-
Lexical learning shapes the development of speech perception until late adolescenceThe role of neurobiologically-constrained critical periods for language learning remains controversial. We provide new evidence for critical periods by examining speech sound processing across the lifespan. We tested perceptual acuity for minimal word-word (e.g. bear-pear), and word-pseudoword (e.g. bag-pag) pairs generated using trial-unique audio morphed speech tokens. Participants (N=1537) performed a 3-interval, 2-alternative forced choice perceptual task indicating which of two cartoon characters said a referent word correctly. We adaptively reduced the contrastive acoustic cues in speech tokens to measure the Proportion of Acoustic Difference Required for Identification (PADRI) at 79.4% correct. Results showed effects of age, lexical context, and language experience on perceptual acuity. However, for native-listeners responding to word-word trials, age-related improvements stopped at 16.7 years. This finding suggests a role for continued lexical experience in shaping perceptual acuity for spoken words until late adolescence consistent with interactive models of speech perception and critical periods
-
Prototype theory: an evaluationThis paper discusses prototype theory and aims to evaluate the proposal that prototype structures can serve as word meanings. It has been proposed that prototype structures have cognitive representations that could serve as representations of real world categories. This issue is discussed on the basis of a mainly theoretical approach, while particular issues are more extensively exemplified. A central conclusion is that prototype structures can be considered as having a supplementary role to word meanings, yet do not form an adequate or non-problematic basis overall. The following section introduces some basic features of prototype theory.
-
Cue-weighting in L2 acquisitionconference poster
-
Lifespan learning of speech perception in native and non-native listenersLifespan learning of speech perception in native and non-native listeners Matthew Davis1 , Samuel Evans1,2*, Kathleen McCarthy1,3*, Anastasia Giannakopoulou1,4*, Lindsey Evans1 * and Joanne Taylor1 1. University of Cambridge 2. Institute for Cognitive Neuroscience, University College London 3. Department of Speech, Hearing and Phonetic Sciences, University College, London 4. University of Bedfordshire Accent differences between early and late second language learners suggest that perception and production of speech has reduced plasticity in adulthood. To explore the nature and cause of these developmental changes we tested perceptual acuity for speech in >2000 visitors to the Science Museum in London. We used an adaptive 3I-2AFC task with two sets of 60 minimal word (e.g. bear-pear), and 60 word-nonword pairs (bag-pag) generated by audio-morphing a number of different phonetic contrasts. Speech was presented with variable proportions of natural acoustic differences and we estimated the Proportion of Acoustic Difference Required for Identification (PADRI): 80% accuracy in deciding which syllable was correct. This PADRI measure shows significant increases of perceptual acuity with age (better acuity for adults), lexical-status (better for word pairs) and language-status (better for native-English listeners). Results suggest that perceptual Wednesday 16 April am 27 Wednesday 16 April am development continues into adolescence and early adulthood. Furthermore, significant interactions between lexical-status and age or language-status suggest that changes in perceptual acuity are most apparent when tested with word-word continua. That both developmental and experience-dependent changes depend on listeners using knowledge of spoken words to guide perception suggests that greater lexical experience may contribute to age-related changes in perceptual plasticity.
