Working with the CHILDES tools : transcription, coding and analysis

The Child Language Data Exchange System (CHILDES) consists of Codes for the Human Analysis of Transcripts (CHAT), Computerized Language Analysis (CLAN), and a database. There is also an online manual which includes the CHILDES bibliography, the database, and the CHAT conventions as well as the CLAN instructions. The first three parts of this paper concern the CHAT format of transcription, grammatical coding, and analyzing transcripts by using the CLAN programs. The fourth part shows examples of transcribed and coded data

Computer-assisted transcription and analysis of speech

The two papers included in this volume have developed from work with the CHILDES tools and the Media Editor in the two research projects, "Second language acquisition of German by Russian learners", sponsored by the Max Planck Institute for Psycholinguistics, Nijmegen, from 1998 to 1999 (directed by Ursula Stephany, University of Cologne, and Wolfgang Klein, Max Planck Institute for Psycholinguistics, Nijmegen) and "The age factor in the acquisition of German as a second language", sponsored by the German Science Foundation (DFG), Bonn, since 2000 (directed by Ursula Stephany, University of Cologne, and Christine Dimroth, Max Planck Institute for Psycholinguistics, Nijmegen). The CHILDES Project has been developed and is being continuously improved at Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, under the supervision of Brian MacWhinney. Having used the CHILDES tools for more than ten years for transcribing and analyzing Greek child data there it was no question that I would also use them for research into the acquisition of German as a second language and analyze the big amount of spontaneous speech gathered from two Russian girls with the help of the CLAN programs. When in the spring of 1997, Steven Gillis from the University of Antwerp (in collaboration with Gert Durieux) developed a lexicon-based automatic coding system based on the CLAN program MOR and suitable for coding languages with richer morphologies than English, such as Modern Greek. Coding huge amounts of data then became much quicker and more comfortable so that I decided to adopt this system for German as well. The paper "Working with the CHILDES Tools" is based on two earlier manuscripts which have grown out of my research on Greek child language and the many CHILDES workshops taught in Germany, Greece, Portugal, and Brazil over the years. Its contents have now been adapted to the requirements of research into the acquisition of German as a second language and for use on Windows

Computational simulation of coupled material degradation processes for probabilistic lifetime strength of aerospace materials

The research included ongoing development of methodology that provides probabilistic lifetime strength of aerospace materials via computational simulation. A probabilistic material strength degradation model, in the form of a randomized multifactor interaction equation, is postulated for strength degradation of structural components of aerospace propulsion systems subjected to a number of effects or primative variables. These primative variable may include high temperature, fatigue or creep. In most cases, strength is reduced as a result of the action of a variable. This multifactor interaction strength degradation equation has been randomized and is included in the computer program, PROMISS. Also included in the research is the development of methodology to calibrate the above described constitutive equation using actual experimental materials data together with linear regression of that data, thereby predicting values for the empirical material constraints for each effect or primative variable. This regression methodology is included in the computer program, PROMISC. Actual experimental materials data were obtained from the open literature for materials typically of interest to those studying aerospace propulsion system components. Material data for Inconel 718 was analyzed using the developed methodology

Accelerated Steady-State Torque Computation for Induction Machines using Parallel-In-Time Algorithms

This paper focuses on efficient steady-state computations of induction machines. In particular, the periodic Parareal algorithm with initial-value coarse problem (PP-IC) is considered for acceleration of classical time-stepping simulations via non-intrusive parallelization in time domain, i.e., existing implementations can be reused. Superiority of this parallel-in-time method is in its direct applicability to time-periodic problems, compared to, e.g, the standard Parareal method, which only solves an initial-value problem, starting from a prescribed initial value. PP-IC is exploited here to obtain the steady state of several operating points of an induction motor, developed by Robert Bosch GmbH. Numerical experiments show that acceleration up to several dozens of times can be obtained, depending on availability of parallel processing units. Comparison of PP-IC with existing time-periodic explicit error correction method highlights better robustness and efficiency of the considered time-parallel approach

Computational simulation of probabilistic lifetime strength for aerospace materials subjected to high temperature, mechanical fatigue, creep and thermal fatigue

This report presents the results of a fourth year effort of a research program, conducted for NASA-LeRC by the University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA). The research included on-going development of methodology that provides probabilistic lifetime strength of aerospace materials via computational simulation. A probabilistic material strength degradation model, in the form of a randomized multifactor interaction equation, is postulated for strength degradation of structural components of aerospace propulsion systems subject to a number of effects or primitive variables. These primitive variables may include high temperature, fatigue or creep. In most cases, strength is reduced as a result of the action of a variable. This multifactor interaction strength degradation equation has been randomized and is included in the computer program, PROMISS. Also included in the research is the development of methodology to calibrate the above-described constitutive equation using actual experimental materials data together with regression analysis of that data, thereby predicting values for the empirical material constants for each effect or primitive variable. This regression methodology is included in the computer program, PROMISC. Actual experimental materials data were obtained from industry and the open literature for materials typically for applications in aerospace propulsion system components. Material data for Inconel 718 has been analyzed using the developed methodology

Developing the Implicit Relational Assessment Procedure as a Measure of Self-Forgiveness

The current thesis set out to develop an implicit relational assessment procedure as a measure of self-forgiveness across five studies. The first study targeted the development of a measure of implicit forgiveness of self related to “minor” transgressions (mistakes, flaws, shortcomings) versus the forgiveness of others. The results indicated that the measure of implicit forgiveness diverged from an explicit measure designed to measure the same construct. Moreover, implicitly, participants tended to be more forgiving towards themselves than towards others, whereas at the explicit level participants tended to forgive others. The second study aimed to develop the Implicit Relational Assessment Procedure (IRAP) as a measure of response biases related to emotional reactions and expected outcomes in the context of minor failings and successes in everyday life. However, in contrast to the previous study, the IRAPs were modified to investigate forgiveness of the self rather than others. Additionally, the research explored the extent to which such implicit reactions were related to standardized measures of psychopathology, including a measure Depression, Anxiety and Stress (DASS), measures of self-compassion (Self-Compassion Scale, SCS) and a scale that was based directly on the IRAP. Once again, the results showed that there was no convergence between explicit and implicit measures. The third study was similar to the second one, except that instead of using nomographic stimuli, ideographic stimuli were used with the IRAPs that reflected problem behaviours and the feelings (and anticipated outcomes) that they evoked in each one of the participants. Although specific response biases on the IRAP correlated with psychological suffering, particularly depression and stress, the results of the second and the third study were very similar in that only a few correlations were found between the explicit and implicit measures. Due to disclosure issues, the nomographic IRAPs developed in the second study were used in the next study. The fourth study investigated the impact of two priming procedures on implicit self-forgiveness. Specifically, participants had to write down 3 examples of failures or successes depending on priming condition (negative or positive priming); the researcher did not have access to what was written. Results indicated differences in the way in which the two types of priming impacted upon the IRAP effects, and how those effects correlated with measures of self-compassion and psychopathology. Finally, the final study aimed to investigate the impact of a history of training in behaviour therapy using the self-forgiveness IRAPs. Overall, only one of the two IRAPs, the one that targeted feelings rather than outcomes, produced clear and significant differences between the group with a history of therapy training versus a control group with no such training. The thesis concludes with a summary and a detailed discussion of the findings reported in each of the chapters. Overall, the research presented in the current thesis constitutes a first step in developing measures of the verbal behaviours involved in the psychological domain of self-forgiveness