prediction is production?
TRANSCRIPT
Prediction is Production?
Victoria H. Gertel
Graduate Research Exhibition
March 24-26 2021
Exploring the Relationship Between Language Prediction and Language Production in Younger and Older Adults
Aspects of Cognition Decline with Age
HealthyAging
MemoryLanguage Production
Processing Inhibition
Language Production Declines with Age
Language Production
More Tip of the
Tongue States More
Filler Words
Slower Speech
Simpler Sentences
What is Language Prediction?
• Language Prediction: A process during language comprehension in which individuals anticipate upcoming information.
(Buck & Lee, 2013, 0:24:42)
What is Language Prediction?
• Declines in prediction likely related to declines in cognitive resources (Federmeier,
2007; Federmeier et al., 2010; Huettig & Janse, 2016).
• However, some language production theories and studies suggest declines in prediction are related to declines in production (Dell &
Chang, 2014; Federmeier, 2007; Federmeier & Kutas, 2005; Federmeier, et al., 2010).
(Dell & Chang, 2014)
*
* Processing = language comprehension in this model
Research Questions
1. Is language prediction related to language production?
2. If these processes are related, do age-related declines in language production ability moderate declines in language prediction?
How Can We Measure Prediction?
The boy peeled the large banana while he was sitting in the cafeteria.
The boy drew the large bananawhile he was sitting in the cafeteria.
Less Predictable
Predictable
• Verbs can constrain sentences, making the sentences more predictable. A verb like “peeled” applies to a finite number of objects (e.g., banana, apple, potato), whereas a verb like “drew” can apply to a seemingly endless number of objects.
Current Study
Verb
Noun
TrialProgression
Language Production Measures
Picture Naming:
Verbal Fluency:
Typed Elicitation:
“Type as many animal names as you can in 2 minutes”
“Please describe a favorite childhood memory of yours.”
• Younger adults will be better at language prediction and language production.
• Reading times will be faster for the predictable sentences compared to the less predictable sentences.
• Better language production performance will be associated with better language prediction performance (i.e., reading times) across age groups.
Hypotheses
Can we encourage prediction?
Verb
Noun
TrialProgression
Main Hypothesis:
Providing participants with an expectation to produce will result in more engagement in language prediction (operationalized as reading times), therefore reading times will be faster in the production block compared to the comprehension block.
1. Examine how other cognitive domains, like memory and processing speed, impact the relationship between
language prediction and production.**
1a. Do individual differences in memory and processing speed
moderate the relationship between language prediction
and production?
1b. Do older adults with better memory and processing speed
have preserved language prediction and production
abilities?
**This data is being collected concurrently online with the language prediction and production measures mentioned previously.
Future Directions
2. Conduct the study in-person using EEG measures to record brain wave activity.
2a. What processing differences are evident in brainwaves
between younger and older adults when reading predictable and less predictable sentences?
2b. Do high-performing older adults’ brainwave patterns
resemble the brainwave patterns of younger adults?
Future Directions
• Dr. Michele Diaz (PhD Advisor)
• Dissertation Committee• Dr. Nancy Dennis
• Dr. Frank Hillary
• Dr. Giuli Dussias
• Dr. Chaleece Sandberg
• Language and Aging Lab
• PSU Cognitive Psychology Department
• Penn State College of Liberal Arts (RGSO Dissertation Support Funding)
Thank You!
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References