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Reilly J, Finley AM, Litovsky CP, Kenett YN. Bigram semantic distance as an index of continuous semantic flow in natural language: Theory, tools, and applications. J Exp Psychol Gen 2023; 152:2578-2590. [PMID: 37079833 PMCID: PMC10790181 DOI: 10.1037/xge0001389] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/22/2023]
Abstract
Much of our understanding of word meaning has been informed through studies of single words. High-dimensional semantic space models have recently proven instrumental in elucidating connections between words. Here we show how bigram semantic distance can yield novel insights into conceptual cohesion and topic flow when computed over continuous language samples. For example, "Cats drink milk" is comprised of an ordered vector of bigrams (cat-drink, drink-milk). Each of these bigrams has a unique semantic distance. These distances in turn may provide a metric of dispersion or the flow of concepts as language unfolds. We offer an R-package ("semdistflow") that transforms any user-specified language transcript into a vector of ordered bigrams, appending two metrics of semantic distance to each pair. We validated these distance metrics on a continuous stream of simulated verbal fluency data assigning predicted switch markers between alternating semantic clusters (animals, musical instruments, fruit). We then generated bigram distance norms on a large sample of text and demonstrated applications of the technique to a classic work of short fiction, To Build a Fire (London, 1908). In one application, we showed that bigrams spanning sentence boundaries are punctuated by jumps in the semantic distance. We discuss the promise of this technique for characterizing semantic processing in real-world narratives and for bridging findings at the single word level with macroscale discourse analyses. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved).
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Affiliation(s)
- Jamie Reilly
- Eleanor M. Saffran Center for Cognitive Neuroscience
- Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, Temple University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania USA
| | - Ann Marie Finley
- Eleanor M. Saffran Center for Cognitive Neuroscience
- Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, Temple University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania USA
| | - Celia P. Litovsky
- Eleanor M. Saffran Center for Cognitive Neuroscience
- Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, Temple University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania USA
| | - Yoed N. Kenett
- Faculty of Faculty of Data and Decision Sciences, Technion Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa, Israel
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2
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Zhang Y, Mirman D, Hoffman P. Taxonomic and thematic relations rely on different types of semantic features: Evidence from an fMRI meta-analysis and a semantic priming study. BRAIN AND LANGUAGE 2023; 242:105287. [PMID: 37263104 DOI: 10.1016/j.bandl.2023.105287] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2022] [Revised: 03/20/2023] [Accepted: 05/17/2023] [Indexed: 06/03/2023]
Abstract
Taxonomic and thematic relations are major components of semantic representation but their neurocognitive underpinnings are still debated. We hypothesised that taxonomic relations preferentially activate parts of anterior temporal lobe (ATL) because they rely more on colour and shape features, while thematic relations preferentially activate temporoparietal cortex (TPC) because they rely more on action and location knowledge. We first conducted activation likelihood estimation (ALE) meta-analysis to assess evidence for neural specialisation in the existing fMRI literature (Study 1), then used a primed semantic judgement task to examine if the two relations are primed by different feature types (Study 2). We find that taxonomic relations show minimal feature-based specialisation but preferentially activate the lingual gyrus. Thematic relations are more dependent on action and location features and preferentially engage TPC. The meta-analysis also showed that lateral ATL is preferentially engaged by Thematic relations, which may reflect their greater reliance on verbal associations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yueyang Zhang
- School of Philosophy, Psychology & Language Sciences, University of Edinburgh, UK
| | - Daniel Mirman
- School of Philosophy, Psychology & Language Sciences, University of Edinburgh, UK
| | - Paul Hoffman
- School of Philosophy, Psychology & Language Sciences, University of Edinburgh, UK.
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3
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Merck C, Noël A, Jamet E, Robert M, Salmon A, Belliard S, Kalénine S. Nonspecific Effects of Normal Aging on Taxonomic and Thematic Semantic Processing. Exp Aging Res 2023; 49:18-40. [PMID: 35234091 DOI: 10.1080/0361073x.2022.2046948] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE This study aimed to assess the effect of normal aging on the processing of taxonomic and thematic semantic relations. METHOD We used the Visual-World-Paradigm coupled with eye-movement recording. We compared performance of healthy younger and older adults on a word-to-picture matching task in which participants had to identify each target among semantically related (taxonomic or thematic) and unrelated distractors. RESULTS Younger and older participants exhibited similar patterns of gaze fixations in the two semantic conditions. The effect of aging took the form of an overall reduction in sensitivity to semantic competitors, with no difference between the taxonomic and thematic conditions. Moreover, comparison of the proportions of fixations between the younger and older participants indicated that targets were identified equally quickly in both age groups. This was not the case when mouse-click reaction times were analyzed. CONCLUSIONS Findings argue in favor of nonspecific effects of normal aging on semantic processing that similarly affect taxonomic and thematic processing. There are important clinical implications, as pathological aging has been repeatedly shown to selectively affect either taxonomic or thematic relations. Measuring eye-movements in a semantic task is also an interesting approach in the elderly, as these seem to be less impacted by aging than other motor responses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Catherine Merck
- Service de Neurologie, Cmrr Haute Bretagne, Chu Pontchaillou, Rennes, France.,Normandie Univ, Unicaen, Psl Research University, Ephe, Inserm, U1077, Chu de Caen, Neuropsychologie Et Imagerie de la Mémoire Humaine, Caen, France
| | - Audrey Noël
- Univ Rennes, LP3C (Psychology of Cognition, Behavior & Communication Laboratory) - Ea 1285, Rennes, France
| | - Eric Jamet
- Univ Rennes, LP3C (Psychology of Cognition, Behavior & Communication Laboratory) - Ea 1285, Rennes, France
| | - Maxime Robert
- Univ Rennes, LP3C (Psychology of Cognition, Behavior & Communication Laboratory) - Ea 1285, Rennes, France
| | - Anne Salmon
- Service de Neurologie, Cmrr Haute Bretagne, Chu Pontchaillou, Rennes, France
| | - Serge Belliard
- Service de Neurologie, Cmrr Haute Bretagne, Chu Pontchaillou, Rennes, France.,Normandie Univ, Unicaen, Psl Research University, Ephe, Inserm, U1077, Chu de Caen, Neuropsychologie Et Imagerie de la Mémoire Humaine, Caen, France
| | - Solène Kalénine
- Univ. Lille, Cnrs, Chu Lille, Umr 9193 - SCALab - Sciences Cognitives Et Sciences Affectives, Lille, France
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Litovsky CP, Finley AM, Zuckerman B, Sayers M, Schoenhard JA, Kenett YN, Reilly J. Semantic flow and its relation to controlled semantic retrieval deficits in the narrative production of people with aphasia. Neuropsychologia 2022; 170:108235. [PMID: 35430236 PMCID: PMC9978996 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2022.108235] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2021] [Revised: 04/04/2022] [Accepted: 04/05/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Aphasia has had a profound influence on our understanding of how language is instantiated within the human brain. Historically, aphasia has yielded an in vivo model for elucidating the effects of impaired lexical-semantic access on language comprehension and production. Aphasiology has focused intensively on single word dissociations. Yet, less is known about the integrity of combinatorial semantic processes required to construct well-formed narratives. Here we addressed the question of how controlled lexical-semantic retrieval deficits (a hallmark of aphasia) might compound over the course of longer narratives. We specifically examined word-by-word flow of taxonomic vs. thematic semantic distance in the storytelling narratives of individuals with chronic post-stroke aphasia (n = 259) relative to age-matched controls (n = 203). We first parsed raw transcribed narratives into content words and computed inter-word semantic distances for every running pair of words in each narrative (N = 232,490 word transitions). The narratives of people with aphasia showed significant reductions in taxonomic and thematic semantic distance relative to controls. Both distance metrics were strongly predictive of offline measures of semantic impairment and aphasia severity. Since individuals with aphasia often exhibit perseverative language output (i.e., repetitions), we performed additional analyses with repetitions excluded. When repetitions were excluded, group differences in semantic distances persisted and thematic distance was still predictive of semantic impairment, although some findings changed. These results demonstrate the cumulative impact of deficits in controlled word retrieval over the course of narrative production. We discuss the nature of semantic flow between words as a novel metric of characterizing discourse and elucidating the nature of lexical-semantic access impairment in aphasia at multiword levels.
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Affiliation(s)
- Celia P. Litovsky
- Eleanor M. Saffran Center for Cognitive Neuroscience, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA, USA,Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA, USA,Corresponding author. Eleanor M. Saffran Center for Cognitive Neuroscience, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA, USA. (C.P. Litovsky)
| | - Ann Marie Finley
- Eleanor M. Saffran Center for Cognitive Neuroscience, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA, USA,Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Bonnie Zuckerman
- Eleanor M. Saffran Center for Cognitive Neuroscience, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA, USA,Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Matthew Sayers
- Eleanor M. Saffran Center for Cognitive Neuroscience, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA, USA,Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Julie A. Schoenhard
- Eleanor M. Saffran Center for Cognitive Neuroscience, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA, USA,Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Yoed N. Kenett
- Faculty of Industrial Engineering & Management, Technion – Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa, Israel
| | - Jamie Reilly
- Eleanor M. Saffran Center for Cognitive Neuroscience, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA, USA,Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA, USA
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5
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Liang X, Xiao F, Zhu Y, Lei Y, Chen Q. How types of prior knowledge and task properties impact the category-based induction: diverging evidence from the P2, N400, and LPC effects. Biol Psychol 2020; 156:107951. [PMID: 32890634 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsycho.2020.107951] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/09/2019] [Revised: 04/24/2020] [Accepted: 08/28/2020] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Category-based induction task was combined with ERP to unravel whether prior knowledge and property interact when inferring on genes or diseases. Larger P2 amplitudes for near taxonomic/causal distances relative to far ones, as well as larger LPC for taxonomic relation relative to thematic relation, are found in both gene and disease tasks. However, smaller N400 is found for taxonomic relation in gene task and thematic relation in disease task, respectively, and larger LPC at 700-850 ms for near taxonomic distance in the gene task and near causal distance in the disease task. These results suggested that the category-based inductive reasoning is context-sensitive, and there may be four stages of category-based inductive reasoning: the early automatic comparison of features/relations (P2), features/relations generalization process (N400), the extraction of common relationship/rule (LPC at 550-700 ms), the inference generation (LPC at 700-850 ms).
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiuling Liang
- School of Biomedical Engineering, Shenzhen University Health Science Center, Shenzhen, China; College of Psychology, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, 518060, China
| | - Feng Xiao
- Department of Education Science, Innovation Center for Fundamental Education Quality Enhancement of Shanxi Province, Shanxi Normal University, Linfen 041000, China
| | - Yuxi Zhu
- College of Psychology, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, 518060, China; School of Public Health (Shenzhen), Sun Yat-sen University, Shenzhen, Guangdong, China
| | - Yi Lei
- Institute for Brain and Psychological Sciences, Sichuan Normal University, Chengdu, 610068, China
| | - Qingfei Chen
- College of Psychology, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, 518060, China; Center for Language and Brain, Shenzhen Institute of Neuroscience, Shenzhen, 518057, China.
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6
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García Coni A, Ison M, Vivas J. Conceptual flexibility in school children: Switching between taxonomic and thematic relations. COGNITIVE DEVELOPMENT 2019. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cogdev.2019.100827] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
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7
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Merck C, Noël A, Jamet E, Robert M, Hou C, Salmon A, Belliard S, Kalénine S. Identification of taxonomic and thematic relationships: Do the two semantic systems have the same status in semantic dementia? J Clin Exp Neuropsychol 2019; 41:946-964. [PMID: 31305211 DOI: 10.1080/13803395.2019.1641186] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
Abstract
Introduction: Disequilibrium between the taxonomic and thematic semantic systems was previously hypothesized in participants with semantic dementia (SD), without rigorously assessing their ability to identify the two types of semantic relationships. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to directly compare the ability of 10 participants with SD, 10 participants with Alzheimer's disease (AD), and 20 controls to identify thematic versus taxonomic relationships. Methods: Participants performed an explicit forced-choice picture-matching task in which they had to determine which of two pictures of choice was semantically related to the target picture. Target pictures could display natural or artifact objects. Each target was presented once with a taxonomically related picture and once with a thematically related picture. Results: Analyses of correct thematic and taxonomic matches as a function of target domain showed that the performance of the two groups of patients differed in the taxonomic conditions but not in the thematic conditions, demonstrating a relative preservation of thematic knowledge in SD. Additional correlation analyses further indicated that the particular status of thematic relationships in SD was even stronger for artifact concepts. Conclusions: Results provide evidence of the heterogeneous nature of semantic knowledge disruption in SD, and could be regarded as being consistent with the existence of two neuroanatomically and functionally distinct semantic systems. Results further stress the relevance of performing a more detailed and complete assessment of semantic performance in participants with SD, in order to capture the impaired but also preserved aspects of their knowledge.
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Affiliation(s)
- Catherine Merck
- Service de neurologie, CMRR Haute Bretagne, CHU Pontchaillou , Rennes , France.,Normandie Univ, UNICAEN, PSL Research University, EPHE, INSERM, U1077, CHU de Caen, Neuropsychologie et Imagerie de la Mémoire Humaine , Caen , France
| | - Audrey Noël
- Université Rennes 2, Laboratoire de Psychologie: Cognition, Comportement et Communication (EA 1285, laboratoire LP3C) , Rennes , France
| | - Eric Jamet
- Université Rennes 2, Laboratoire de Psychologie: Cognition, Comportement et Communication (EA 1285, laboratoire LP3C) , Rennes , France
| | - Maxime Robert
- Université Rennes 2, Laboratoire de Psychologie: Cognition, Comportement et Communication (EA 1285, laboratoire LP3C) , Rennes , France
| | - Camille Hou
- Service de neurologie, CMRR Haute Bretagne, CHU Pontchaillou , Rennes , France
| | - Anne Salmon
- Service de neurologie, CMRR Haute Bretagne, CHU Pontchaillou , Rennes , France
| | - Serge Belliard
- Service de neurologie, CMRR Haute Bretagne, CHU Pontchaillou , Rennes , France.,Normandie Univ, UNICAEN, PSL Research University, EPHE, INSERM, U1077, CHU de Caen, Neuropsychologie et Imagerie de la Mémoire Humaine , Caen , France
| | - Solène Kalénine
- Univ. Lille, CNRS, CHU Lille, UMR 9193 - SCALab - Sciences Cognitives et Sciences Affectives , Lille , France
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8
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Abstract
Although the parietal lobe was considered by many of the earliest investigators of disordered language to be a major component of the neural systems instantiating language, most views of the anatomic substrate of language emphasize the role of temporal and frontal lobes in language processing. We review evidence from lesion studies as well as functional neuroimaging, demonstrating that the left parietal lobe is also crucial for several aspects of language. First, we argue that the parietal lobe plays a major role in semantic processing, particularly for "thematic" relationships in which information from multiple sensory and motor domains is integrated. Additionally, we review a number of accounts that emphasize the role of the left parietal lobe in phonologic processing. Although the accounts differ somewhat with respect to the nature of the linguistic computations subserved by the parietal lobe, they share the view that the parietal lobe is essential for the processes by which sound-based representations are transcoded into a format that can drive action systems. We suggest that investigations of the linguistic capacities of the parietal lobe constrained by the understanding of the parietal lobe in action and multimodal sensory integration may serve to enhance not only our understanding of language, but also the relationship between language and more basic brain functions.
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Affiliation(s)
- H Branch Coslett
- Department of Neurology, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, United States.
| | - Myrna F Schwartz
- Moss Rehabilitation Research Institute, Elkins Park, PA, United States
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9
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Methqal I, Pinsard B, Amiri M, Wilson MA, Monchi O, Provost JS, Joanette Y. Age-Related Brain Activation Changes during Rule Repetition in Word-Matching. Front Hum Neurosci 2017; 11:543. [PMID: 29180957 PMCID: PMC5693847 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2017.00543] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/17/2017] [Accepted: 10/24/2017] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Objective: The purpose of this study was to explore the age-related brain activation changes during a word-matching semantic-category-based task, which required either repeating or changing a semantic rule to be applied. In order to do so, a word-semantic rule-based task was adapted from the Wisconsin Sorting Card Test, involving the repeated feedback-driven selection of given pairs of words based on semantic category-based criteria. Method: Forty healthy adults (20 younger and 20 older) performed a word-matching task while undergoing a fMRI scan in which they were required to pair a target word with another word from a group of three words. The required pairing is based on three word-pair semantic rules which correspond to different levels of semantic control demands: functional relatedness, moderately typical-relatedness (which were considered as low control demands), and atypical-relatedness (high control demands). The sorting period consisted of a continuous execution of the same sorting rule and an inferred trial-by-trial feedback was given. Results: Behavioral performance revealed increases in response times and decreases of correct responses according to the level of semantic control demands (functional vs. typical vs. atypical) for both age groups (younger and older) reflecting graded differences in the repetition of the application of a given semantic rule. Neuroimaging findings of significant brain activation showed two main results: (1) Greater task-related activation changes for the repetition of the application of atypical rules relative to typical and functional rules, and (2) Changes (older > younger) in the inferior prefrontal regions for functional rules and more extensive and bilateral activations for typical and atypical rules. Regarding the inter-semantic rules comparison, only task-related activation differences were observed for functional > typical (e.g., inferior parietal and temporal regions bilaterally) and atypical > typical (e.g., prefrontal, inferior parietal, posterior temporal, and subcortical regions). Conclusion: These results suggest that healthy cognitive aging relies on the adaptive changes of inferior prefrontal resources involved in the repetitive execution of semantic rules, thus reflecting graded differences in support of task demands.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ikram Methqal
- Centre de Recherche de l'Institut Universitaire de Gériatrie de Montréal, Montreal, QC, Canada.,Faculty of Medicine, University of Montreal, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Basile Pinsard
- Centre de Recherche de l'Institut Universitaire de Gériatrie de Montréal, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Mahnoush Amiri
- Centre de Recherche de l'Institut Universitaire de Gériatrie de Montréal, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Maximiliano A Wilson
- Centre de Recherche CERVO - CIUSSS de la Capitale-Nationale et Département de Réadaptation, Université Laval, Québec, QC, Canada
| | - Oury Monchi
- Department of Clinical Neurosciences, Hotchkiss Brain Institute, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
| | - Jean-Sebastien Provost
- Department of Clinical Neurosciences, Hotchkiss Brain Institute, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
| | - Yves Joanette
- Centre de Recherche de l'Institut Universitaire de Gériatrie de Montréal, Montreal, QC, Canada.,Faculty of Medicine, University of Montreal, Montreal, QC, Canada
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10
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Abstract
Knowledge of thematic relations is an area of increased interest in semantic memory research because it is crucial to many cognitive processes. One methodological issue that researchers face is how to identify pairs of thematically related concepts that are well-established in semantic memory for most people. In this article, we review existing methods of assessing thematic relatedness and provide thematic relatedness production norming data for 100 object concepts. In addition, 1,174 related concept pairs obtained from the production norms were classified as reflecting one of the five subtypes of relations: attributive, argument, coordinate, locative, and temporal. The database and methodology will be useful for researchers interested in the effects of thematic knowledge on language processing, analogical reasoning, similarity judgments, and memory. These data will also benefit researchers interested in investigating potential processing differences among the five types of semantic relations.
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11
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Abstract
Object concepts are critical for nearly all aspects of human cognition, from perception tasks like object recognition, to understanding and producing language, to making meaningful actions. Concepts can have 2 very different kinds of relations: similarity relations based on shared features (e.g., dog-bear), which are called "taxonomic" relations, and contiguity relations based on co-occurrence in events or scenarios (e.g., dog-leash), which are called "thematic" relations. Here, we report a systematic review of experimental psychology and cognitive neuroscience evidence of this distinction in the structure of semantic memory. We propose 2 principles that may drive the development of distinct taxonomic and thematic semantic systems: differences between which features determine taxonomic versus thematic relations, and differences in the processing required to extract taxonomic versus thematic relations. This review brings together distinct threads of behavioral, computational, and neuroscience research on semantic memory in support of a functional and neural dissociation, and defines a framework for future studies of semantic memory. (PsycINFO Database Record
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Mirman
- Department of Psychology, University of Alabama at Birmingham
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12
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Kalénine S, Buxbaum LJ. Thematic knowledge, artifact concepts, and the left posterior temporal lobe: Where action and object semantics converge. Cortex 2016; 82:164-178. [PMID: 27389801 DOI: 10.1016/j.cortex.2016.06.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/10/2015] [Revised: 03/21/2016] [Accepted: 06/11/2016] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
Converging evidence supports the existence of functionally and neuroanatomically distinct taxonomic (similarity-based; e.g., hammer-screwdriver) and thematic (event-based; e.g., hammer-nail) semantic systems. Processing of thematic relations between objects has been shown to selectively recruit the left posterior temporoparietal cortex. Similar posterior regions have also been shown to be critical for knowledge of relationships between actions and manipulable human-made objects (artifacts). Based on the hypothesis that thematic relationships for artifacts rely, at least in part, on action relationships, we assessed the prediction that the same regions of the left posterior temporoparietal cortex would be critical for conceptual processing of artifact-related actions and thematic relations for artifacts. To test this hypothesis, we evaluated processing of taxonomic and thematic relations for artifacts and natural objects as well as artifact action knowledge (gesture recognition) abilities in a large sample of 48 stroke patients with a range of lesion foci in the left hemisphere. Like control participants, patients identified thematic relations faster than taxonomic relations for artifacts, whereas they identified taxonomic relations faster than thematic relations for natural objects. Moreover, response times (RTs) for identifying thematic relations for artifacts selectively predicted performance in gesture recognition. Whole brain Voxel-based Lesion-Symptom Mapping (VLSM) analyses and Region of Interest (ROI) regression analyses further demonstrated that lesions to the left posterior temporal cortex, overlapping with LTO and visual motion area hMT+, were associated both with relatively slower RTs in identifying thematic relations for artifacts and poorer artifact action knowledge in patients. These findings provide novel insights into the functional role of left posterior temporal cortex in thematic knowledge, and suggest that the close association between thematic relations for artifacts and action representations may reflect their common dependence on visual motion and manipulation information.
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Affiliation(s)
- Solène Kalénine
- Moss Rehabilitation Research Institute, Elkins Park, PA, USA; Univ. Lille, CNRS, CHU Lille, UMR 9193 SCALab - Sciences Cognitives et Sciences Affectives, Lille, France.
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Pluciennicka E, Coello Y, Kalénine S. Development of implicit processing of thematic and functional similarity relations during manipulable artifact object identification: Evidence from eye-tracking in the Visual World Paradigm. COGNITIVE DEVELOPMENT 2016. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cogdev.2016.02.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
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14
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Dissociation des relations thématiques et des relations de similarité fonctionnelle entre objets : données issues des propriétés générées à partir de 100 concepts d’objets fabriqués manipulables. ANNEE PSYCHOLOGIQUE 2015. [DOI: 10.4074/s0003503315001049] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
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15
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Pluciennicka E, Coello Y, Kalénine S. Dissociation des relations thématiques et des relations de similarité fonctionnelle entre objets : données issues des propriétés générées à partir de 100 concepts d’objets fabriqués manipulables. ANNEE PSYCHOLOGIQUE 2015. [DOI: 10.3917/anpsy.151.0089] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022]
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16
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Wamain Y, Pluciennicka E, Kalénine S. A saw is first identified as an object used on wood: ERP evidence for temporal differences between Thematic and Functional similarity relations. Neuropsychologia 2015; 71:28-37. [PMID: 25725356 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2015.02.034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2014] [Revised: 01/28/2015] [Accepted: 02/20/2015] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Abstract
The role of functional and motor information in manipulable artifact object semantic organization is still poorly understood. In particular, several types of semantic relations involving object functional knowledge may be distinguished. Functional similarity relations group objects with similar functions at relatively specific (e.g. saw-axe, both used to cut wood) or general (saw-knife, both used to cut) levels. Thematic relations group objects based on their complementarity in events (saw used upon/with wood). Recent eye-tracking data showed distinct temporal time courses for the different semantic relations, with fastest processing of thematic relations and slowest processing of general function similarity relations. Behavioral data suggest the involvement of distinct cognitive mechanisms in manipulable artifact object semantic processing. The aim of the present study was to assess the neural correlates of thematic, and specific and general function similarity relation processing. Specifically, we investigated whether time course differences between semantic relations could be highlighted at the neurophysiological level. We used a protocol combining semantic priming with electroencephalography, and manipulated the type of semantic relation and the duration of the interval between prime and target objects. Two consistent and complementary results were shown. On N1 and P3 components, semantic priming was observed for thematic relations only. On N400 component, the type of semantic relation interacted with interval duration, and semantic priming was visible for all 3 relations after the longest interval only. Results revealed graded processing time courses for thematic, specific function similarity, and general function similarity relations at the neural level, and further indicate that thematic relations impact object processing during the early stages of object recognition. Findings suggest a hierarchical organization of three types of semantic relations based on functional knowledge. The parallel between semantic relations involving manipulable artifact objects and levels of action representations is discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yannick Wamain
- SCALab, CNRS UMR 9193, Université Lille Nord de France, Lille, F-59000, France; UDL3, URECA, Villeneuve d'Ascq Cedex, F-59653, France.
| | - Ewa Pluciennicka
- SCALab, CNRS UMR 9193, Université Lille Nord de France, Lille, F-59000, France; UDL3, URECA, Villeneuve d'Ascq Cedex, F-59653, France
| | - Solène Kalénine
- SCALab, CNRS UMR 9193, Université Lille Nord de France, Lille, F-59000, France; UDL3, IRHIS, Villeneuve d'Ascq Cedex, F-59653, France; CNRS, URM8529, Villeneuve d'Ascq Cedex, F-59653, France
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Dissociation des relations thématiques et des relations de similarité fonctionnelle entre objets : données issues des propriétés générées à partir de 100 concepts d’objets fabriqués manipulables. ANNEE PSYCHOLOGIQUE 2014. [DOI: 10.4074/s0003503314000025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
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Kuchinsky SE, Ahlstrom JB, Cute SL, Humes LE, Dubno JR, Eckert MA. Speech-perception training for older adults with hearing loss impacts word recognition and effort. Psychophysiology 2014; 51:1046-57. [PMID: 24909603 DOI: 10.1111/psyp.12242] [Citation(s) in RCA: 54] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2013] [Accepted: 05/02/2014] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
The current pupillometry study examined the impact of speech-perception training on word recognition and cognitive effort in older adults with hearing loss. Trainees identified more words at the follow-up than at the baseline session. Training also resulted in an overall larger and faster peaking pupillary response, even when controlling for performance and reaction time. Perceptual and cognitive capacities affected the peak amplitude of the pupil response across participants but did not diminish the impact of training on the other pupil metrics. Thus, we demonstrated that pupillometry can be used to characterize training-related and individual differences in effort during a challenging listening task. Importantly, the results indicate that speech-perception training not only affects overall word recognition, but also a physiological metric of cognitive effort, which has the potential to be a biomarker of hearing loss intervention outcome.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stefanie E Kuchinsky
- Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, South Carolina, USA
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Lee CI, Mirman D, Buxbaum LJ. Abnormal dynamics of activation of object use information in apraxia: evidence from eyetracking. Neuropsychologia 2014; 59:13-26. [PMID: 24746946 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2014.04.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2013] [Revised: 04/04/2014] [Accepted: 04/08/2014] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Abstract
Action representations associated with object use may be incidentally activated during visual object processing, and the time course of such activations may be influenced by lexical-semantic context (e.g., Lee, Middleton, Mirman, Kalénine, & Buxbaum (2012). Journal of Experimental Psychology: Human Perception and Performance, 39(1), 257-270). In this study we used the "visual world" eye-tracking paradigm to examine whether a deficit in producing skilled object-use actions (apraxia) is associated with abnormalities in incidental activation of action information, and assessed the neuroanatomical substrates of any such deficits. Twenty left hemisphere stroke patients, ten of whom were apraxic, performed a task requiring identification of a named object in a visual display containing manipulation-related and unrelated distractor objects. Manipulation relationships among objects were not relevant to the identification task. Objects were cued with neutral ("S/he saw the…."), or action-relevant ("S/he used the….") sentences. Non-apraxic participants looked at use-related non-target objects significantly more than at unrelated non-target objects when cued both by neutral and action-relevant sentences, indicating that action information is incidentally activated. In contrast, apraxic participants showed delayed activation of manipulation-based action information during object identification when cued by neutral sentences. The magnitude of delayed activation in the neutral sentence condition was reliably predicted by lower scores on a test of gesture production to viewed objects, as well as by lesion loci in the inferior parietal and posterior temporal lobes. However, when cued by a sentence containing an action verb, apraxic participants showed fixation patterns that were statistically indistinguishable from non-apraxic controls. In support of grounded theories of cognition, these results suggest that apraxia and temporal-parietal lesions may be associated with abnormalities in incidental activation of action information from objects. Further, they suggest that the previously-observed facilitative role of action verbs in the retrieval of object-related action information extends to participants with apraxia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chia-Iin Lee
- Graduate Institute of Linguistics, Department of Psychology, Graduate Institute of Brain and Mind Sciences, and Neurobiology and Cognitive Neuroscience Center, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan.
| | - Daniel Mirman
- Moss Rehabilitation Research Institute, Philadelphia, PA, USA; Department of Psychology, Drexel University, PA, USA
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Britt AE, Mirman D, Kornilov SA, Magnuson JS. Effect of repetition proportion on language-driven anticipatory eye movements. Acta Psychol (Amst) 2014; 145:128-38. [PMID: 24345674 PMCID: PMC4067486 DOI: 10.1016/j.actpsy.2013.10.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2013] [Revised: 08/28/2013] [Accepted: 10/04/2013] [Indexed: 10/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Previous masked priming research in word recognition has demonstrated that repetition priming is influenced by experiment-wise information structure, such as proportion of target repetition. Research using naturalistic tasks and eye-tracking has shown that people use linguistic knowledge to anticipate upcoming words. We examined whether the proportion of target repetition within an experiment can have a similar effect on anticipatory eye movements. We used a word-to-picture matching task (i.e., the visual world paradigm) with target repetition proportion carefully controlled. Participants' eye movements were tracked starting when the pictures appeared, one second prior to the onset of the target word. Targets repeated from the previous trial were fixated more than other items during this preview period when target repetition proportion was high and less than other items when target repetition proportion was low. These results indicate that linguistic anticipation can be driven by short-term within-experiment trial structure, with implications for the generalization of priming effects, the bases of anticipatory eye movements, and experiment design.
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Affiliation(s)
- Allison E Britt
- Moss Rehabilitation Research Institute, Elkins Park, PA 19027, USA.
| | - Daniel Mirman
- Moss Rehabilitation Research Institute, Elkins Park, PA 19027, USA
| | - Sergey A Kornilov
- Department of Psychology, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT 06269, USA; Haskins Laboratories, New Haven, CT 06511, USA
| | - James S Magnuson
- Department of Psychology, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT 06269, USA; Haskins Laboratories, New Haven, CT 06511, USA
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Pexman PM, Siakaluk PD, Yap MJ. Introduction to the research topic meaning in mind: semantic richness effects in language processing. Front Hum Neurosci 2013; 7:723. [PMID: 24204336 PMCID: PMC3817369 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2013.00723] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2013] [Accepted: 10/11/2013] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Penny M Pexman
- Department of Psychology, University of Calgary Calgary, AB, Canada
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