Psycholinguistic Evidence for Laterality Preferences and Information Processing in Japanese

The human brain exhibits hemispheric differences in information processing functions, and this fact of laterality preferences is reflected in language processing functions which involve lexical access and written word recognition in Japanese. This paper evaluates the Japanese psycholinguistic literature in the areas of experimental psychology and clinical aphasiology in an attempt to ascertain whether Japanese is unique in its characteristic pattern of laterality preferences in information processing tasks which involve its syllabary (kana) and Chinese character (kanji) orthographic representations. This paper also addresses misperceptions regarding lateralization and hemispheric preferences in processing Japanese orthographic types, since purported differences in lateralization can be uncritically accepted as underlying factors in not only language processing, but can also find their way into Nihonjinron discussions of differences in mental attitude and philosophical outlook.This work has been supported by a continuing research grant on Comprehensive Research on the Role of the Japanese Language in the International Community (Kokusai Shakai ni okeru Nihongo ni tsuite no Sogoteki Kenkyu; #07NP1001) provided by the Ministry of Education, Science and Culture Grant-in-Aid for Creative Basic Research

The Structure and Function of Nootkan Baby Talk

This paper deals with the structure and function of baby talk in two Nootkan languages, Ahousaht and Nitinaht. Although the baby talk registers in both of these languages appear to be simplified, it is likely that the primary function of baby talk in Nootkan is an affective one. Comparison is made between both the suppletive and non-suppletive forms in the baby talk register and the normal adult forms. Attention is called to the borrowing of baby talk terms across Northwest Coast languages, as well as to the fact that the baby talk register may be an indicator of the vitality of declining languages such as Ahousaht and Nitinaht