scholarly journals Exploring How Phonotactic Knowledge Can Be Represented in Cognitive Networks

2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (4) ◽  
pp. 47
Author(s):  
Michael S. Vitevitch ◽  
Leo Niehorster-Cook ◽  
Sasha Niehorster-Cook
Keyword(s):  
Computer Simulations ◽  
Network Architecture ◽  
Spoken Word Recognition ◽  
Empirical Work ◽  
Cognitive Networks ◽  
Spoken Word ◽  
Neighborhood Density ◽  
Bipartite Network ◽  
Network Architectures ◽  
Phonological Neighborhood

In Linguistics and Psycholinguistics, phonotactics refers to the constraints on individual sounds in a given language that restrict how those sounds can be ordered to form words in that language. Previous empirical work in Psycholinguistics demonstrated that phonotactic knowledge influenced how quickly and accurately listeners retrieved words from that part of memory known as the mental lexicon. In the present study, we used three computer simulations to explore how three different cognitive network architectures could account for the previously observed effects of phonotactics on processing. The results of Simulation 1 showed that some—but not all—effects of phonotactics could be accounted for in a network where nodes represent words and edges connect words that are phonologically related to each other. In Simulation 2, a different network architecture was used to again account for some—but not all—effects of phonotactics and phonological neighborhood density. A bipartite network was used in Simulation 3 to account for many of the previously observed effects of phonotactic knowledge on spoken word recognition. The value of using computer simulations to explore different network architectures is discussed.

scholarly journals What is in the neighborhood of a tonal syllable? Evidence from auditory lexical decision in Mandarin Chinese

2017 ◽  
Vol 2 ◽  
pp. 45 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yao Yao ◽  
Bhamini Sharma
Keyword(s):  
Lexical Decision ◽  
Mandarin Chinese ◽  
Neighborhood Effects ◽  
Spoken Word Recognition ◽  
Spoken Word ◽  
Neighborhood Density ◽  
Phonetic Variation ◽  
Auditory Lexical Decision ◽  
The One ◽  
Phonological Neighborhood

Phonological neighborhood effects have been found in spoken word recognition, word production and phonetic variation (Gahl, Yao, & Johnson, 2012; Luce & Pisoni, 1998; Vitevitch, 2002). Overall, words from dense neighborhoods are harder to recognize but easier to produce. However, most previous studies have focused on English, while evidence suggests that these effects may not generalize cross-linguistically due to language-specific configurations of the lexicon (Michael S Vitevitch & Stamer, 2006, 2009). In the current study, we investigate the effects of phonological neighborhoods in Mandarin Chinese, which has a vastly different lexicon structure from that of English. Results from an auditory lexical decision experiment showed that phonological neighborhood density and neighbor frequency (defined by the one-phoneme/tone difference rule) are predictive of the speed and accuracy of lexical decision. Homophone density also has a facilitative effect on the accuracy of lexical decision. The implications of the current findings are discussed in the framework of the lexicon model proposed by Zhou & Marslen-Wilson (1994, 2009).

Lexical neighborhoods and phonological confusability in cross-dialect word recognition in noise

2010 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Cynthia G. Clopper ◽  
Janet B. Pierrehumbert ◽  
Terrin N. Tamati
Keyword(s):  
Word Recognition ◽  
Target Word ◽  
Recognition Performance ◽  
Spoken Word Recognition ◽  
Spoken Word ◽  
Neighborhood Density ◽  
Minimal Pair ◽  
Dialect Variation ◽  
Vowel Recognition ◽  
Stimulus Materials

AbstractLexical neighborhood density is a well-known factor affecting phonological categorization in spoken word recognition. The current study examined the interaction between lexical neighborhood density and dialect variation in spoken word recognition in noise. The stimulus materials were real English words produced in two regional American English dialects. To manipulate lexical neighborhood density, target words were selected so that predicted phonological confusions across dialects resulted in real English words in the word-competitor condition and did not result in real English words in the nonword-competitor condition. Word and vowel recognition performance were more accurate in the nonword-competitor condition than the word-competitor condition for both talker dialects. An examination of the responses to specific vowels revealed the role of dialect variation in eliciting this effect. When the predicted phonological confusions were real lexical neighbors, listeners could respond with either the target word or the confusable minimal pair, and were more likely than expected to produce a minimal pair differing from the target by one vowel. When the predicted phonological confusions were not real words, however, the listeners exhibited less lexical competition and responded with the target word or a minimal pair differing by one consonant.

Lexical Organization and Phonological Change in Treatment

2002 ◽  
Vol 45 (1) ◽  
pp. 143-159 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michele L. Morrisette ◽  
Judith A. Gierut
Keyword(s):  
Spoken Word Recognition ◽  
Low Frequency ◽  
Spoken Word ◽  
Neighborhood Density ◽  
Lexical Organization ◽  
Experimental Conditions ◽  
Phonological Structure ◽  
Differential Generalization ◽  
Phonological Treatment ◽  
Phonological Change

Word frequency and neighborhood density are properties of lexical organization that differentially influence spoken-word recognition. This study examined whether these same properties also affect spoken-word production, particularly as related to children with functional phonological delays. The hypothesis was that differential generalization would be associated with a word's frequency and its neighborhood density when manipulated as input in phonological treatment. Using a multiple baseline across subjects design, 8 children (aged 3;10 to 5;4) were randomly enrolled in 1 of 4 experimental conditions targeting errored sounds in high-frequency, low-frequency, high-density, or low-density words. Dependent measures were generalization of treated sounds and untreated sounds within and across manner classes as measured during and following treatment. Results supported a hierarchy of phonological generalization by experimental condition. The clinical implications lie in planning for generalization through the input presented in treatment. Theoretically, the results demonstrate that lexical organization of words in the mental lexicon interacts with phonological structure in learning.

Auditory perception and word recognition in Cantonese-Chinese speaking children with and without Specific Language Impairment

2015 ◽  
Vol 44 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-35
Author(s):  
JOANNA C. KIDD ◽  
KATHY K. SHUM ◽  
ANITA M.-Y. WONG ◽  
CONNIE S.-H. HO ◽  
TERRY K. AU
Keyword(s):  
Word Recognition ◽  
Language Impairment ◽  
Phonological Processing ◽  
Oral Language ◽  
Specific Language Impairment ◽  
Auditory Perception ◽  
Spoken Word Recognition ◽  
Spoken Word ◽  
Neighborhood Density ◽  
Specific Language

AbstractAuditory processing and spoken word recognition difficulties have been observed in Specific Language Impairment (SLI), raising the possibility that auditory perceptual deficits disrupt word recognition and, in turn, phonological processing and oral language. In this study, fifty-seven kindergarten children with SLI and fifty-three language-typical age-matched controls were assessed with a speech-gating task to measure spoken word recognition, psychophysical tasks to measure auditory Frequency Modulation (FM) detection and Frequency Discrimination (FD), and standardized psychometric tests of phonological processing and oral language. As a group, children with SLI took significantly longer than language-typical controls to recognize words with high neighborhood density, perhaps reflecting subpar phonological representations. FM, but not FD, was significantly worse in SLI. However, while both poorer speech-gating performance and poorer auditory thresholds (FM) were evident in SLI, spoken word recognition did not mediate any relation between auditory perception and either phonological processing or oral language.

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