Speaking and gesturing guide event perception during message conceptualization: Evidence from eye movements

Speakers’ visual attention to events is guided by linguistic conceptualization of information in spoken language production and in language-specific ways. Does production of language-specific co-speech gestures further guide speakers’ visual attention during message preparation? Here, we examine the link between visual attention and multimodal event descriptions in Turkish. Turkish is a verb-framed language where speakers’ speech and gesture show language specificity with path of motion mostly expressed within the main verb accompanied by path gestures. Turkish-speaking adults viewed motion events while their eye movements were recorded during non- linguistic (viewing-only) and linguistic (viewing-before-describing) tasks. The relative attention allocated to path over manner was higher in the linguistic task compared to the non-linguistic task. Furthermore, the relative attention allocated to path over manner within the linguistic task was higher when speakers (a) encoded path in the main verb versus outside the verb and (b) used additional path gestures accompanying speech versus not. Results strongly suggest that speakers’ visual attention is guided by language-specific event encoding not only in speech but also in gesture. This provides evidence consistent with models that propose integration of speech and gesture at the conceptualization level of language production and suggests that the links between the eye and the mouth may be extended to the eye and the hand

Word order preference in sign influences speech in hearing bimodal bilinguals but not vice versa: Evidence from behavior and eye-gaze

We investigated cross-modal influences between speech and sign in hearing bimodal bilin- guals, proficient in a spoken and a sign language, and its consequences on visual attention during message preparation using eye-tracking. We focused on spatial expressions in which sign languages, unlike spoken languages, have a modality-driven preference to mention grounds (big objects) prior to figures (smaller objects). We compared hearing bimodal bilin- guals’ spatial expressions and visual attention in Dutch and Dutch Sign Language (N = 18) to those of their hearing non-signing (N = 20) and deaf signing peers (N = 18). In speech, hear- ing bimodal bilinguals expressed more ground-first descriptions and fixated grounds more than hearing non-signers, showing influence from sign. In sign, they used as many ground-first descriptions as deaf signers and fixated grounds equally often, demonstrating no influence from speech. Cross-linguistic influence of word order preference and visual attention in hearing bimodal bilinguals appears to be one-directional modulated by modality-driven difference

A Preliminary Assessment of Perceived and Objectively Scaled Workload of a Voice-Based Driver Interface

Interaction with a voice-command interface for radio control, destination entry, MP3 song selection, and phone dialing was assessed along with traditional manual radio control and a multi-level audio–verbal calibration task (nback) on-road in 60 drivers. Subjective workload, compensatory behavior, and physiological indices of cognitive workload suggest that there may be both potential benefits and cautions in the implementation of a representative production level interface

The supernatural characters and powers of sacred trees in the Holy Land

This article surveys the beliefs concerning the supernatural characteristics and powers of sacred trees in Israel; it is based on a field study as well as a survey of the literature and includes 118 interviews with Muslims and Druze. Both the Muslims and Druze in this study attribute supernatural dimensions to sacred trees which are directly related to ancient, deep-rooted pagan traditions. The Muslims attribute similar divine powers to sacred trees as they do to the graves of their saints; the graves and the trees are both considered to be the abode of the soul of a saint which is the source of their miraculous powers. Any violation of a sacred tree would be strictly punished while leaving the opportunity for atonement and forgiveness. The Druze, who believe in the transmigration of souls, have similar traditions concerning sacred trees but with a different religious background. In polytheistic religions the sacred grove/forest is a centre of the community's official worship; any violation of the trees is regarded as a threat to the well being of the community. Punishments may thus be collective. In the monotheistic world (including Christianity, Islam and Druze) the pagan worship of trees was converted into the worship/adoration of saints/prophets; it is not a part of the official religion but rather a personal act and the punishments are exerted only on the violating individual

A tale of two modalities: How modality shapes language production and visual attention

Contains fulltext : 230631.pdf (publisher's version ) (Open Access)Radboud University, 12 maart 2021Promotor : Özyürek, A. Co-promotor : Brouwer, S.M.272 p