Interakcija središnjeg izvršitelja s leksičko-semantičkom obradom hijerarhijskih odnosa s obzirom na predočivost

U ovom diplomskom radu pokušalo se odgovoriti na dva osnovna pitanja. Prvo, postoji li interakcija izvršnih funkcija, odnosno središnjeg izvršitelja s leksičko-semantičkom obradom? Drugo, kakav utjecaj ima parametar predočivosti na leksičko-semantičku obradu te je li obrada leksičkih jedinica olakšana ako su one hijerarhijski povezane (hiperonim/hiponim)? U ispitivanju je sudjelovalo 17 ispitanika studentske populacije s Filozofskog fakulteta u Zagrebu. Ispitivanje je provedeno uz pomoć CANTAB1 baterije testova, zadataka koji su se koristili za testiranje izvršnih funkcija, odnosno određenih njezinih aspekata. Nadalje, za potrebe ispitivanja leksičko-semantičke obrade konstruiran je jezični zadatak u programu E- Prime2 na temelju riječi iz baze psiholingvističkih parametara Psiholex_HR.3 Dobiveni rezultati djelomično su potvrdili postavljene hipoteze vezane uz utjecaj parametra predočivosti i značenjske povezanosti riječi na leksičko-semantičku obradu. Međutim, zbog metodoloških manjkavosti u izradi i provedbi samoga ispitivanja, a što se ponajprije očituje u premalom broju ispitanika, pitanja vezana uz interakciju središnjeg izvršitelja i leksičko-semantičke obrade, ostala su neodgovorena. Unatoč tome, istraživanje otvara brojna pitanja, između ostaloga postoji li međuodnos između parametra predočivosti i značenjske povezanosti između riječi te koje od navedenih obilježja ima prednost prilikom leksičko-semantičke obrade. Istraživanje, također, može poslužiti kao preliminarni naputak u kojem smjeru i na koji način usmjeriti daljnja istraživanja u području interakcije središnjega izvršitelja i jezične obrade.The purpose of this thesis is to answer two main questions. Firstly, is there an interaction between executive functions, that is central executive and lexical semantic processing? Secondly, do imageability and hierarchical relationship between two words (hypernym/hyponym) have an impact on their lexical semantic processing? The study included 17 subjects, students at the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, Zagreb. Executive functions, or some of their aspects, were tested using CANTAB battery test. Furthermore, lexical semantic processing was tested using the test in E-prime programme. The test was constructed for the purpose of this study, based on a database of psycholinguistic parameters, Psiholex_HR. Hypotheses that considered the impact that imageability and hierarchical relationship have on lexical semantic processing were partially confirmed. However, question about the nature of an interaction between central executive and lexical semantic processing remained unanswered, due to the limitations of the study, primarily small number of subjects. Nevertheless, the study raises several questions, mainly those connected with the imageability and hierarchical relationship of words during the lexical semantic processing. This study can also serve as an instruction on how to direct further research in the field

Interakcija središnjeg izvršitelja s leksičko-semantičkom obradom hijerarhijskih odnosa s obzirom na predočivost

U ovom diplomskom radu pokušalo se odgovoriti na dva osnovna pitanja. Prvo, postoji li interakcija izvršnih funkcija, odnosno središnjeg izvršitelja s leksičko-semantičkom obradom? Drugo, kakav utjecaj ima parametar predočivosti na leksičko-semantičku obradu te je li obrada leksičkih jedinica olakšana ako su one hijerarhijski povezane (hiperonim/hiponim)? U ispitivanju je sudjelovalo 17 ispitanika studentske populacije s Filozofskog fakulteta u Zagrebu. Ispitivanje je provedeno uz pomoć CANTAB1 baterije testova, zadataka koji su se koristili za testiranje izvršnih funkcija, odnosno određenih njezinih aspekata. Nadalje, za potrebe ispitivanja leksičko-semantičke obrade konstruiran je jezični zadatak u programu E- Prime2 na temelju riječi iz baze psiholingvističkih parametara Psiholex_HR.3 Dobiveni rezultati djelomično su potvrdili postavljene hipoteze vezane uz utjecaj parametra predočivosti i značenjske povezanosti riječi na leksičko-semantičku obradu. Međutim, zbog metodoloških manjkavosti u izradi i provedbi samoga ispitivanja, a što se ponajprije očituje u premalom broju ispitanika, pitanja vezana uz interakciju središnjeg izvršitelja i leksičko-semantičke obrade, ostala su neodgovorena. Unatoč tome, istraživanje otvara brojna pitanja, između ostaloga postoji li međuodnos između parametra predočivosti i značenjske povezanosti između riječi te koje od navedenih obilježja ima prednost prilikom leksičko-semantičke obrade. Istraživanje, također, može poslužiti kao preliminarni naputak u kojem smjeru i na koji način usmjeriti daljnja istraživanja u području interakcije središnjega izvršitelja i jezične obrade.The purpose of this thesis is to answer two main questions. Firstly, is there an interaction between executive functions, that is central executive and lexical semantic processing? Secondly, do imageability and hierarchical relationship between two words (hypernym/hyponym) have an impact on their lexical semantic processing? The study included 17 subjects, students at the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, Zagreb. Executive functions, or some of their aspects, were tested using CANTAB battery test. Furthermore, lexical semantic processing was tested using the test in E-prime programme. The test was constructed for the purpose of this study, based on a database of psycholinguistic parameters, Psiholex_HR. Hypotheses that considered the impact that imageability and hierarchical relationship have on lexical semantic processing were partially confirmed. However, question about the nature of an interaction between central executive and lexical semantic processing remained unanswered, due to the limitations of the study, primarily small number of subjects. Nevertheless, the study raises several questions, mainly those connected with the imageability and hierarchical relationship of words during the lexical semantic processing. This study can also serve as an instruction on how to direct further research in the field

Problem recepcije: Pedro Páramo

Rad se sastoji od dva dijela – teorijskoga i praktičnoga, a bavi se pitanjem: Kako čitatelji grade značenje u romanu Pedro Páramo? Teorijska podloga istraživanja zasnivala se na idejama Romana Ingardena, Hansa Roberta Jaussa, Wolfganga Isera i Stanleya Fisha, čije su osnovne pretpostavke iznesene u prvome dijelu rada. Drugi dio prikazuje metodologiju i rezultate provedenoga istraživanja. U istraživanju je sudjelovalo 22 studenata, čiji je zadatak bio voditi bilješke tijekom čitanja romana. Rezultati su pokazali da se temeljne postavke, prije spomenutih teoretičara, zaista potvrđuju u praksi. Međutim, istraživanje je otvorilo i brojna druga pitanja, prvenstveno ona vezana uz način oblikovanja samoga istraživanja u znanosti o književnosti. U tome se smislu javlja dilema. S jedne strane, istraživanja se mogu okrenuti strogo empirijskom postupku te na taj način dati objektivne, ali ne nužno i cjelovite rezultate. S druge strane, odustajanje od strogog empirizma vodi prema potencijalnom subjektivizmuThesis consists of two parts – theoretical and practical. The main question of the thesis is: How readers make meaning while reading the novel Pedro Páramo? Theory is based on the ideas of Roman Ingarden, Hans Robert Jauss, Wolfgang Iser and Stanley Fish, whose basic assumptions are given in the first part of this thesis. The second part of the thesis demonstrates methodology and results of the current research. Study consisted of 22 students, whose task was to take notes while reading the novel. Results showed that the main theorists’ assumptions can be confirmed in practice. However, this research has raised many other problems, in the first place those related with the methodology in this specific scientific field. In this regard, there is a dilemma. On the one hand, studies can be strictly empirical, which can provide objective, but possibly insufficient results. On the other hand, abandonment of empiricism can potentially lead to subjectivism

Interakcija središnjeg izvršitelja s leksičko-semantičkom obradom hijerarhijskih odnosa s obzirom na predočivost

U ovom diplomskom radu pokušalo se odgovoriti na dva osnovna pitanja. Prvo, postoji li interakcija izvršnih funkcija, odnosno središnjeg izvršitelja s leksičko-semantičkom obradom? Drugo, kakav utjecaj ima parametar predočivosti na leksičko-semantičku obradu te je li obrada leksičkih jedinica olakšana ako su one hijerarhijski povezane (hiperonim/hiponim)? U ispitivanju je sudjelovalo 17 ispitanika studentske populacije s Filozofskog fakulteta u Zagrebu. Ispitivanje je provedeno uz pomoć CANTAB1 baterije testova, zadataka koji su se koristili za testiranje izvršnih funkcija, odnosno određenih njezinih aspekata. Nadalje, za potrebe ispitivanja leksičko-semantičke obrade konstruiran je jezični zadatak u programu E- Prime2 na temelju riječi iz baze psiholingvističkih parametara Psiholex_HR.3 Dobiveni rezultati djelomično su potvrdili postavljene hipoteze vezane uz utjecaj parametra predočivosti i značenjske povezanosti riječi na leksičko-semantičku obradu. Međutim, zbog metodoloških manjkavosti u izradi i provedbi samoga ispitivanja, a što se ponajprije očituje u premalom broju ispitanika, pitanja vezana uz interakciju središnjeg izvršitelja i leksičko-semantičke obrade, ostala su neodgovorena. Unatoč tome, istraživanje otvara brojna pitanja, između ostaloga postoji li međuodnos između parametra predočivosti i značenjske povezanosti između riječi te koje od navedenih obilježja ima prednost prilikom leksičko-semantičke obrade. Istraživanje, također, može poslužiti kao preliminarni naputak u kojem smjeru i na koji način usmjeriti daljnja istraživanja u području interakcije središnjega izvršitelja i jezične obrade.The purpose of this thesis is to answer two main questions. Firstly, is there an interaction between executive functions, that is central executive and lexical semantic processing? Secondly, do imageability and hierarchical relationship between two words (hypernym/hyponym) have an impact on their lexical semantic processing? The study included 17 subjects, students at the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, Zagreb. Executive functions, or some of their aspects, were tested using CANTAB battery test. Furthermore, lexical semantic processing was tested using the test in E-prime programme. The test was constructed for the purpose of this study, based on a database of psycholinguistic parameters, Psiholex_HR. Hypotheses that considered the impact that imageability and hierarchical relationship have on lexical semantic processing were partially confirmed. However, question about the nature of an interaction between central executive and lexical semantic processing remained unanswered, due to the limitations of the study, primarily small number of subjects. Nevertheless, the study raises several questions, mainly those connected with the imageability and hierarchical relationship of words during the lexical semantic processing. This study can also serve as an instruction on how to direct further research in the field

Quantitative and qualitative differences in performance within the semantic and letter fluency tasks

Poster presentation at the 12th Annual Meeting of the Society for the Neurobiology of Language, 21–24 October 2020, Online, US

Semantic fluency reveals reduced functional connectivity between subcategorical co-hyponyms in recent-onset inpatients with first-episode psychosis

Data on clustering and switching during semantic fluency (SF) in patients with first-episode psychosis (PwFEP) are scant. We aimed to investigate (1) clustering and switching on SF in PwFEP using more detailed clustering analyses and (2) the possibility of disproportionate clustering deficits across different SF tasks in PwFEP and healthy subjects (HS), with the latter being suggested by the current literature on patients with schizophrenia. We recruited 22 Croatian-speaking PwFEP with schizophrenia features or symptoms and 22 HS matched in age, sex distribution, and handedness. All patients were medicated and had a mean illness duration of 1 month. The categories animals, trees, vegetables, fruits, and musical instruments were administered for SF. PwFEP produced significantly fewer correct words in the aggregate score, as well as across all categories. The switching rate was significantly higher in PwFEP, but no post hoc comparisons were significant. PwFEP also produced significantly smaller clusters, yet the post hoc comparisons for the tree and fruit task were not significant. A higher switching rate and smaller clusters indicate less efficient functional connectivity within subcategories of the given categories, but not necessarily between the subcategories. Although both less likely to produce a cluster once a switch has been uttered and less likely to produce clusters larger than two words compared to HS, the latter deficit was more pronounced. Our results further suggest that PwFEP might show normal clustering performance on some SF tasks. We discuss the results in the context of the hypothesis of semantic hyperactivation in psychoses

Semantic fluency reveals reduced functional connectivity between subcategorical co-hyponyms in recent-onset inpatients with first-episode psychosis

Data on clustering and switching during semantic fluency (SF) in patients with first-episode psychosis (PwFEP) are scant. We aimed to investigate (1) clustering and switching on SF in PwFEP using more detailed clustering analyses and (2) the possibility of disproportionate clustering deficits across different SF tasks in PwFEP and healthy subjects (HS), with the latter being suggested by the current literature on patients with schizophrenia. We recruited 22 Croatian-speaking PwFEP with schizophrenia features or symptoms and 22 HS matched in age, sex distribution, and handedness. All patients were medicated and had a mean illness duration of 1 month. The categories animals, trees, vegetables, fruits, and musical instruments were administered for SF. PwFEP produced significantly fewer correct words in the aggregate score, as well as across all categories. The switching rate was significantly higher in PwFEP, but no post hoc comparisons were significant. PwFEP also produced significantly smaller clusters, yet the post hoc comparisons for the tree and fruit task were not significant. A higher switching rate and smaller clusters indicate less efficient functional connectivity within subcategories of the given categories, but not necessarily between the subcategories. Although both less likely to produce a cluster once a switch has been uttered and less likely to produce clusters larger than two words compared to HS, the latter deficit was more pronounced. Our results further suggest that PwFEP might show normal clustering performance on some SF tasks. We discuss the results in the context of the hypothesis of semantic hyperactivation in psychoses

Quantitative and qualitative differences in performance within the semantic and letter fluency tasks

INTRODUCTION: Traditionally, verbal fluency research has differentiated between semantic (SF) and letter fluency (LF). However, although linguistic research has strongly suggested that there are pronounced differences in the processing of different types of semantic categories, most researchers in this domain have uncritically assumed that there are no category-specific effects in verbal fluency. Limited research on SF has thus far revealed that disproportionate performances across different categories are in certain contexts associated with category size, while clinical populations might show normative deficits in one category, but not the other. Nevertheless, this issue remains poorly investigated, particularly in LF. METHODS: We recruited 16 Croatian-speaking students from the University of Zagreb. For verbal fluency, we administered the categories animals and trees (SF), and the letters K and M (LF) (60 s). Participants further performed on a neuropsychological battery encompassing the Trail Making Test (TMT), Wisconsin Card Sorting Test (WCST), digit span, and lexical decision (LD). Paired-sample t-tests, and Spearman correlation coefficients and regression analyses were used for statistical analyses. RESULTS: On the animal compared to the tree task participants produced more words, had lower intrusion rates, produced larger clusters, and were faster in inter-cluster transitions. Furthermore, while the total production of animals was positively predicted by the number of clusters, in trees it was positively predicted by cluster size. A negative relationship between performance on TMT and speed of inter-cluster transitions was found in trees, and a positive relationship between performance on WCST and the same fluency variable in animals. Higher digit span was associated with lower clustering rates in animals, but with higher clustering rates in trees, while accuracy on abstract LD trials was positively associated with total production on trees. Analyses of LF revealed that participants produced more words and were faster in inter-cluster transitions on the K compared to the M task. Total production in K was predicted by cluster size, but in M it was predicted by switching. Accuracy on TMT negatively predicted total production and the number of clusters for M. Also, performance on WCST was positively associated with clustering rates and inter-cluster transition speed on M. CONCLUSIONS: Our results indicate that there are important differences in the phenomena and processes underlying performance on different SF and LF tasks. While the differences in the two SF tasks might be partly explained by presumed differences in category size, higher rates of intrusions in the tree task suggest that the boundaries of the category trees are less fixed compared to the category animals. Additionally, disproportionate relationships with neuropsychological variables suggest that clustering in trees might rely more on working memory and abstract semantic processes. Regarding LF, we found that performance on K relies more on clustering compared to M, while the neuropsychological data suggested that performance on the M task was inversely associated with visual attention, possibly suggesting that visuospatial imagery strategies might hinder optimal performance. Also, data suggest that clustering on the M, but not the K task is an executively relatively demanding process

Semantic fluency reveals reduced functional connectivity between subcategorical co-hyponyms in recent-onset inpatients with first-episode psychosis

Data on clustering and switching during semantic fluency (SF) in patients with first-episode psychosis (PwFEP) are scant. We aimed to investigate (1) clustering and switching on SF in PwFEP using more detailed clustering analyses and (2) the possibility of disproportionate clustering deficits across different SF tasks in PwFEP and healthy subjects (HS), with the latter being suggested by the current literature on patients with schizophrenia. We recruited 22 Croatian-speaking PwFEP with schizophrenia features or symptoms and 22 HS matched in age, sex distribution, and handedness. All patients were medicated and had a mean illness duration of 1 month. The categories animals, trees, vegetables, fruits, and musical instruments were administered for SF. PwFEP produced significantly fewer correct words in the aggregate score, as well as across all categories. The switching rate was significantly higher in PwFEP, but no post hoc comparisons were significant. PwFEP also produced significantly smaller clusters, yet the post hoc comparisons for the tree and fruit task were not significant. A higher switching rate and smaller clusters indicate less efficient functional connectivity within subcategories of the given categories, but not necessarily between the subcategories. Although both less likely to produce a cluster once a switch has been uttered and less likely to produce clusters larger than two words compared to HS, the latter deficit was more pronounced. Our results further suggest that PwFEP might show normal clustering performance on some SF tasks. We discuss the results in the context of the hypothesis of semantic hyperactivation in psychoses