The effects of ISI and prime modality in a semantic priming task

The semantic priming paradigm is a widely used method of assessing both storage and retrieval of single words in the mental lexicon. Word recognition appears to be dependent upon both automatic and strategic processes in a lexical decision task and is related to the stimuli, inter-stimulus intervals (ISI) and modality of presentation. The current study combined short (0 ms) and long (400 ms) ISIs with visual and auditory prime words in a series of lexical decision tasks. Forty typical college-aged students participated. Results revealed that prime target pairs that were related yielded fastest reaction time. However, modality of presentation also influenced reaction time: specifically, visual prime modality led to faster reaction times with short ISIs whereas the auditory modality led to faster reaction times with longer ISIs. These results indicate a preponderance of strategic processes over automatic in the auditory modality. Thus, the findings yield valuable information on automatic and strategic mechanisms in a cross-modal priming paradigm. This study is the first to yield results revealing semantic priming effects in this type of paradigm

The effect of word familiarity and treatment approach on word retrieval skills in aphasia

The purpose of the current investigation was to examine the effect of subjective familiarity on an aphasic individual’s word retrieval skills and ability to improve in short, intensive treatment. Four males with chronic aphasia were participants. Familiarity was determined by having participants rate the Roussion and Pourtois' (2004) colorized pictures with a rating scale adapted from work by Gilhooly and Hay (1977). Participants were assigned to one of two treatment approaches (SFA or Phonological Components Analysis) and then underwent the other treatment approach focusing on retrieval of familiar and unfamiliar words based on their ratings. Results revealed that all four participants showed greatest improvement on familiar treated stimuli, regardless of treatment approach or initial severity of aphasic impairment. However, minimal generalization to probe stimuli was observed for any participant, regardless of familiarity. Results support the premise that familiarity is an important variable that influences improvement in word retrieval therapy in chronic aphasia

Use of Drawing to Improve Word Retrieval in Chronic Nonfluent Aphasia

Aphasia disrupts multiple language processes with anomia often being the most common problem. Compensatory strategies have been utilized for individuals with severe anomia, including writing, gesturing, and drawing (Farias, Davis, & Harrington, 2006). However, few formal programs have focused on promoting drawing as a means of communication. These typically use drawing as a substitute for language rather than a tool to enhance verbal expression (Sacchett, 2002). Furthermore, training usually emphasizes ability to recognize drawing rather than information exchange (Morgan & Helm-Estabrooks, 1987; Trupe, 1986 as cited in Sacchett, 2002). Semantic Feature Analysis (SFA) is a treatment approach based on the premise that although individuals with anomia have difficulty retrieving words, ability to access features related to targets is often somewhat intact (Beeson, Holland, & Murray, 1995). The semantic system is accessed by producing words related to targets, with individuals incorporating these strategies as self-cues to retrieve target words (Boyle, 2004; Chapey, 2001; Rider & Wright, 2008). To date, this approach has aimed to enhance only verbal output. The purpose of this investigation was to examine if an individual with chronic mixed aphasia could clinically improve ability to name pictured objects through implementation of a drawing protocol. RE underwent a brief but intense treatment program incorporating drawing with SFA to improve word retrieval

Trust and legitimacy across Europe: a FIDUCIA report on comparative public attitudes towards legal authority

FIDUCIA (New European Crimes and Trust-based Policy) seeks to shed light on a number of distinctively ‘new European’ criminal behaviours which have emerged in the last decade as a consequence of both technology developments and the increased mobility of populations across Europe. A key objective of FIDUCIA is to propose and proof a ‘trust-based’ policy model in relation to emerging forms of criminality – to explore the idea that public trust and institutional legitimacy are important for the social regulation of the trafficking of human beings, the trafficking of goods, the criminalisation of migration and ethnic minorities, and cybercrimes. In this paper we detail levels of trust and legitimacy in the 26 countries, drawing on data from Round 5 of the European Social Survey. We also conduct a sensitivity analysis that investigates the effect of a lack of measurement equivalence on national estimates

Naming Patterns in Typically Aging Adults

The purpose of this investigation was to confirm the presence of three distinct naming patterns identified by Hough (1998) on the Test of Adolescent/Adult Word Finding (TAWF) in a group of fifty non-neurologically-impaired older adults. The use of cluster analysis with k-means procedure confirmed presence of the three profiles: 1) 54% showed naming skills within normal limits; 2) 18% showed normal psychometric performance but selective impairment for picture naming of nouns; and 3) 28% exhibited abnormal standard scores and accuracy across the TAWF. Naming patterns of these groups may represent variances in word retrieval skills that exist among typical adults as they age

Enhancing Word Retrieval in Three Adults With Chronic Fluent Aphasia

Semantic feature analysis (SFA) treatment with an extended length of treatment phase was implemented to remediate word retrieval and other language skills in 3 chronically, fluent aphasic adult males. Results revealed that naming of treated nouns improved and generalized to untreated nouns. Improvement also was observed on post-treatment testing for the Western Aphasia Battery, particularly on the naming tasks as well as the Boston Naming Test and the Test of Adolescent/Adult Word Finding. Generalization to discourse measures was observed for one participant. Social validation measures pre- port-treatment indicated noted increases by spouses and participants for all 3 individuals

Enhancing Word Retrieval in Three Adults With Chronic Fluent Aphasia

Semantic feature analysis (SFA) treatment with an extended length of treatment phase was implemented to remediate word retrieval and other language skills in 3 chronically, fluent aphasic adult males. Results revealed that naming of treated nouns improved and generalized to untreated nouns. Improvement also was observed on post-treatment testing for the Western Aphasia Battery, particularly on the naming tasks as well as the Boston Naming Test and the Test of Adolescent/Adult Word Finding. Generalization to discourse measures was observed for one participant. Social validation measures pre- port-treatment indicated noted increases by spouses and participants for all 3 individuals

Traumatic Brain Injury: Episodes of Retrieval Failure

The current investigation examined patterns in episodes of word retrieval failure in a group of 30 adults who had suffered traumatic brain injury. The Test of Adolescent/Adult Word Finding (TAWF) was utilized to examine retrieval episode failure. Twenty-two of the 30 participants demonstrated a psychometrically-based word retrieval deficit on the TAWF. Using an episodes failure analysis (Hough, 2006), 15 of these 22 individuals with TBI were found to exhibit a fleeting pattern of retrieval failure involving numerous isolated word retrieval errors. The remaining seven of the 22 individuals showed an extended episode pattern of word retrieval failure characterized by many episodes of multiple consecutive word retrieval errors. The results will be discussed relative to the Interactive Activation Model and Node Structure Theory

Can Drawing Enhance Word Retrieval Skills in Chronic Aphasia?

Aphasia disrupts multiple language processes with anomia being one of the most common and persisting deficit. Individuals may use a variety of compensatory strategies to circumvent the problem, including writing, gesturing, and drawing (Farias, Davis, & Harrington, 2006). However, few formal programs have promoted drawing as a means to facilitate communication. Approaches available typically use drawing as a language substitute rather than as a catalyst for enhancing verbal expression (Sacchett, 2002) and there has been minimal focus on drawing as a compensatory strategy for word retrieval (Lyon, 1995). Furthermore, training usually emphasizes recognizing drawing rather than a format for information exchange (Morgan & Helm-Estabrooks, 1987; Sacchett, 2002). Semantic Feature Analysis (SFA) is a treatment approach based on the premise that although anomic individuals have difficulty retrieving words, ability to access semantic features of targets may be somewhat intact (Beeson, Holland, & Murray, 1995). The semantic system is accessed by producing words related to target words; in SFA, individuals incorporate these strategies as self-cues to retrieve target words (Boyle, 2004; Rider & Wright, 2008). To date, this approach has been used primarily to enhance verbal output only. Taylor and Hough (2013) used drawing to explore improvement of word retrieval skills in a woman with chronic mixed aphasia. Results revealed improvement in naming treatment pictures with some generalization to untreated stimuli as well as relevant increases on the Boston Naming Test-II (BNT-II) (Kaplan, Goodglass, & Weintraub, 2001). The current study extends investigation of drawing treatment to examine if two males with chronic nonfluent aphasia improved ability to name pictured objects through a drawing protocol. In individual single subject designs, HR and TE underwent brief but intense treatment, incorporating drawing with SFA to improve retrieval

The Effect of Context on Aphasic Adults' Category Structure

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