Although previous research has established that multiple topdown factors guide the identification... more Although previous research has established that multiple topdown factors guide the identification of sounds during speech processing, the ultimate range of interaction across levels of linguistic structure is still unknown. In a set of experiments, we investigate whether interactive effects emerge between the two most disparate domains: pragmatic inference and acoustic speech perception. We use contexts that trigger pragmatic expectations regarding upcoming coreference (expectations for either he or she), and, in those contexts, we test listeners' identification of phonetic category boundaries (using words on the /hi/~/∫i/ continuum). The results indicate that pragmatic inference can indeed alter listeners' identification of phonetic categories.
Explanations for historical chain shifts tend towards the teleological using abstract ideas like ... more Explanations for historical chain shifts tend towards the teleological using abstract ideas like balance and equilibrium as the organizing principles of a language's sounds. This paper investigates whether there are more basic phonetic principles governing the ...
Most recent approaches to phonological opacity (McCarthy, 1998; Goldrick, 2000; McCarthy, 2003; e... more Most recent approaches to phonological opacity (McCarthy, 1998; Goldrick, 2000; McCarthy, 2003; etc.) fail to take learnability into account. In this paper, I present a solution to the learnability problem using an enriched, rather than phonemic, representation of morphemes. The use of enriched representations is motivated by recent work on phonological exemplars (Johnson & Mullenix, 1997) which shows that speakers have access to significant amounts of detail on word representations based on heard exemplars. I show that using an ...
Explanations for historical chain shifts tend towards the teleological, using abstract ideas like... more Explanations for historical chain shifts tend towards the teleological, using abstract ideas like balance and equilibrium as the organizing principles of a language's sounds. This paper investigates whether there are more basic phonetic principles governing the behavior of sound categories with respect to one another. Using a computational simulation of agents communicating with each other, I show that vowel chain shifts fall out naturally from an exemplar-based model of sounds. This suggests that no overarching teleological mechanisms are required to account for chain shifts and that the self-organizing behavior of exemplar-based categories provides an adequate explanation.
Although there is variability in nonnative grammar learning outcomes, the contributions of traini... more Although there is variability in nonnative grammar learning outcomes, the contributions of training paradigm design and memory subsystems are not well understood. To examine this, we presented learners with an artificial grammar that formed words via simple and complex morphophonological rules. Across three experiments, we manipulated training paradigm design and measured subjects' declarative, procedural, and working memory subsystems. Experiment 1 demonstrated that passive, exposure-based training boosted learning of both simple and complex grammatical rules, relative to no training. Additionally, procedural memory correlated with simple rule learning, whereas declarative memory correlated with complex rule learning. Experiment 2 showed that presenting corrective feedback during the test phase did not improve learning. Experiment 3 revealed that structuring the order of training so that subjects are first exposed to the simple rule and then the complex improved learning. The c...
Explanations for historical chain shifts tend towards the teleological using abstract ideas like ... more Explanations for historical chain shifts tend towards the teleological using abstract ideas like balance and equilibrium as the organizing principles of a language's sounds. This paper investigates whether there are more basic phonetic principles governing the behavior of sound categories with respect to one another. Using a computational simulation of agents communicating with each other, I show that vowel chain shifts fall out naturally from an exemplar-based model of sounds. This suggests that no overarching teleological mechanisms are required to account for chain shifts and that the self-organizing behavior of exemplar-based categories provides an adequate explanation.
As research into the neurobiology of language has focused primarily on the systems level, fewer s... more As research into the neurobiology of language has focused primarily on the systems level, fewer studies have examined the link between molecular genetics and normal variations in language functions. Because the ability to learn a language varies in adults and our genetic codes also vary, research linking the two provides a unique window into the molecular neurobiology of language. We consider a candidate association between the dopamine receptor D2 gene (DRD2) and linguistic grammar learning. DRD2-TAQ-IA polymorphism (rs1800497) is associated with dopamine receptor D2 distribution and dopamine impact in the human striatum, such that A1 allele carriers show reduction in D2 receptor binding relative to carriers who are homozygous for the A2 allele. The individual differences in grammatical rule learning that are particularly prevalent in adulthood are also associated with striatal function and its role in domain-general procedural memory. Therefore, we reasoned that procedurally-based grammar learning could be associated with DRD2-TAQ-IA polymorphism. Here, English-speaking adults learned artificial concatenative and analogical grammars, which have been respectively associated with procedural and declarative memory. Language learning capabilities were tested while learners' neural hemodynamic responses were simultaneously measured by fMRI. Behavioral learning and brain activation data were subsequently compared with the learners' DRD2 (rs1800497) genotype. Learners who were homozygous for the A2 allele were better at concatenative (but not analogical) grammar learning and had higher striatal responses relative to those who have at least one A1 allele. These results provide preliminary evidence for the neurogenetic basis of normal variations in linguistic grammar learning and its link to domain-general functions.
225 SA-AM What you did to others you did to me? Brain activation during altruistic punishment in ... more 225 SA-AM What you did to others you did to me? Brain activation during altruistic punishment in a first person versus a third party dictator game, P. Kirsch, 239 SA-AM Self-control in decision-making involves modulation of the vmPFC valuation system, TA Hare, CF Camerer, A Rangel, Caltech, Pasadena, CA, USA 241 SA-AM Beliefs, guilt, and the brain: Neural mechanisms underlying social cooperative behavior, L.LANGUAGE Language Acquisition 245 SA-AM Global effects of three remediation programs on children with developmental dyslexia : an fMRI study, R. Nenert, C. Leveque, M.T. LeNormand, P. Evrard, S. De Schonen, Inserm U825,
The Journal of the Acoustical Society of America, 2007
In Dutch, syllable‐final plosives are devoiced so /bad/ ''bathe'' is pronounc... more In Dutch, syllable‐final plosives are devoiced so /bad/ ''bathe'' is pronounced [bat]. However, despite being resyllabified to syllable‐initial position by a clitic in /bad+er/ ''bathe her,'' the /d/ is still devoiced: [ba.ter]. This is referred to as phonological opacity because a ...
Journal of Experimental Psychology: Learning, Memory, and Cognition, 2012
Although previous research has established that multiple top-down factors guide the identificatio... more Although previous research has established that multiple top-down factors guide the identification of words during speech processing, the ultimate range of information sources that listeners integrate from different levels of linguistic structure is still unknown. In a set of experiments, we investigate whether comprehenders can integrate information from the 2 most disparate domains: pragmatic inference and phonetic perception. Using contexts that trigger pragmatic expectations regarding upcoming coreference (expectations for either he or she), we test listeners' identification of phonetic category boundaries (using acoustically ambiguous words on the /hi/ϳ/͐i/ continuum). The results indicate that, in addition to phonetic cues, word recognition also reflects pragmatic inference. These findings are consistent with evidence for top-down contextual effects from lexical, syntactic, and semantic cues, but they extend this previous work by testing cues at the pragmatic level and by eliminating a statistical-frequency confound that might otherwise explain the previously reported results. We conclude by exploring the time course of this interaction and discussing how different models of cue integration could be adapted to account for our results.
We report two sets of experiments showing that the large individual variability in language learn... more We report two sets of experiments showing that the large individual variability in language learning success in adults can be attributed to neurophysiological, neuroanatomical, cognitive, and perceptual factors. In the first set of experiments, native English-speaking adults learned to incorporate lexically meaningfully pitch patterns in words. We found those who were successful to have higher activation in bilateral auditory cortex, larger volume in Heschl's Gyrus, and more accurate pitch pattern perception. All of these measures were performed before training began. In the second set of experiments, native English-speaking adults learned a phonological grammatical system governing the formation of words of an artificial language. Again, neurophysiological, neuroanatomical, and cognitive factors predicted to an extent how well these adults learned. Taken together, these experiments suggest that neural and behavioral factors can be used to predict spoken language learning. These predictors can inform the redesign of existing training paradigms to maximize learning for learners with different learning profiles.
Over the past several years, the field of bilingual speech perception has seen a substantial incr... more Over the past several years, the field of bilingual speech perception has seen a substantial increase in both the number of publications and in the amount of interest directed at its findings. Consequently, the time is ripe to assess the state of the field, what we have accomplished and where we have yet to go. Although we cannot capture the full state of the field in the space of this paper, we hope to summarize the major trends that have led to the current state and take stock of its future directions. To that end, we focus our review on the relative merits of single phonemes versus whole words and phrases when investigating bilingual speech, the efficacy of the different training paradigms that have been attempted and we focus, in particular, on the role of individual differences in predicting learning outcomes. We conclude our review by highlighting recent developments demonstrating that identifying individual differences in ability pre-training can result in more efficacious training paradigms. Goals for future research are also discussed.
Objectives-Previous research has attributed older adult's difficulty with perceiving speech in no... more Objectives-Previous research has attributed older adult's difficulty with perceiving speech in noise to peripheral hearing loss. Recent studies have suggested a more complex picture, however, and implicate the central nervous system in sensation and sensory deficits. This study examines the relationship between the neuroanatomical structure of cognitive regions and the ability to perceive speech in noise in older adults. In particular, the neuroanatomical characteristics of the left ventral and dorsal prefrontal cortex are considered relative to standard measures of hearing in noise.
Although previous research has established that multiple topdown factors guide the identification... more Although previous research has established that multiple topdown factors guide the identification of sounds during speech processing, the ultimate range of interaction across levels of linguistic structure is still unknown. In a set of experiments, we investigate whether interactive effects emerge between the two most disparate domains: pragmatic inference and acoustic speech perception. We use contexts that trigger pragmatic expectations regarding upcoming coreference (expectations for either he or she), and, in those contexts, we test listeners' identification of phonetic category boundaries (using words on the /hi/~/∫i/ continuum). The results indicate that pragmatic inference can indeed alter listeners' identification of phonetic categories.
Explanations for historical chain shifts tend towards the teleological using abstract ideas like ... more Explanations for historical chain shifts tend towards the teleological using abstract ideas like balance and equilibrium as the organizing principles of a language's sounds. This paper investigates whether there are more basic phonetic principles governing the ...
Most recent approaches to phonological opacity (McCarthy, 1998; Goldrick, 2000; McCarthy, 2003; e... more Most recent approaches to phonological opacity (McCarthy, 1998; Goldrick, 2000; McCarthy, 2003; etc.) fail to take learnability into account. In this paper, I present a solution to the learnability problem using an enriched, rather than phonemic, representation of morphemes. The use of enriched representations is motivated by recent work on phonological exemplars (Johnson & Mullenix, 1997) which shows that speakers have access to significant amounts of detail on word representations based on heard exemplars. I show that using an ...
Explanations for historical chain shifts tend towards the teleological, using abstract ideas like... more Explanations for historical chain shifts tend towards the teleological, using abstract ideas like balance and equilibrium as the organizing principles of a language's sounds. This paper investigates whether there are more basic phonetic principles governing the behavior of sound categories with respect to one another. Using a computational simulation of agents communicating with each other, I show that vowel chain shifts fall out naturally from an exemplar-based model of sounds. This suggests that no overarching teleological mechanisms are required to account for chain shifts and that the self-organizing behavior of exemplar-based categories provides an adequate explanation.
Although there is variability in nonnative grammar learning outcomes, the contributions of traini... more Although there is variability in nonnative grammar learning outcomes, the contributions of training paradigm design and memory subsystems are not well understood. To examine this, we presented learners with an artificial grammar that formed words via simple and complex morphophonological rules. Across three experiments, we manipulated training paradigm design and measured subjects' declarative, procedural, and working memory subsystems. Experiment 1 demonstrated that passive, exposure-based training boosted learning of both simple and complex grammatical rules, relative to no training. Additionally, procedural memory correlated with simple rule learning, whereas declarative memory correlated with complex rule learning. Experiment 2 showed that presenting corrective feedback during the test phase did not improve learning. Experiment 3 revealed that structuring the order of training so that subjects are first exposed to the simple rule and then the complex improved learning. The c...
Explanations for historical chain shifts tend towards the teleological using abstract ideas like ... more Explanations for historical chain shifts tend towards the teleological using abstract ideas like balance and equilibrium as the organizing principles of a language's sounds. This paper investigates whether there are more basic phonetic principles governing the behavior of sound categories with respect to one another. Using a computational simulation of agents communicating with each other, I show that vowel chain shifts fall out naturally from an exemplar-based model of sounds. This suggests that no overarching teleological mechanisms are required to account for chain shifts and that the self-organizing behavior of exemplar-based categories provides an adequate explanation.
As research into the neurobiology of language has focused primarily on the systems level, fewer s... more As research into the neurobiology of language has focused primarily on the systems level, fewer studies have examined the link between molecular genetics and normal variations in language functions. Because the ability to learn a language varies in adults and our genetic codes also vary, research linking the two provides a unique window into the molecular neurobiology of language. We consider a candidate association between the dopamine receptor D2 gene (DRD2) and linguistic grammar learning. DRD2-TAQ-IA polymorphism (rs1800497) is associated with dopamine receptor D2 distribution and dopamine impact in the human striatum, such that A1 allele carriers show reduction in D2 receptor binding relative to carriers who are homozygous for the A2 allele. The individual differences in grammatical rule learning that are particularly prevalent in adulthood are also associated with striatal function and its role in domain-general procedural memory. Therefore, we reasoned that procedurally-based grammar learning could be associated with DRD2-TAQ-IA polymorphism. Here, English-speaking adults learned artificial concatenative and analogical grammars, which have been respectively associated with procedural and declarative memory. Language learning capabilities were tested while learners' neural hemodynamic responses were simultaneously measured by fMRI. Behavioral learning and brain activation data were subsequently compared with the learners' DRD2 (rs1800497) genotype. Learners who were homozygous for the A2 allele were better at concatenative (but not analogical) grammar learning and had higher striatal responses relative to those who have at least one A1 allele. These results provide preliminary evidence for the neurogenetic basis of normal variations in linguistic grammar learning and its link to domain-general functions.
225 SA-AM What you did to others you did to me? Brain activation during altruistic punishment in ... more 225 SA-AM What you did to others you did to me? Brain activation during altruistic punishment in a first person versus a third party dictator game, P. Kirsch, 239 SA-AM Self-control in decision-making involves modulation of the vmPFC valuation system, TA Hare, CF Camerer, A Rangel, Caltech, Pasadena, CA, USA 241 SA-AM Beliefs, guilt, and the brain: Neural mechanisms underlying social cooperative behavior, L.LANGUAGE Language Acquisition 245 SA-AM Global effects of three remediation programs on children with developmental dyslexia : an fMRI study, R. Nenert, C. Leveque, M.T. LeNormand, P. Evrard, S. De Schonen, Inserm U825,
The Journal of the Acoustical Society of America, 2007
In Dutch, syllable‐final plosives are devoiced so /bad/ ''bathe'' is pronounc... more In Dutch, syllable‐final plosives are devoiced so /bad/ ''bathe'' is pronounced [bat]. However, despite being resyllabified to syllable‐initial position by a clitic in /bad+er/ ''bathe her,'' the /d/ is still devoiced: [ba.ter]. This is referred to as phonological opacity because a ...
Journal of Experimental Psychology: Learning, Memory, and Cognition, 2012
Although previous research has established that multiple top-down factors guide the identificatio... more Although previous research has established that multiple top-down factors guide the identification of words during speech processing, the ultimate range of information sources that listeners integrate from different levels of linguistic structure is still unknown. In a set of experiments, we investigate whether comprehenders can integrate information from the 2 most disparate domains: pragmatic inference and phonetic perception. Using contexts that trigger pragmatic expectations regarding upcoming coreference (expectations for either he or she), we test listeners' identification of phonetic category boundaries (using acoustically ambiguous words on the /hi/ϳ/͐i/ continuum). The results indicate that, in addition to phonetic cues, word recognition also reflects pragmatic inference. These findings are consistent with evidence for top-down contextual effects from lexical, syntactic, and semantic cues, but they extend this previous work by testing cues at the pragmatic level and by eliminating a statistical-frequency confound that might otherwise explain the previously reported results. We conclude by exploring the time course of this interaction and discussing how different models of cue integration could be adapted to account for our results.
We report two sets of experiments showing that the large individual variability in language learn... more We report two sets of experiments showing that the large individual variability in language learning success in adults can be attributed to neurophysiological, neuroanatomical, cognitive, and perceptual factors. In the first set of experiments, native English-speaking adults learned to incorporate lexically meaningfully pitch patterns in words. We found those who were successful to have higher activation in bilateral auditory cortex, larger volume in Heschl's Gyrus, and more accurate pitch pattern perception. All of these measures were performed before training began. In the second set of experiments, native English-speaking adults learned a phonological grammatical system governing the formation of words of an artificial language. Again, neurophysiological, neuroanatomical, and cognitive factors predicted to an extent how well these adults learned. Taken together, these experiments suggest that neural and behavioral factors can be used to predict spoken language learning. These predictors can inform the redesign of existing training paradigms to maximize learning for learners with different learning profiles.
Over the past several years, the field of bilingual speech perception has seen a substantial incr... more Over the past several years, the field of bilingual speech perception has seen a substantial increase in both the number of publications and in the amount of interest directed at its findings. Consequently, the time is ripe to assess the state of the field, what we have accomplished and where we have yet to go. Although we cannot capture the full state of the field in the space of this paper, we hope to summarize the major trends that have led to the current state and take stock of its future directions. To that end, we focus our review on the relative merits of single phonemes versus whole words and phrases when investigating bilingual speech, the efficacy of the different training paradigms that have been attempted and we focus, in particular, on the role of individual differences in predicting learning outcomes. We conclude our review by highlighting recent developments demonstrating that identifying individual differences in ability pre-training can result in more efficacious training paradigms. Goals for future research are also discussed.
Objectives-Previous research has attributed older adult's difficulty with perceiving speech in no... more Objectives-Previous research has attributed older adult's difficulty with perceiving speech in noise to peripheral hearing loss. Recent studies have suggested a more complex picture, however, and implicate the central nervous system in sensation and sensory deficits. This study examines the relationship between the neuroanatomical structure of cognitive regions and the ability to perceive speech in noise in older adults. In particular, the neuroanatomical characteristics of the left ventral and dorsal prefrontal cortex are considered relative to standard measures of hearing in noise.
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Papers by Marc Ettlinger