72 research outputs found
Error-Related Activity and Correlates of Grammatical Plasticity
Cognitive control involves not only the ability to manage competing task demands,
but also the ability to adapt task performance during learning. This study
investigated how violation-, response-, and feedback-related
electrophysiological (EEG) activity changes over time during language learning.
Twenty-two Dutch learners of German classified short prepositional phrases
presented serially as text. The phrases were initially presented without
feedback during a pre-test phase, and then with feedback in a training phase on
two separate days spaced 1 week apart. The stimuli included
grammatically correct phrases, as well as grammatical violations of gender and
declension. Without feedback, participants’ classification was near
chance and did not improve over trials. During training with feedback,
behavioral classification improved and violation responses appeared to both
types of violation in the form of a P600. Feedback-related negative and positive
components were also present from the first day of training. The results show
changes in the electrophysiological responses in concert with improving
behavioral discrimination, suggesting that the activity is related to grammar
learning
Acquiring L2 sentence comprehension : a longitudinal study of word monitoring in noise
This study investigated the development of second language online auditory processing with ab initio German learners of
Dutch. We assessed the influence of different levels of background noise and different levels of semantic and syntactic target
word predictability on word-monitoring latencies. There was evidence of syntactic, but not lexical-semantic, transfer from the
L1 to the L2 from the onset of L2 learning. An initial stronger adverse effect of noise on syntactic compared to phonological
processing disappeared after two weeks of learning Dutch suggesting a change towards more robust syntactic processing. At
the same time the L2 learners started to exploit semantic constraints predicting upcoming target words. The use of semantic
predictability remained less efficient compared to native speakers until the end of the observation period. The improvement
and the persistent problems in semantic processing we found were independent of noise and rather seem to reflect the need
for more context information to build up online semantic representations in L2 listening.peer-reviewe
Development and Preliminary Validation of the Scale for Evaluation of Psychiatric Integrative and Continuous Care—Patient’s Version
This pilot study aimed to evaluate and examine an instrument that integrates
relevant aspects of cross-sectoral (in- and outpatients) mental health care,
is simply to use and shows satisfactory psychometric properties. The
development of the scale comprised literature research, held 14 focus groups
and 12 interviews with patients and health care providers, item-pool
generation, content validation by a scientific expert panel, and face
validation by 90 patients. The preliminary scale was tested on 385 patients
across seven German hospitals with cross-sectoral mental health care (CSMHC)
as part of their treatment program. Psychometric properties of the scale were
evaluated using genuine and transformed data scoring. To check reliability and
postdictive validity of the scale, Cronbach’s α coefficient and multivariable
linear regression were used. This development process led to the development
of an 18-item scale called the “Scale for Evaluation of Psychiatric
Integrative and Continuous Care (SEPICC)” with a two-point and five-point
response options. The scale consists of two sections. The first section
assesses the presence or absence of patients’ experiences with various CSMHC’
relevant components such as home treatment, flexibility of treatments’
switching, case management, continuity of care, cross-sectoral therapeutic
groups, and multidisciplinary teams. The second section evaluates the
patients’ opinions about these relevant components. Using raw and transformed
scoring resulted into comparable results. However, data distribution using
transformed scoring showed a smaller deviation from normality. For the overall
scale, the Cronbach’s α coefficient was 0.82. Self-reported experiences with
relevant components of the CSMHC were positively associated with the patients
approval of these components. In conclusion, the new scale provides a good
starting point for further validation. It can be used as a tool to evaluate
CSMHC. Methodologically, using transformed data scoring appeared to be
preferable because of a smaller deviation from normality and a higher
reliability measured by Cronbach’s α
Bridging Formal and Conceptual Semantics Selected papers of BRIDGE-14
The articles in this volume are the outcome of the successful BRIDGE Workshop held in Düsseldorf in 2014. The workshop gathered a number of distinguished researchers from formal semantics and conceptual semantics and aimed to initiate a deeper conversation and collaboration instead of separating the two sides as competing views. The workshop provided a platform to further discuss parallelisms on specific semantic issues on the one hand and on the other hand to confront opposed claims from the two different perspectives. This volume represents a selected number of high-quality papers presented at the workshop featuring various approaches to meaning from linguistics, logic and philosophy of language.
The series 'Studies in Language and Cognition' explores issues of mental representation, linguistic structure and representation, and their interplay. The research presented in this series is grounded in the idea explored in the Collaborative Research Center 'The structure of representations in language, cognition and science' (SFB 991) that there is a universal format for the representation of linguistic and cognitive concepts
Meaning and Grammar of Nouns and Verbs
The papers collected in this book cover contemporary and original research on semantic and grammatical issues of nouns and noun phrases, verbs and sentences, and aspects of the combination of nouns and verbs, in a great variety of languages. A special focus is put on noun types, tense and aspect semantics, granularity of verb meaning, and subcompositionality. The investigated languages and language groups include Austronesian, East Asian, Slavic, German, English, Hungarian and Lakhota. The collection provided in this book will be of interest to researchers and advanced students specialising in the fields of semantics, morphology, syntax, typology, and cognitive sciences
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