Journal article
Training alters the resolution of lexical interference: Evidence for plasticity of competition and inhibition
Journal of experimental psychology. General, Vol.145(1), pp.8-30
01/2016
DOI: 10.1037/xge0000123
PMCID: PMC4888904
PMID: 26709587
Abstract
Language learning is generally described as a problem of acquiring new information (e.g., new words). However, equally important are changes in how the system processes known information. For example, a wealth of studies has suggested dramatic changes over development in how efficiently children recognize familiar words, but it is unknown what kind of experience-dependent mechanisms of plasticity give rise to such changes in real-time processing. We examined the plasticity of the language processing system by testing whether a fundamental aspect of spoken word recognition, lexical interference, can be altered by experience. Adult participants were trained on a set of familiar words over a series of 4 tasks. In the high-competition (HC) condition, tasks were designed to encourage coactivation of similar words (e.g., net and neck) and to require listeners to resolve this competition. Tasks were similar in the low-competition (LC) condition, but did not enhance this competition. Immediately after training, interlexical interference was tested using a visual world paradigm task. Participants in the HC group resolved interference to a fuller degree than those in the LC group, demonstrating that experience can shape the way competition between words is resolved. TRACE simulations showed that the observed late differences in the pattern of interference resolution can be attributed to differences in the strength of lexical inhibition. These findings inform cognitive models in many domains that involve competition/interference processes, and suggest an experience-dependent mechanism of plasticity that may underlie longer term changes in processing efficiency associated with both typical and atypical development.
Details
- Title: Subtitle
- Training alters the resolution of lexical interference: Evidence for plasticity of competition and inhibition
- Creators
- Efthymia C Kapnoula - Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Delta Center, University of IowaBob McMurray - Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Delta Center, University of Iowa
- Resource Type
- Journal article
- Publication Details
- Journal of experimental psychology. General, Vol.145(1), pp.8-30
- Publisher
- United States
- DOI
- 10.1037/xge0000123
- PMID
- 26709587
- PMCID
- PMC4888904
- ISSN
- 0096-3445
- eISSN
- 1939-2222
- Grant note
- R01 DC008089 / NIDCD NIH HHS P50 DC000242 / NIDCD NIH HHS DC008089 / NIDCD NIH HHS
- Language
- English
- Date published
- 01/2016
- Academic Unit
- Communication Sciences and Disorders; Linguistics; Psychological and Brain Sciences; Iowa Neuroscience Institute; Otolaryngology
- Record Identifier
- 9984070545502771
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