KeyTerms hold our vocabulary together in memory :
SEE http://worldtraining.net/keyterms.htm
May 19, 2014 : University of Kansas, Life Span
Institute Summary:
Like key players in social networks,
scientists have found evidence that there are keywords in word networks that
hold together groups of words in our memory. The existence of keywords opens up
many possible real-life applications such as helping individuals with word
finding after stroke. Conversely, removing a keyword through psycholinguistic tasks, could actually disrupt language processing -
fracturing our word network.
A subset of a network of 20,000
English words that sound similar, created by
University of Kansas Professor of Psychology Michael Vitevitch. The keyword
that holds together the other words is fish.
Credit: U. of Kansas, M. Vitevitch
Much like key players in social
networks, University of Kansas scientists have found evidence that there are
keywords in word networks that hold together groups of words in our
memory. In a study published in
the Journal of Memory and Language,
Michael Vitevitch, KU professor of psychology, showed that research
participants recognized these keywords more quickly and accurately than other
words that were like the keywords in many respects except for their position in
a network of 20,000 similar-sounding English words that he and colleagues
created in 2008.
"If words are indeed stored
like a network in memory, said Vitevitch, "we should be able to see how
characteristics of the network affect language-related processes. Our findings
clearly show that there are words that hold key positions on the word network
and that we process them more quickly and accurately than similar words that they
hold together in our memory."
The existence of keywords opens up many possible real-life applications,
according to Vitevitch, such as providing new insights into developmental and
acquired language disorders and suggesting treatments. "We might be able to teach these
keywords to people who have word-finding problems after stroke, for example,
and they might be able to reconnect everything else in their memory that these
keywords are connected to," he said.
Keywords might also accelerate language learning, including a second
language, if they were introduced early.
But there is a potential dark
side to keywords -- if they are "removed" from our memory, they could
fracture part of our word network, said Vitevitch.
Using the same mathematical
techniques of network science that are used to develop networks that model
social relationships or the spread of disease, Vitevitch analyzed his word
network using a computer program called KeyPlayer that selected the keywords
that, when removed, fractured parts of the network into smaller networks and
isolated words.
"Fracturing the network in
this way could actually disrupt language processing," said Vitevitch.
"Even though we could remove keywords from research participants' memories
through psycholinguistic tasks, we dared not because of concern that there
would be long-term or even wide-spread effects."
Applying the techniques of
network science to language opens up many new questions for scientists who
study various aspects of language, said Vitevitch. "Similarly, the domain
of language provides network scientists with a novel opportunity to test
various hypotheses that they may not be able to do in other real-world systems
because we can manipulate things in the laboratory that we can't ethically or
practically manipulate in real life."
Story Source: The above story is based on materials
provided by University
of Kansas, Life Span Institute. Note: Materials may be edited for content and length.
Journal Reference: 1. Michael S.
Vitevitch, Rutherford Goldstein. Keywords in the mental lexicon. Journal of Memory and Language, 2014; 73: 131 DOI: 10.1016/j.jml.2014.03.005
University of Kansas, Life Span Institute. "Keywords hold
our vocabulary together in memory." ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 19 May
2014. <www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/05/140519104739.htm>.
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