Papers by Michael Kaschak
The 1990s were dubbed the “Decade of the Brain.” During this time there was a marked increase in ... more The 1990s were dubbed the “Decade of the Brain.” During this time there was a marked increase in the amount of neuroimaging work observing how the brain accomplishes many tasks, including the processing of language. In this chapter we review the past 15 years of neuroimaging research on language production and comprehension. The findings of these studies indicate that the processing involved in language use occurs in diffuse brain regions.
We explore whether time shifts in text comprehension are represented spatially. Participants read... more We explore whether time shifts in text comprehension are represented spatially. Participants read sentences involving past or future events and made sensibility judgment responses in one of two ways:(1) moving toward or away from their body and (2) pressing the toward or away buttons without moving. Previous work suggests that spatial compatibility effects should be observed, where the future is mapped onto responses away from the body, and the past is mapped onto responses toward the body.
Abstract We present an experiment in which we explored the extent to which visual speech informat... more Abstract We present an experiment in which we explored the extent to which visual speech information affects learners' ability to segment words from a fluent speech stream. Learners were presented with a set of sentences consisting of novel words, in which the only cues to the location of word boundaries were the transitional probabilities between syllables.
Language is a uniquely human tool. It helps us situate ourselves in the world around us by direct... more Language is a uniquely human tool. It helps us situate ourselves in the world around us by directing our attention to people, objects, events, and possibilities for action. Language also situates us in worlds separate from our immediate environment. Through descriptions of real or imagined events, it serves to draw our attention to people, objects, events, and possibilities for action that are not present in the here and now. This situating of oneself in events outside of the here and now takes place through a process of mental simulation.
Abstract Theories of embodied language comprehension propose that the neural systems used for per... more Abstract Theories of embodied language comprehension propose that the neural systems used for perception, action, and emotion are also engaged during language comprehension. Consistent with these theories, behavioral studies have shown that the comprehension of language that describes motion is affected by simultaneously perceiving a moving stimulus (Kaschak et al., 2005).
We examined the influence of female fertility on the likelihood of male participants aligning the... more We examined the influence of female fertility on the likelihood of male participants aligning their choice of syntactic construction with those of female confederates. Men interacted with women throughout their menstrual cycle. On critical trials during the interaction, the confederate described a picture to the participant using particular syntactic constructions.
Abstract When participants are asked to make sensibility judgments on sentences that describe act... more Abstract When participants are asked to make sensibility judgments on sentences that describe action toward the body (ie,“Mark dealt the cards to you”) or away from the body (ie,“You dealt the cards to Mark”), they are faster to respond when the response requires an arm movement in the same direction as the action described by the sentence. This congruence effect is known as the Action–Sentence Compatibility Effect (ACE).
Abstract We report a new phenomenon associated with language comprehension: theaction—sentence co... more Abstract We report a new phenomenon associated with language comprehension: theaction—sentence compatibility effect (ACE). Participants judged whether sentences were sensible by making a response that required moving toward or away from their bodies. When a sentence implied action in one direction (eg,“Close the drawer” implies action away from the body), the participants had difficulty making a sensibility judgment requiring a response in the opposite direction.
Abstract 1. The Indexical Hypothesis suggests a new method for enhancing children's reading compr... more Abstract 1. The Indexical Hypothesis suggests a new method for enhancing children's reading comprehension. Young readers may not consistently" index," or map, words to the objects the words represent. Consequently, these readers fail to derive much meaning from the text. The instructional method involves manipulating toy objects referred to in the text (eg, a barn, a tractor, a horse, in a text about a farm) to simulate the actions described in the text.
The Indexical Hypothesis describes how sentences become meaningful through grounding their interp... more The Indexical Hypothesis describes how sentences become meaningful through grounding their interpretation in action. We develop support for the hypothesis by examining how people understand innovative denominal verbs, that is, verbs made from nouns and first encountered by participants within the experiment (eg, to crutch). Experiments 1 and 2 demonstrated that different syntactic constructions provide scenes or goals that influence the meaning created for the innovative verbs.
Abstract In two experiments, we investigated how text comprehension is influenced by the interact... more Abstract In two experiments, we investigated how text comprehension is influenced by the interaction between the properties of actions and the temporal relations specified by adverbs. Participants read short narratives describing a protagonist who performed two actions that involved similar sensorimotor systems (eg, chopping wood and painting a fence) or different ones (eg, whistling a melody and painting a fence).
Abstract This article explores the influence of idiomatic syntactic constructions (ie, constructi... more Abstract This article explores the influence of idiomatic syntactic constructions (ie, constructions whose phrase structure rules violate the rules that underlie the construction of other kinds of sentences in the language) on the acquisition of phrase structure. In Experiment 1, participants were trained on an artificial language generated from hierarchical phrase structure rules. Some participants were given exposure to an idiomatic construction (IC) during training, whereas others were not.
Abstract 1. Four experiments are presented in which adults learned to comprehend a new syntactic ... more Abstract 1. Four experiments are presented in which adults learned to comprehend a new syntactic construction in their native language. Experiments 1 and 2 demonstrate that adults quickly learn to comprehend the new construction and generalize it to new verbs. Experiment 3 shows that experience with the novel construction affects the processing of a construction already known to the participants and with which the novel construction is temporarily ambiguous.
Abstract In this article, we explore the nature of the conceptual knowledge retrieved when people... more Abstract In this article, we explore the nature of the conceptual knowledge retrieved when people use words to think about objects. If conceptual knowledge is used to simulate and guide action in the world, then how one can interact with an object should be reflected in the speed of retrieval and the content that is retrieved. This prediction was tested in three experiments in which a part verification procedure was used.
Abstract 1. Comments on an article by JJ Arnett (see record 2008-14338-003) regarding the asserti... more Abstract 1. Comments on an article by JJ Arnett (see record 2008-14338-003) regarding the assertion that American psychology focuses too narrowly on Americans while neglecting the other 95% of the world's population. The authors agree with Arnett's call for greater attention to this issue. However, they fundamentally disagree with his position on issues related to generalizability and basic research.
One of the central tasks facing language learners is the acquisition of phrase structure. Althoug... more One of the central tasks facing language learners is the acquisition of phrase structure. Although any one sentence does not provide enough information for learners to induce the structure of the language, Morgan, Meier, and Newport (1989) noted that a comparison of two or more sentences can yield clues as to the structural units of the language and the rules that govern their combination.
Abstract Previous reports have demonstrated that the comprehension of sentences describing motion... more Abstract Previous reports have demonstrated that the comprehension of sentences describing motion in a particular direction (toward, away, up, or down) is affected by concurrently viewing a stimulus that depicts motion in the same or opposite direction. We report 3 experiments that extend our understanding of the relation between perception and language processing in 2 ways.
Traditional approaches to understanding language are framed in terms of abstract principles (eg, ... more Traditional approaches to understanding language are framed in terms of abstract principles (eg, rules of syntax), abstract categories (eg, nouns and verbs), and abstract amodal and arbitrary representational units (eg, nodes in semantic memory). Emphasizing the abstract facilitates the formalization and simulation of psycholinguistic theories, but leaves little room for biology.
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Papers by Michael Kaschak