EyeLink Developmental Eye-Tracking Publications
All EyeLink developmental research publications (infants / children / aging) up until 2019 (with some early 2020s) are listed below by year. You can search the publications using key words such as Infant, Reading, Word Recognition, etc. You can also search for individual author names. If we missed any EyeLink developmental article, please email us!
All developmental research publications are also available for download / import into reference management software as a single Bibtex (.bib) file.
2020 |
John Brand; Travis D Masterson; Jennifer A Emond; Reina Lansigan; Diane Gilbert-diamond Measuring attentional bias to food cues in young children using a visual search task : An eye-tracking study Journal Article Appetite, 148 , pp. 1–7, 2020. @article{Brand2020, title = {Measuring attentional bias to food cues in young children using a visual search task : An eye-tracking study}, author = {John Brand and Travis D Masterson and Jennifer A Emond and Reina Lansigan and Diane Gilbert-diamond}, doi = {10.1016/j.appet.2020.104610}, year = {2020}, date = {2020-01-01}, journal = {Appetite}, volume = {148}, pages = {1--7}, publisher = {Elsevier}, abstract = {Objective: Attentional bias to food cues may be a risk factor for childhood obesity, yet there are few paradigms to measure such biases in young children. Therefore, the present work introduces an eye-tracking visual search task to measure attentional bias in young children. Methods: Fifty-one 3-6-year-olds played a game to find a target cartoon character among food (experimental condition) or toy (control condition) distractors. Children completed the experimental and toy conditions on two separate visits in randomized order. Behavioral (response latencies) and eye-tracking measures (time to first fixation, initial gaze duration duration, cumulative gaze duration ) of attention to food and toy cues were computed. Regressions were used to test for attentional bias to food versus toy cues, and whether attentional bias to food cues was related to current BMI z-score. Results: Children spent more cumulative time looking at food versus toy distractors and took longer to locate the target when searching through food versus toy distractors. The faster children fixated on their first food versus toy distractor was associated with higher BMI z-scores. Conclusions: Using a game-based paradigm employing eyetracking, we found a behavioral attentional bias to food vs. toy distractors in young children. Further, attentional bias to food cues was associated with current BMI z-score.}, keywords = {}, pubstate = {published}, tppubtype = {article} } Objective: Attentional bias to food cues may be a risk factor for childhood obesity, yet there are few paradigms to measure such biases in young children. Therefore, the present work introduces an eye-tracking visual search task to measure attentional bias in young children. Methods: Fifty-one 3-6-year-olds played a game to find a target cartoon character among food (experimental condition) or toy (control condition) distractors. Children completed the experimental and toy conditions on two separate visits in randomized order. Behavioral (response latencies) and eye-tracking measures (time to first fixation, initial gaze duration duration, cumulative gaze duration ) of attention to food and toy cues were computed. Regressions were used to test for attentional bias to food versus toy cues, and whether attentional bias to food cues was related to current BMI z-score. Results: Children spent more cumulative time looking at food versus toy distractors and took longer to locate the target when searching through food versus toy distractors. The faster children fixated on their first food versus toy distractor was associated with higher BMI z-scores. Conclusions: Using a game-based paradigm employing eyetracking, we found a behavioral attentional bias to food vs. toy distractors in young children. Further, attentional bias to food cues was associated with current BMI z-score. |
Salome Pedrett; Lea Kaspar; Andrea Frick Understanding of object rotation between two and three years of age Journal Article Developmental Psychology, 56 (2), pp. 261–274, 2020. @article{Pedrett2020, title = {Understanding of object rotation between two and three years of age}, author = {Salome Pedrett and Lea Kaspar and Andrea Frick}, doi = {10.1037/dev0000871}, year = {2020}, date = {2020-01-01}, journal = {Developmental Psychology}, volume = {56}, number = {2}, pages = {261--274}, abstract = {Toddlers' understanding of object rotation was investigated using a multimethod approach. Participants were 44 toddlers between 22 and 38 months of age. In an eye-tracking task, they observed a shape that rotated and disappeared briefly behind an occluder. In an object-fitting task, they rotated wooden blocks and fit them through apertures. Results of the eye-tracking task showed that with increasing age, the toddlers encoded the visible rotation using a more complex eye-movement pattern, increasingly combining tracking movements with gaze shifts to the pivot point. During occlusion, anticipatory looks to the location where the shape would reappear increased with age, whereas looking back to the location where the shape had just disappeared decreased. This suggests that, with increasing age, the toddlers formed a clearer mental representation about the object and its rotational movement. In the object-fitting task, the toddlers succeeded more with increasing age and also rotated the wooden blocks more often correctly before they tried to insert them. Importantly, these preadjustments correlated with anticipatory eye movements, suggesting that both measures tap the same underlying understanding of object rotation. The findings yield new insights into the relation between tasks using looking times and behavioral measures as dependent variables and thus may help to clarify performance differences that have previously been observed in studies with infants and young children.}, keywords = {}, pubstate = {published}, tppubtype = {article} } Toddlers' understanding of object rotation was investigated using a multimethod approach. Participants were 44 toddlers between 22 and 38 months of age. In an eye-tracking task, they observed a shape that rotated and disappeared briefly behind an occluder. In an object-fitting task, they rotated wooden blocks and fit them through apertures. Results of the eye-tracking task showed that with increasing age, the toddlers encoded the visible rotation using a more complex eye-movement pattern, increasingly combining tracking movements with gaze shifts to the pivot point. During occlusion, anticipatory looks to the location where the shape would reappear increased with age, whereas looking back to the location where the shape had just disappeared decreased. This suggests that, with increasing age, the toddlers formed a clearer mental representation about the object and its rotational movement. In the object-fitting task, the toddlers succeeded more with increasing age and also rotated the wooden blocks more often correctly before they tried to insert them. Importantly, these preadjustments correlated with anticipatory eye movements, suggesting that both measures tap the same underlying understanding of object rotation. The findings yield new insights into the relation between tasks using looking times and behavioral measures as dependent variables and thus may help to clarify performance differences that have previously been observed in studies with infants and young children. |
Jordana S Wynn; Jennifer D Ryan; Morris Moscovitch Effects of prior knowledge on active vision and memory in younger and older adults Journal Article Journal of Experimental Psychology: General, 149 (3), pp. 518–529, 2020. @article{Wynn2020, title = {Effects of prior knowledge on active vision and memory in younger and older adults}, author = {Jordana S Wynn and Jennifer D Ryan and Morris Moscovitch}, doi = {10.1037/xge0000657}, year = {2020}, date = {2020-01-01}, journal = {Journal of Experimental Psychology: General}, volume = {149}, number = {3}, pages = {518--529}, abstract = {In our daily lives we rely on prior knowledge to make predictions about the world around us such as where to search for and locate common objects. Yet, equally important in visual search is the ability to inhibit such processes when those predictions fail. Mounting evidence suggests that relative to younger adults, older adults have difficulty retrieving episodic memories and inhibiting prior knowledge, even when that knowledge is detrimental to the task at hand. However, the consequences of these age-related changes for visual search remain unclear. In the present study, we used eye movement monitoring to investigate whether overreliance on prior knowledge alters the gaze patterns and performance of older adults during visual search. Younger and older adults searched for target objects in congruent or incongruent locations in real-world scenes. As predicted, targets in congruent locations were detected faster than targets in incongruent locations, and this effect was enhanced in older adults. Analysis of viewing behavior revealed that prior knowledge effects emerged early in search, as evidenced by initial saccades, and continued throughout search, with greater viewing of congruent regions by older relative to younger adults, suggesting that schema biasing of online processing increases with age. Finally, both younger and older adults showed enhanced memory for the location of congruent targets and the identity of incongruent targets, with schema-guided viewing during search predicting poor memory for schema-incongruent targets in younger adults on both tasks. Our results provide novel evidence that older adults' overreliance on prior knowledge has consequences for both active vision and memory.}, keywords = {}, pubstate = {published}, tppubtype = {article} } In our daily lives we rely on prior knowledge to make predictions about the world around us such as where to search for and locate common objects. Yet, equally important in visual search is the ability to inhibit such processes when those predictions fail. Mounting evidence suggests that relative to younger adults, older adults have difficulty retrieving episodic memories and inhibiting prior knowledge, even when that knowledge is detrimental to the task at hand. However, the consequences of these age-related changes for visual search remain unclear. In the present study, we used eye movement monitoring to investigate whether overreliance on prior knowledge alters the gaze patterns and performance of older adults during visual search. Younger and older adults searched for target objects in congruent or incongruent locations in real-world scenes. As predicted, targets in congruent locations were detected faster than targets in incongruent locations, and this effect was enhanced in older adults. Analysis of viewing behavior revealed that prior knowledge effects emerged early in search, as evidenced by initial saccades, and continued throughout search, with greater viewing of congruent regions by older relative to younger adults, suggesting that schema biasing of online processing increases with age. Finally, both younger and older adults showed enhanced memory for the location of congruent targets and the identity of incongruent targets, with schema-guided viewing during search predicting poor memory for schema-incongruent targets in younger adults on both tasks. Our results provide novel evidence that older adults' overreliance on prior knowledge has consequences for both active vision and memory. |
Li Zhang; Guoli Yan; Li Zhou; Zebo Lan; Valerie Benson Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 50 , pp. 500–512, 2020. @article{Zhang2020, title = {The influence of irrelevant visual distractors on eye movement control in Chinese children with autism spectrum disorder: Evidence from the remote distractor paradigm}, author = {Li Zhang and Guoli Yan and Li Zhou and Zebo Lan and Valerie Benson}, doi = {10.1007/s10803-019-04271-y}, year = {2020}, date = {2020-01-01}, journal = {Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders}, volume = {50}, pages = {500--512}, publisher = {Springer US}, abstract = {The current study examined eye movement control in autistic (ASD) children. Simple targets were presented in isolation, or with central, parafoveal, or peripheral distractors synchronously. Sixteen children with ASD (47–81 months) and nineteen age and IQ matched typically developing children were instructed to look to the target as accurately and quickly as possible. Both groups showed high proportions (40%) of saccadic errors towards parafoveal and peripheral distractors. For correctly executed eye movements to the targets, centrally presented distractors produced the longest latencies (time taken to initiate eye movements), followed by parafoveal and peripheral distractor conditions. Central distractors had a greater effect in the ASD group, indicating evidence for potential atypical voluntary attentional control in ASD children.}, keywords = {}, pubstate = {published}, tppubtype = {article} } The current study examined eye movement control in autistic (ASD) children. Simple targets were presented in isolation, or with central, parafoveal, or peripheral distractors synchronously. Sixteen children with ASD (47–81 months) and nineteen age and IQ matched typically developing children were instructed to look to the target as accurately and quickly as possible. Both groups showed high proportions (40%) of saccadic errors towards parafoveal and peripheral distractors. For correctly executed eye movements to the targets, centrally presented distractors produced the longest latencies (time taken to initiate eye movements), followed by parafoveal and peripheral distractor conditions. Central distractors had a greater effect in the ASD group, indicating evidence for potential atypical voluntary attentional control in ASD children. |
2019 |
Praghajieeth Raajhen Santhana Gopalan; Otto Loberg; Jarmo Arvid Hämäläinen; Paavo H T Leppänen Scientific Reports, 9 , pp. 1–13, 2019. @article{Gopalan2019, title = {Attentional processes in typically developing children as revealed using brain event-related potentials and their source localization in Attention Network Test}, author = {Praghajieeth Raajhen Santhana Gopalan and Otto Loberg and Jarmo Arvid Hämäläinen and Paavo H T Leppänen}, doi = {10.1038/s41598-018-36947-3}, year = {2019}, date = {2019-12-01}, journal = {Scientific Reports}, volume = {9}, pages = {1--13}, publisher = {Nature Publishing Group}, abstract = {Attention-related processes include three functional sub-components: alerting, orienting, and inhibition. We investigated these components using EEG-based, brain event-related potentials and their neuronal source activations during the Attention Network Test in typically developing school-aged children. Participants were asked to detect the swimming direction of the centre fish in a group of five fish. The target stimulus was either preceded by a cue (centre, double, or spatial) or no cue. An EEG using 128 electrodes was recorded for 83 children aged 12–13 years. RTs showed significant effects across all three sub-components of attention. Alerting and orienting (responses to double vs non-cued target stimulus and spatially vs centre-cued target stimulus, respectively) resulted in larger N1 amplitude, whereas inhibition (responses to incongruent vs congruent target stimulus) resulted in larger P3 amplitude. Neuronal source activation for the alerting effect was localized in the right anterior temporal and bilateral occipital lobes, for the orienting effect bilaterally in the occipital lobe, and for the inhibition effect in the medial prefrontal cortex and left anterior temporal lobe. Neuronal sources of ERPs revealed that sub-processes related to the attention network are different in children as compared to earlier adult fMRI studies, which was not evident from scalp ERPs.}, keywords = {}, pubstate = {published}, tppubtype = {article} } Attention-related processes include three functional sub-components: alerting, orienting, and inhibition. We investigated these components using EEG-based, brain event-related potentials and their neuronal source activations during the Attention Network Test in typically developing school-aged children. Participants were asked to detect the swimming direction of the centre fish in a group of five fish. The target stimulus was either preceded by a cue (centre, double, or spatial) or no cue. An EEG using 128 electrodes was recorded for 83 children aged 12–13 years. RTs showed significant effects across all three sub-components of attention. Alerting and orienting (responses to double vs non-cued target stimulus and spatially vs centre-cued target stimulus, respectively) resulted in larger N1 amplitude, whereas inhibition (responses to incongruent vs congruent target stimulus) resulted in larger P3 amplitude. Neuronal source activation for the alerting effect was localized in the right anterior temporal and bilateral occipital lobes, for the orienting effect bilaterally in the occipital lobe, and for the inhibition effect in the medial prefrontal cortex and left anterior temporal lobe. Neuronal sources of ERPs revealed that sub-processes related to the attention network are different in children as compared to earlier adult fMRI studies, which was not evident from scalp ERPs. |
Michele Scaltritti; Aliaksei Miniukovich; Paola Venuti; Remo Job; Antonella De Angeli; Simone Sulpizio Investigating effects of typographic variables on webpage reading through eye movements Journal Article Scientific Reports, 9 , pp. 1–12, 2019. @article{Scaltritti2019, title = {Investigating effects of typographic variables on webpage reading through eye movements}, author = {Michele Scaltritti and Aliaksei Miniukovich and Paola Venuti and Remo Job and Antonella {De Angeli} and Simone Sulpizio}, doi = {10.1038/s41598-019-49051-x}, year = {2019}, date = {2019-12-01}, journal = {Scientific Reports}, volume = {9}, pages = {1--12}, publisher = {Nature Publishing Group}, abstract = {Webpage reading is ubiquitous in daily life. As Web technologies allow for a large variety of layouts and visual styles, the many formatting options may lead to poor design choices, including low readability. This research capitalizes on the existing readability guidelines for webpage design to outline several visuo-typographic variables and explore their effect on eye movements during webpage reading. Participants included children and adults, and for both groups typical readers and readers with dyslexia were considered. Actual webpages, rather than artificial ones, served as stimuli. This allowed to test multiple typographic variables in combination and in their typical ranges rather than in possibly unrealistic configurations. Several typographic variables displayed a significant effect on eye movements and reading performance. The effect was mostly homogeneous across the four groups, with a few exceptions. Beside supporting the notion that a few empirically-driven adjustments to the texts' visual appearance can facilitate reading across different populations, the results also highlight the challenge of making digital texts accessible to readers with dyslexia. Theoretically, the results highlight the importance of low-level visual factors, corroborating the emphasis of recent psychological models on visual attention and crowding in reading.}, keywords = {}, pubstate = {published}, tppubtype = {article} } Webpage reading is ubiquitous in daily life. As Web technologies allow for a large variety of layouts and visual styles, the many formatting options may lead to poor design choices, including low readability. This research capitalizes on the existing readability guidelines for webpage design to outline several visuo-typographic variables and explore their effect on eye movements during webpage reading. Participants included children and adults, and for both groups typical readers and readers with dyslexia were considered. Actual webpages, rather than artificial ones, served as stimuli. This allowed to test multiple typographic variables in combination and in their typical ranges rather than in possibly unrealistic configurations. Several typographic variables displayed a significant effect on eye movements and reading performance. The effect was mostly homogeneous across the four groups, with a few exceptions. Beside supporting the notion that a few empirically-driven adjustments to the texts' visual appearance can facilitate reading across different populations, the results also highlight the challenge of making digital texts accessible to readers with dyslexia. Theoretically, the results highlight the importance of low-level visual factors, corroborating the emphasis of recent psychological models on visual attention and crowding in reading. |
Felicia Zhang; Sagi Jaffe-Dax; Robert C Wilson; Lauren L Emberson Prediction in infants and adults: A pupillometry study Journal Article Developmental Science, 22 , pp. 1–9, 2019. @article{Zhang2019g, title = {Prediction in infants and adults: A pupillometry study}, author = {Felicia Zhang and Sagi Jaffe-Dax and Robert C Wilson and Lauren L Emberson}, doi = {10.1111/desc.12780}, year = {2019}, date = {2019-12-01}, journal = {Developmental Science}, volume = {22}, pages = {1--9}, publisher = {John Wiley & Sons, Ltd (10.1111)}, abstract = {Adults use both bottom-up sensory inputs and top-down signals to generate predictions about future sensory inputs. Infants have also been shown to make predictions with simple stimuli and recent work has suggested top-down processing is available early in infancy. However, it is unknown whether this indicates that top-down prediction is an ability that is continuous across the lifespan or whether an infant's ability to predict is different from an adult's, qualitatively or quantitatively. We employed pupillometry to provide a direct comparison of prediction abilities across these disparate age groups. Pupil dilation response (PDR) was measured in 6-month olds and adults as they completed an identical implicit learning task designed to help learn associations between sounds and pictures. We found significantly larger PDR for visual omission trials (i.e. trials that violated participants' predictions without the presentation of new stimuli to control for bottom-up signals) compared to visual present trials (i.e. trials that confirmed participants' predictions) in both age groups. Furthermore, a computational learning model that is closely linked to prediction error (Rescorla-Wagner model) demonstrated similar learning trajectories suggesting a continuity of predictive capacity and learning across the two age groups.}, keywords = {}, pubstate = {published}, tppubtype = {article} } Adults use both bottom-up sensory inputs and top-down signals to generate predictions about future sensory inputs. Infants have also been shown to make predictions with simple stimuli and recent work has suggested top-down processing is available early in infancy. However, it is unknown whether this indicates that top-down prediction is an ability that is continuous across the lifespan or whether an infant's ability to predict is different from an adult's, qualitatively or quantitatively. We employed pupillometry to provide a direct comparison of prediction abilities across these disparate age groups. Pupil dilation response (PDR) was measured in 6-month olds and adults as they completed an identical implicit learning task designed to help learn associations between sounds and pictures. We found significantly larger PDR for visual omission trials (i.e. trials that violated participants' predictions without the presentation of new stimuli to control for bottom-up signals) compared to visual present trials (i.e. trials that confirmed participants' predictions) in both age groups. Furthermore, a computational learning model that is closely linked to prediction error (Rescorla-Wagner model) demonstrated similar learning trajectories suggesting a continuity of predictive capacity and learning across the two age groups. |
Bob McMurray; Jamie Klein-Packarda; Bruce J Tomblinb A real-time mechanism underlying lexical deficits in developmental language disorder: Between-word inhibition Journal Article Cognition, 191 , pp. 1–13, 2019. @article{McMurray2019a, title = {A real-time mechanism underlying lexical deficits in developmental language disorder: Between-word inhibition}, author = {Bob McMurray and Jamie Klein-Packarda and Bruce J Tomblinb}, doi = {10.1016/J.COGNITION.2019.06.012}, year = {2019}, date = {2019-10-01}, journal = {Cognition}, volume = {191}, pages = {1--13}, publisher = {Elsevier}, abstract = {Eight to 11% of children have a clinical disorder in oral language (Developmental Language Disorder, DLD). Language deficits in DLD can affect all levels of language and persist through adulthood. Word-level processing may be critical as words link phonology, orthography, syntax and semantics. Thus, a lexical deficit could cascade throughout language. Cognitively, word recognition is a competition process: as the input (e.g., lizard) unfolds, multiple candidates (liver, wizard) compete for recognition. Children with DLD do not fully resolve this competition, but it is unclear what cognitive mechanisms underlie this. We examined lexical inhibition—the ability of more active words to suppress competitors—in 79 adolescents with and without DLD. Participants heard words (e.g. net) in which the onset was manipulated to briefly favor a competitor (neck). This was predicted to inhibit the target, slowing recognition. Word recognition was measured using a task in which participants heard the stimulus, and clicked on a picture of the item from an array of competitors, while eye-movements were monitored as a measure of how strongly the participant was committed to that interpretation over time. TD listeners showed evidence of inhibition with greater interference for stimuli that briefly activated a competitor word. DLD listeners did not. This suggests deficits in DLD may stem from a failure to engage lexical inhibition. This in turn could have ripple effects throughout the language system. This supports theoretical approaches to DLD that emphasize lexical-level deficits, and deficits in real-time processing.}, keywords = {}, pubstate = {published}, tppubtype = {article} } Eight to 11% of children have a clinical disorder in oral language (Developmental Language Disorder, DLD). Language deficits in DLD can affect all levels of language and persist through adulthood. Word-level processing may be critical as words link phonology, orthography, syntax and semantics. Thus, a lexical deficit could cascade throughout language. Cognitively, word recognition is a competition process: as the input (e.g., lizard) unfolds, multiple candidates (liver, wizard) compete for recognition. Children with DLD do not fully resolve this competition, but it is unclear what cognitive mechanisms underlie this. We examined lexical inhibition—the ability of more active words to suppress competitors—in 79 adolescents with and without DLD. Participants heard words (e.g. net) in which the onset was manipulated to briefly favor a competitor (neck). This was predicted to inhibit the target, slowing recognition. Word recognition was measured using a task in which participants heard the stimulus, and clicked on a picture of the item from an array of competitors, while eye-movements were monitored as a measure of how strongly the participant was committed to that interpretation over time. TD listeners showed evidence of inhibition with greater interference for stimuli that briefly activated a competitor word. DLD listeners did not. This suggests deficits in DLD may stem from a failure to engage lexical inhibition. This in turn could have ripple effects throughout the language system. This supports theoretical approaches to DLD that emphasize lexical-level deficits, and deficits in real-time processing. |
Quan Wang; Carla A Wall; Erin C Barney; Jessica L Bradshaw; Suzanne L Macari; Katarzyna Chawarska; Frederick Shic Promoting social attention in 3‐year‐olds with ASD through gaze‐contingent eye tracking Journal Article Autism Research, 13 (1), pp. 61–73, 2019. @article{Wang2019h, title = {Promoting social attention in 3‐year‐olds with ASD through gaze‐contingent eye tracking}, author = {Quan Wang and Carla A Wall and Erin C Barney and Jessica L Bradshaw and Suzanne L Macari and Katarzyna Chawarska and Frederick Shic}, doi = {10.1002/aur.2199}, year = {2019}, date = {2019-08-01}, journal = {Autism Research}, volume = {13}, number = {1}, pages = {61--73}, publisher = {Wiley}, abstract = {Young children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) look less toward faces compared to their non-ASD peers, limiting access to social learning. Currently, no technologies directly target these core social attention difficulties. This study examines the feasibility of automated gaze modification training for improving attention to faces in 3-year-olds with ASD. Using free-viewing data from typically developing (TD) controls (n = 41), we implemented gaze-contingent adaptive cueing to redirect children with ASD toward normative looking patterns during viewing of videos of an actress. Children with ASD were randomly assigned to either (a) an adaptive Cue condition (Cue}, keywords = {}, pubstate = {published}, tppubtype = {article} } Young children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) look less toward faces compared to their non-ASD peers, limiting access to social learning. Currently, no technologies directly target these core social attention difficulties. This study examines the feasibility of automated gaze modification training for improving attention to faces in 3-year-olds with ASD. Using free-viewing data from typically developing (TD) controls (n = 41), we implemented gaze-contingent adaptive cueing to redirect children with ASD toward normative looking patterns during viewing of videos of an actress. Children with ASD were randomly assigned to either (a) an adaptive Cue condition (Cue |
Arielle Borovsky; Ryan E Peters Vocabulary size and structure affects real-time lexical recognition in 18-month-olds Journal Article PLOS ONE, 14 (7), pp. 1–21, 2019. @article{Borovsky2019, title = {Vocabulary size and structure affects real-time lexical recognition in 18-month-olds}, author = {Arielle Borovsky and Ryan E Peters}, editor = {Masatoshi Koizumi}, doi = {10.1371/journal.pone.0219290}, year = {2019}, date = {2019-07-01}, journal = {PLOS ONE}, volume = {14}, number = {7}, pages = {1--21}, publisher = {Public Library of Science}, abstract = {The mature lexicon encodes semantic relations between words, and these connections can alternately facilitate and interfere with language processing. We explore the emergence of these processing dynamics in 18-month-olds (N = 79) using a novel approach that calculates individualized semantic structure at multiple granularities in participants' productive vocabularies. Participants completed two interleaved eye-tracked word recognition tasks involving semantically unrelated and related picture contexts, which sought to measure the impact of lexical facilitation and interference on processing, respectively. Semantic structure and vocabulary size differentially impacted processing in each task. Category level structure facilitated word recognition in 18-month-olds with smaller productive vocabularies, while overall lexical connectivity interfered with word recognition for toddlers with relatively larger vocabularies. The results suggest that, while semantic structure at multiple granularities is measurable even in small lexicons, mechanisms of semantic interference and facilitation are driven by the development of structure at different granularities. We consider these findings in light of accounts of adult word recognition that posits that different levels of structure index strong and weak activation from nearby and distant semantic neighbors. We also consider further directions for developmental change in these patterns.}, keywords = {}, pubstate = {published}, tppubtype = {article} } The mature lexicon encodes semantic relations between words, and these connections can alternately facilitate and interfere with language processing. We explore the emergence of these processing dynamics in 18-month-olds (N = 79) using a novel approach that calculates individualized semantic structure at multiple granularities in participants' productive vocabularies. Participants completed two interleaved eye-tracked word recognition tasks involving semantically unrelated and related picture contexts, which sought to measure the impact of lexical facilitation and interference on processing, respectively. Semantic structure and vocabulary size differentially impacted processing in each task. Category level structure facilitated word recognition in 18-month-olds with smaller productive vocabularies, while overall lexical connectivity interfered with word recognition for toddlers with relatively larger vocabularies. The results suggest that, while semantic structure at multiple granularities is measurable even in small lexicons, mechanisms of semantic interference and facilitation are driven by the development of structure at different granularities. We consider these findings in light of accounts of adult word recognition that posits that different levels of structure index strong and weak activation from nearby and distant semantic neighbors. We also consider further directions for developmental change in these patterns. |
David J Kelly; Sofia Duarte; David Meary; Markus Bindemann; Olivier Pascalis Infants rapidly detect human faces in complex naturalistic visual scenes Journal Article Developmental Science, 22 (6), pp. 1–10, 2019. @article{Kelly2019, title = {Infants rapidly detect human faces in complex naturalistic visual scenes}, author = {David J Kelly and Sofia Duarte and David Meary and Markus Bindemann and Olivier Pascalis}, doi = {10.1111/desc.12829}, year = {2019}, date = {2019-04-01}, journal = {Developmental Science}, volume = {22}, number = {6}, pages = {1--10}, publisher = {John Wiley & Sons, Ltd (10.1111)}, abstract = {Infants respond preferentially to faces and face-like stimuli from birth, but past research has typically presented faces in isolation or amongst an artificial array of competing objects. In the current study infants aged 3- to 12-months viewed a series of complex visual scenes; half of the scenes contained a person, the other half did not. Infants rapidly detected and oriented to faces in scenes even when they were not visually salient. Although a clear developmental improvement was observed in face detection and interest, all infants displayed sensitivity to the presence of a person in a scene, by displaying eye movements that differed quantifiably across a range of measures when viewing scenes that either did or did not contain a person. We argue that infant's face detection capabilities are ostensibly “better” with naturalistic stimuli and artificial array presentations used in previous studies have underestimated performance.}, keywords = {}, pubstate = {published}, tppubtype = {article} } Infants respond preferentially to faces and face-like stimuli from birth, but past research has typically presented faces in isolation or amongst an artificial array of competing objects. In the current study infants aged 3- to 12-months viewed a series of complex visual scenes; half of the scenes contained a person, the other half did not. Infants rapidly detected and oriented to faces in scenes even when they were not visually salient. Although a clear developmental improvement was observed in face detection and interest, all infants displayed sensitivity to the presence of a person in a scene, by displaying eye movements that differed quantifiably across a range of measures when viewing scenes that either did or did not contain a person. We argue that infant's face detection capabilities are ostensibly “better” with naturalistic stimuli and artificial array presentations used in previous studies have underestimated performance. |
Scott P Ardoin; Katherine S Binder; Andrea M Zawoyski; Eloise Nimocks; Tori E Foster Measuring the behavior of reading comprehension test takers: What do they do, and should they do it? Journal Article Reading Research Quarterly, 54 (4), pp. 507–529, 2019. @article{Ardoin2019, title = {Measuring the behavior of reading comprehension test takers: What do they do, and should they do it?}, author = {Scott P Ardoin and Katherine S Binder and Andrea M Zawoyski and Eloise Nimocks and Tori E Foster}, doi = {10.1002/rrq.246}, year = {2019}, date = {2019-01-01}, journal = {Reading Research Quarterly}, volume = {54}, number = {4}, pages = {507--529}, abstract = {The authors sought to further the understanding of reading processes and their links to comprehension using two reading tasks for elementary-grade students. One hundred sixty-six students in grades 2–5 were randomly assigned to one of two conditions: reading with questions presented concurrently with text or reading with questions presented after reading the text (with the text unavailable when answering questions). Eye movement data suggested different processes for each task: Rereading occurred and more time was spent on higher level processing measures in the with-text condition, and in particular, those who did not reread had more accurate answers than those who engaged in rereading. Measurement of students' precision in returning directly to the portion of the passage with information corresponding to a question also predicted students' response accuracy.}, keywords = {}, pubstate = {published}, tppubtype = {article} } The authors sought to further the understanding of reading processes and their links to comprehension using two reading tasks for elementary-grade students. One hundred sixty-six students in grades 2–5 were randomly assigned to one of two conditions: reading with questions presented concurrently with text or reading with questions presented after reading the text (with the text unavailable when answering questions). Eye movement data suggested different processes for each task: Rereading occurred and more time was spent on higher level processing measures in the with-text condition, and in particular, those who did not reread had more accurate answers than those who engaged in rereading. Measurement of students' precision in returning directly to the portion of the passage with information corresponding to a question also predicted students' response accuracy. |
Inbar Avni; Gal Meiri; Asif Bar-Sinai; Doron Reboh; Liora Manelis; Hagit Flusser; Analya Michaelovski; Idan Menashe; Ilan Dinstein Children with autism observe social interactions in an idiosyncratic manner Journal Article Autism Research, pp. 1–12, 2019. @article{Avni2019, title = {Children with autism observe social interactions in an idiosyncratic manner}, author = {Inbar Avni and Gal Meiri and Asif Bar-Sinai and Doron Reboh and Liora Manelis and Hagit Flusser and Analya Michaelovski and Idan Menashe and Ilan Dinstein}, doi = {10.1002/aur.2234}, year = {2019}, date = {2019-01-01}, journal = {Autism Research}, pages = {1--12}, abstract = {Previous eye-tracking studies have reported that children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) fixate less on faces in comparison to controls. To properly understand social interactions, however, children must gaze not only at faces but also at actions, gestures, body movements, contextual details, and objects, thereby creating specific gaze patterns when observing specific social interactions. We presented three different movies with social interactions to 111 children (71 with ASD) who watched each of the movies twice. Typically developing children viewed the movies in a remarkably predictable and reproducible manner, exhibiting gaze patterns that were similar to the mean gaze pattern of other controls, with strong correlations across individuals (intersubject correlations) and across movie presentations (intra-subject correlations). In contrast, children with ASD exhibited significantly more variable/idiosyncratic gaze patterns that differed from the mean gaze pattern of controls and were weakly correlated across individuals and presentations. Most importantly, quantification of gaze idiosyncrasy in individual children enabled separation of ASD and control children with higher sensitivity and specificity than traditional measures such as time gazing at faces. Individual magnitudes of gaze idiosyncrasy were also significantly correlated with ASD severity and cognitive scores and were significantly correlated across movies and movie presentations, demonstrating clinical sensitivity and reliability. These results suggest that gaze idiosyncrasy is a potent behavioral abnormality that characterizes a considerable number of children with ASD and may contribute to their impaired development. Quantification of gaze idiosyncrasy in individual children may aid in assessing symptom severity and their change in response to treatments.}, keywords = {}, pubstate = {published}, tppubtype = {article} } Previous eye-tracking studies have reported that children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) fixate less on faces in comparison to controls. To properly understand social interactions, however, children must gaze not only at faces but also at actions, gestures, body movements, contextual details, and objects, thereby creating specific gaze patterns when observing specific social interactions. We presented three different movies with social interactions to 111 children (71 with ASD) who watched each of the movies twice. Typically developing children viewed the movies in a remarkably predictable and reproducible manner, exhibiting gaze patterns that were similar to the mean gaze pattern of other controls, with strong correlations across individuals (intersubject correlations) and across movie presentations (intra-subject correlations). In contrast, children with ASD exhibited significantly more variable/idiosyncratic gaze patterns that differed from the mean gaze pattern of controls and were weakly correlated across individuals and presentations. Most importantly, quantification of gaze idiosyncrasy in individual children enabled separation of ASD and control children with higher sensitivity and specificity than traditional measures such as time gazing at faces. Individual magnitudes of gaze idiosyncrasy were also significantly correlated with ASD severity and cognitive scores and were significantly correlated across movies and movie presentations, demonstrating clinical sensitivity and reliability. These results suggest that gaze idiosyncrasy is a potent behavioral abnormality that characterizes a considerable number of children with ASD and may contribute to their impaired development. Quantification of gaze idiosyncrasy in individual children may aid in assessing symptom severity and their change in response to treatments. |
Stéphanie Bellocchi; Delphine Massendari; Jonathan Grainger; Stéphanie Ducrot Effects of inter-character spacing on saccade programming in beginning readers and dyslexics Journal Article Child Neuropsychology, 25 (4), pp. 482–506, 2019. @article{Bellocchi2019, title = {Effects of inter-character spacing on saccade programming in beginning readers and dyslexics}, author = {Stéphanie Bellocchi and Delphine Massendari and Jonathan Grainger and Stéphanie Ducrot}, doi = {10.1080/09297049.2018.1504907}, year = {2019}, date = {2019-01-01}, journal = {Child Neuropsychology}, volume = {25}, number = {4}, pages = {482--506}, publisher = {Routledge}, abstract = {The present study investigated the impact of inter-character spacing on saccade programming in beginning readers and dyslexic children. In two experiments, eye movements were recorded while dyslexic children, reading-age, and chronological-age controls, performed an oculomotor lateralized bisection task on words and strings of hashes presented either with default inter-character spacing or with extra spacing between the characters. The results of Experiment 1 showed that (1) only proficient readers had already developed highly automatized procedures for programming both left- and rightward saccades, depending on the discreteness of the stimuli and (2) children of all groups were disrupted (i.e., had trouble to land close to the beginning of the stimuli) by extra spacing between the characters of the stimuli, and particularly for stimuli presented in the left visual field. Experiment 2 was designed to disentangle the role of inter-character spacing and spatial width. Stimuli were made the same physical length in the default and extra-spacing conditions by having more characters in the default spacing condition. Our results showed that inter-letter spacing still influenced saccade programming when controlling for spatial width, thus confirming the detrimental effect of extra spacing for saccade programming. We conclude that the beneficial effect of increased inter-letter spacing on reading can be better explained in terms of decreased visual crowding than improved saccade targeting.}, keywords = {}, pubstate = {published}, tppubtype = {article} } The present study investigated the impact of inter-character spacing on saccade programming in beginning readers and dyslexic children. In two experiments, eye movements were recorded while dyslexic children, reading-age, and chronological-age controls, performed an oculomotor lateralized bisection task on words and strings of hashes presented either with default inter-character spacing or with extra spacing between the characters. The results of Experiment 1 showed that (1) only proficient readers had already developed highly automatized procedures for programming both left- and rightward saccades, depending on the discreteness of the stimuli and (2) children of all groups were disrupted (i.e., had trouble to land close to the beginning of the stimuli) by extra spacing between the characters of the stimuli, and particularly for stimuli presented in the left visual field. Experiment 2 was designed to disentangle the role of inter-character spacing and spatial width. Stimuli were made the same physical length in the default and extra-spacing conditions by having more characters in the default spacing condition. Our results showed that inter-letter spacing still influenced saccade programming when controlling for spatial width, thus confirming the detrimental effect of extra spacing for saccade programming. We conclude that the beneficial effect of increased inter-letter spacing on reading can be better explained in terms of decreased visual crowding than improved saccade targeting. |
Garvin Brod; Jasmin Breitwieser; Marcus Hasselhorn; Silvia A Bunge Being proven wrong elicits learning in children – but only in those with higher executive function skills Journal Article Developmental Science, pp. 1–14, 2019. @article{Brod2019a, title = {Being proven wrong elicits learning in children – but only in those with higher executive function skills}, author = {Garvin Brod and Jasmin Breitwieser and Marcus Hasselhorn and Silvia A Bunge}, doi = {10.1111/desc.12916}, year = {2019}, date = {2019-01-01}, journal = {Developmental Science}, pages = {1--14}, abstract = {This study investigated whether prompting children to generate predictions about an outcome facilitates activation of prior knowledge and improves belief revision. 51 children aged 9–12 were tested on two experimental tasks in which generating a prediction was compared to closely matched control conditions, as well as on a test of executive functions (EF). In Experiment 1, we showed that children exhibited a pupillary surprise response to events that they had predicted incorrectly, hypothesized to reflect the transient release of noradrenaline in response to cognitive conflict. However, children's surprise response was not associated with better belief revision, in contrast to a previous study involving adults. Experiment 2 revealed that, while generating predictions helped children activate their prior knowledge, only those with better inhibitory control skills learned from incorrectly predicted outcomes. Together, these results suggest that good inhibitory control skills are needed for learning through cognitive conflict. Thus, generating predictions benefits learning – but only among children with sufficient EF capacities to harness surprise for revising their beliefs.}, keywords = {}, pubstate = {published}, tppubtype = {article} } This study investigated whether prompting children to generate predictions about an outcome facilitates activation of prior knowledge and improves belief revision. 51 children aged 9–12 were tested on two experimental tasks in which generating a prediction was compared to closely matched control conditions, as well as on a test of executive functions (EF). In Experiment 1, we showed that children exhibited a pupillary surprise response to events that they had predicted incorrectly, hypothesized to reflect the transient release of noradrenaline in response to cognitive conflict. However, children's surprise response was not associated with better belief revision, in contrast to a previous study involving adults. Experiment 2 revealed that, while generating predictions helped children activate their prior knowledge, only those with better inhibitory control skills learned from incorrectly predicted outcomes. Together, these results suggest that good inhibitory control skills are needed for learning through cognitive conflict. Thus, generating predictions benefits learning – but only among children with sufficient EF capacities to harness surprise for revising their beliefs. |
Rudolf Burggraaf; Jos N van der Geest; Ignace T C Hooge; Maarten A Frens Applied Neuropsychology: Child, pp. 1–11, 2019. @article{Burggraaf2019, title = {Developmental changes in visual search are determined by changing visuospatial abilities and task repetition: A longitudinal study in adolescents}, author = {Rudolf Burggraaf and Jos N van der Geest and Ignace T C Hooge and Maarten A Frens}, doi = {10.1080/21622965.2019.1627211}, year = {2019}, date = {2019-01-01}, journal = {Applied Neuropsychology: Child}, pages = {1--11}, publisher = {Psychology Press}, abstract = {Using a longitudinal study design, a group of 94 adolescents participated in a visual search task and a visuospatial ability task yearly for four consecutive years. We analyzed the association between changes in visuospatial ability and changes in visual search performance and behavior and estimated additional effects of age and task repetition. Visuospatial ability was measured with the Design Organization Test (DOT). Search performance was analyzed in terms of reaction time and response accuracy. Search behavior was analyzed in terms of the number of fixations per trial, the saccade amplitude, and the distribution of fixations over different types of elements. We found that both the increase in age and the yearly repetition of the DOT had a positive effect on visuospatial ability. We show that the acceleration of visual search during childhood can be explained by the increase in visuospatial abilities with age during adolescence. With the yearly task repetition, visual search became faster and more accurate, while fewer fixations were made with larger saccade amplitudes. The combination of increasing visuospatial ability and task repetition makes visual search more effective and might increase the performance of many daily tasks during adolescence.}, keywords = {}, pubstate = {published}, tppubtype = {article} } Using a longitudinal study design, a group of 94 adolescents participated in a visual search task and a visuospatial ability task yearly for four consecutive years. We analyzed the association between changes in visuospatial ability and changes in visual search performance and behavior and estimated additional effects of age and task repetition. Visuospatial ability was measured with the Design Organization Test (DOT). Search performance was analyzed in terms of reaction time and response accuracy. Search behavior was analyzed in terms of the number of fixations per trial, the saccade amplitude, and the distribution of fixations over different types of elements. We found that both the increase in age and the yearly repetition of the DOT had a positive effect on visuospatial ability. We show that the acceleration of visual search during childhood can be explained by the increase in visuospatial abilities with age during adolescence. With the yearly task repetition, visual search became faster and more accurate, while fewer fixations were made with larger saccade amplitudes. The combination of increasing visuospatial ability and task repetition makes visual search more effective and might increase the performance of many daily tasks during adolescence. |
Jürgen Cholewa; Isabel Neitzel; Annika Bürsgens; Thomas Günther Online-processing of grammatical gender in noun-phrase decoding: An eye-tracking study with monolingual German 3rd and 4th graders Journal Article Frontiers in Psychology, 10 , pp. 1–16, 2019. @article{Cholewa2019, title = {Online-processing of grammatical gender in noun-phrase decoding: An eye-tracking study with monolingual German 3rd and 4th graders}, author = {Jürgen Cholewa and Isabel Neitzel and Annika Bürsgens and Thomas Günther}, doi = {10.3389/fpsyg.2019.02586}, year = {2019}, date = {2019-01-01}, journal = {Frontiers in Psychology}, volume = {10}, pages = {1--16}, abstract = {Like many other languages, German employs a linguistic category called “grammatical gender.” In gender-marking languages each noun is assigned to a particular gender-class (in German: masculine, feminine or neuter) and other words in a sentence which are grammatically controlled by the noun are marked by particular morphemes according to the noun's gender feature – so called gender agreement. Within psycholinguistic theories of language comprehension, it is often assumed that gender agreement might help to predict the continuation of a sentence on grammatical grounds and to reduce the lexical search space for the next words emerging within the speech signal. Thus, gender agreement relations may provide a means to make the comprehension process more effective and targeted. The aim of the current study was to assess whether monolingual German 3rd and 4th grade primary school children make use of gender agreement in online auditory comprehension and whether different gender cues interact with each other and with semantic information. A language-picture matching task was conducted in which 32 children looked at two pictures while listening to a noun phrase. Due to features of the German gender system, the target picture corresponding with the noun phrase could be predicted shortly after stimulus onset on account of gender agreement relations. The predictive impact of grammatical gender agreement on noun-phrase decoding was investigated by measuring the time course of eye-movements onto the target and distractor pictures. The results confirm and extend previous findings that gender plays a role in predictive online comprehension of gender-marking languages like German, and that even primary school children are able to make use of this grammatical device.}, keywords = {}, pubstate = {published}, tppubtype = {article} } Like many other languages, German employs a linguistic category called “grammatical gender.” In gender-marking languages each noun is assigned to a particular gender-class (in German: masculine, feminine or neuter) and other words in a sentence which are grammatically controlled by the noun are marked by particular morphemes according to the noun's gender feature – so called gender agreement. Within psycholinguistic theories of language comprehension, it is often assumed that gender agreement might help to predict the continuation of a sentence on grammatical grounds and to reduce the lexical search space for the next words emerging within the speech signal. Thus, gender agreement relations may provide a means to make the comprehension process more effective and targeted. The aim of the current study was to assess whether monolingual German 3rd and 4th grade primary school children make use of gender agreement in online auditory comprehension and whether different gender cues interact with each other and with semantic information. A language-picture matching task was conducted in which 32 children looked at two pictures while listening to a noun phrase. Due to features of the German gender system, the target picture corresponding with the noun phrase could be predicted shortly after stimulus onset on account of gender agreement relations. The predictive impact of grammatical gender agreement on noun-phrase decoding was investigated by measuring the time course of eye-movements onto the target and distractor pictures. The results confirm and extend previous findings that gender plays a role in predictive online comprehension of gender-marking languages like German, and that even primary school children are able to make use of this grammatical device. |
Claudia Damiano; Dirk B Walther Distinct roles of eye movements during memory encoding and retrieval Journal Article Cognition, 184 , pp. 119–129, 2019. @article{Damiano2019, title = {Distinct roles of eye movements during memory encoding and retrieval}, author = {Claudia Damiano and Dirk B Walther}, doi = {10.1016/j.cognition.2018.12.014}, year = {2019}, date = {2019-01-01}, journal = {Cognition}, volume = {184}, pages = {119--129}, abstract = {A long line of research has shown that vision and memory are closely linked, such that particular eye movement behaviour aids memory performance. In two experiments, we ask whether the positive influence of eye movements on memory is primarily a result of overt visual exploration during the encoding or the recognition phase. Experiment 1 allowed participants to free-view images of scenes, followed by a new-old recognition memory task. Exploratory analyses found that eye movements during study were predictive of subsequent memory performance. Importantly, intrinsic image memorability does not explain this finding. Eye movements during test were only predictive of memory within the first 600 ms of the trial. To examine whether this relationship between eye movements and memory is causal, Experiment 2 manipulated participants' ability to make eye movements during either study or test in a new-old recognition task. Participants were either encouraged to freely explore the scene in both the study and test phases, or had to refrain from making eye movements in either the test phase, the study phase, or both. We found that hit rate was significantly higher when participants moved their eyes during the study phase, regardless of what they did in the test phase. False alarm rate, on the other hand, was affected only by eye movements during the test phase: it decreased when participants were encouraged to explore the scene. Taken together, these results reveal a dissociation of the role of eye movements during the encoding and recognition of scenes. Eye movements during study are instrumental in forming memories, and eye movements during recognition support the judgment of memory veracity.}, keywords = {}, pubstate = {published}, tppubtype = {article} } A long line of research has shown that vision and memory are closely linked, such that particular eye movement behaviour aids memory performance. In two experiments, we ask whether the positive influence of eye movements on memory is primarily a result of overt visual exploration during the encoding or the recognition phase. Experiment 1 allowed participants to free-view images of scenes, followed by a new-old recognition memory task. Exploratory analyses found that eye movements during study were predictive of subsequent memory performance. Importantly, intrinsic image memorability does not explain this finding. Eye movements during test were only predictive of memory within the first 600 ms of the trial. To examine whether this relationship between eye movements and memory is causal, Experiment 2 manipulated participants' ability to make eye movements during either study or test in a new-old recognition task. Participants were either encouraged to freely explore the scene in both the study and test phases, or had to refrain from making eye movements in either the test phase, the study phase, or both. We found that hit rate was significantly higher when participants moved their eyes during the study phase, regardless of what they did in the test phase. False alarm rate, on the other hand, was affected only by eye movements during the test phase: it decreased when participants were encouraged to explore the scene. Taken together, these results reveal a dissociation of the role of eye movements during the encoding and recognition of scenes. Eye movements during study are instrumental in forming memories, and eye movements during recognition support the judgment of memory veracity. |
Roberto G de Almeida; Julia Di Nardo; Caitlyn Antal; Michael W von Grünau Understanding events by eye and ear: Agent and verb drive on-anticipatory Eye movements in dynamic scenes Journal Article Frontiers in Psychology, 10 , pp. 1–20, 2019. @article{Almeida2019, title = {Understanding events by eye and ear: Agent and verb drive on-anticipatory Eye movements in dynamic scenes}, author = {Roberto G de Almeida and Julia {Di Nardo} and Caitlyn Antal and Michael W von Grünau}, doi = {10.3389/fpsyg.2019.02162}, year = {2019}, date = {2019-01-01}, journal = {Frontiers in Psychology}, volume = {10}, pages = {1--20}, abstract = {As Macnamara (1978) once asked, how can we talk about what we see? We report on a study manipulating realistic dynamic scenes and sentences aiming to understand the interaction between linguistic and visual representations in real-world situations. Specifically, we monitored participants' eye movements as they watched video clips of everyday scenes while listening to sentences describing these scenes. We manipulated two main variables. The first was the semantic class of the verb in the sentence and the second was the action/motion of the agent in the unfolding event. The sentences employed two verb classes–causatives (e.g., break) and perception/psychological (e.g., notice)–which impose different constraints on the nouns that serve as their grammatical complements. The scenes depicted events in which agents either moved toward a target object (always the referent of the verb-complement noun), away from it, or remained neutral performing a given activity (such as cooking). Scenes and sentences were synchronized such that the verb onset corresponded to the first video frame of the agent motion toward or away from the object. Results show effects of agent motion but weak verb-semantic restrictions: causatives draw more attention to potential referents of their grammatical complements than perception verbs only when the agent moves toward the target object. Crucially, we found no anticipatory verb-driven eye movements toward the target object, contrary to studies using non-naturalistic and static scenes. We propose a model in which linguistic and visual computations in real-world situations occur largely independent of each other during the early moments of perceptual input, but rapidly interact at a central, conceptual system using a common, propositional code. Implications for language use in real world contexts are discussed.}, keywords = {}, pubstate = {published}, tppubtype = {article} } As Macnamara (1978) once asked, how can we talk about what we see? We report on a study manipulating realistic dynamic scenes and sentences aiming to understand the interaction between linguistic and visual representations in real-world situations. Specifically, we monitored participants' eye movements as they watched video clips of everyday scenes while listening to sentences describing these scenes. We manipulated two main variables. The first was the semantic class of the verb in the sentence and the second was the action/motion of the agent in the unfolding event. The sentences employed two verb classes–causatives (e.g., break) and perception/psychological (e.g., notice)–which impose different constraints on the nouns that serve as their grammatical complements. The scenes depicted events in which agents either moved toward a target object (always the referent of the verb-complement noun), away from it, or remained neutral performing a given activity (such as cooking). Scenes and sentences were synchronized such that the verb onset corresponded to the first video frame of the agent motion toward or away from the object. Results show effects of agent motion but weak verb-semantic restrictions: causatives draw more attention to potential referents of their grammatical complements than perception verbs only when the agent moves toward the target object. Crucially, we found no anticipatory verb-driven eye movements toward the target object, contrary to studies using non-naturalistic and static scenes. We propose a model in which linguistic and visual computations in real-world situations occur largely independent of each other during the early moments of perceptual input, but rapidly interact at a central, conceptual system using a common, propositional code. Implications for language use in real world contexts are discussed. |
Maria De Luca; Maria Rosa Pizzamiglio; Antonella Di Vita; Liana Palermo; Antonio Tanzilli; Claudia Dacquino; Laura Piccardi First the nose, last the eyes in congenital prosopagnosia: Look like your father looks Journal Article Neuropsychology, 33 (6), pp. 855–861, 2019. @article{DeLuca2019, title = {First the nose, last the eyes in congenital prosopagnosia: Look like your father looks}, author = {Maria {De Luca} and Maria Rosa Pizzamiglio and Antonella {Di Vita} and Liana Palermo and Antonio Tanzilli and Claudia Dacquino and Laura Piccardi}, doi = {10.1037/neu0000556}, year = {2019}, date = {2019-01-01}, journal = {Neuropsychology}, volume = {33}, number = {6}, pages = {855--861}, abstract = {Objective: To contribute to the limited body of eye movement (EM) studies of children and family members with congenital prosopagnosia (CP), a task requiring a verbal response for the identification of personally familiar faces was used for the 1st time. Method: EMs were recorded in a father and his son (both diagnosed with CP) and controls (N = 2). In the identification tasks they watched personally familiar faces and distracters and responded by saying the names of the familiar faces or saying "I don't know." Two discrimination tasks were added to distinguish the specificity of the EM pattern for the recognition tasks. In all tasks, faces were presented 1 by 1 until the response onset; thus, the EM pattern was not saturated by overexposure to the stimulus. The 1st fixation position was examined to localize the 1st area of the face attended to. The spatial-temporal fixation pattern was examined to evaluate the attention devoted to specific regions. Results: Both family members were inaccurate and slower than controls in the identification but not the discrimination tasks. In all tasks, they made a number of fixations comparable to those of controls but showed longer fixation durations than controls did. In the identification tasks, they showed poor spatial-temporal distribution of fixations on the eyes and rare 1st fixations on the eyes. Conclusions: Consistent with the literature, both family members showed the typical reduced sampling of the eyes. Nevertheless, our protocol based on explicit verbal responses (which included EM only until response onset) showed that they did not increase the spatial sampling overall by making more fixations than controls did. Instead, they showed longer fixation durations across tasks; this was interpreted as a generalized problem with face processing in affording a more robust sampling of information.}, keywords = {}, pubstate = {published}, tppubtype = {article} } Objective: To contribute to the limited body of eye movement (EM) studies of children and family members with congenital prosopagnosia (CP), a task requiring a verbal response for the identification of personally familiar faces was used for the 1st time. Method: EMs were recorded in a father and his son (both diagnosed with CP) and controls (N = 2). In the identification tasks they watched personally familiar faces and distracters and responded by saying the names of the familiar faces or saying "I don't know." Two discrimination tasks were added to distinguish the specificity of the EM pattern for the recognition tasks. In all tasks, faces were presented 1 by 1 until the response onset; thus, the EM pattern was not saturated by overexposure to the stimulus. The 1st fixation position was examined to localize the 1st area of the face attended to. The spatial-temporal fixation pattern was examined to evaluate the attention devoted to specific regions. Results: Both family members were inaccurate and slower than controls in the identification but not the discrimination tasks. In all tasks, they made a number of fixations comparable to those of controls but showed longer fixation durations than controls did. In the identification tasks, they showed poor spatial-temporal distribution of fixations on the eyes and rare 1st fixations on the eyes. Conclusions: Consistent with the literature, both family members showed the typical reduced sampling of the eyes. Nevertheless, our protocol based on explicit verbal responses (which included EM only until response onset) showed that they did not increase the spatial sampling overall by making more fixations than controls did. Instead, they showed longer fixation durations across tasks; this was interpreted as a generalized problem with face processing in affording a more robust sampling of information. |
Reuben K Dyer; Larry A Abel Effects of age and visual attention demands on optokinetic nystagmus suppression Journal Article Experimental Eye Research, 183 , pp. 46–51, 2019. @article{Dyer2019, title = {Effects of age and visual attention demands on optokinetic nystagmus suppression}, author = {Reuben K Dyer and Larry A Abel}, doi = {10.1016/j.exer.2018.08.011}, year = {2019}, date = {2019-01-01}, journal = {Experimental Eye Research}, volume = {183}, pages = {46--51}, publisher = {Elsevier}, abstract = {Introduction: The utility of optokinetic nystagmus suppression as an index of visual attention has been demonstrated; however, a gap exists in our understanding of the effects of aging on attentional division. The purpose of this study was to explore the effect of a subject's age upon their ability to allocate visual attention among multiple salient elements which varied in location and complexity. Method: Large-field optokinetic nystagmus (OKN)-inducing animations were presented along with a central flashing fixation point to 27 subjects: 15 younger adults (range 19–23, mean age 21.4); and 12 older adults (range 65–89, mean age 74). Subjects were instructed to fixate on a central point while attending to either moving features of the background or solely to the fixation target. Failure of subjects to accurately divide their attention was quantified by optokinetic gain (eye velocity/background velocity). Gain was analysed in two separate 3-way ANOVAs: one at the central location with the between-subjects variable of age and within-subjects variables of complexity and dynamism; and one using only the dynamic tasks, including a between-subjects variable of age and within-subjects variables of complexity and location. Results: A strong effect of age was found between subjects during the more attentionally demanding dynamic tasks, but there was only a marginal effect during the static tasks. All within-subjects variables were highly significant, and there were several significant 2- and 3-way interactions. Conclusion: This study provides strong evidence for the compounding effects of senescence and stimulus characteristics on an adult's ability to accurately allocate visual attention. These findings show that OKN suppression may be a useful framework for quantification of attentional resources in older subjects.}, keywords = {}, pubstate = {published}, tppubtype = {article} } Introduction: The utility of optokinetic nystagmus suppression as an index of visual attention has been demonstrated; however, a gap exists in our understanding of the effects of aging on attentional division. The purpose of this study was to explore the effect of a subject's age upon their ability to allocate visual attention among multiple salient elements which varied in location and complexity. Method: Large-field optokinetic nystagmus (OKN)-inducing animations were presented along with a central flashing fixation point to 27 subjects: 15 younger adults (range 19–23, mean age 21.4); and 12 older adults (range 65–89, mean age 74). Subjects were instructed to fixate on a central point while attending to either moving features of the background or solely to the fixation target. Failure of subjects to accurately divide their attention was quantified by optokinetic gain (eye velocity/background velocity). Gain was analysed in two separate 3-way ANOVAs: one at the central location with the between-subjects variable of age and within-subjects variables of complexity and dynamism; and one using only the dynamic tasks, including a between-subjects variable of age and within-subjects variables of complexity and location. Results: A strong effect of age was found between subjects during the more attentionally demanding dynamic tasks, but there was only a marginal effect during the static tasks. All within-subjects variables were highly significant, and there were several significant 2- and 3-way interactions. Conclusion: This study provides strong evidence for the compounding effects of senescence and stimulus characteristics on an adult's ability to accurately allocate visual attention. These findings show that OKN suppression may be a useful framework for quantification of attentional resources in older subjects. |
Sarah Eilers; Simon P Tiffin-Richards; Sascha Schroeder The repeated name penalty effect in children's natural reading: Evidence from eye tracking Journal Article Quarterly Journal of Experimental Psychology, 72 (3), pp. 403–412, 2019. @article{Eilers2019a, title = {The repeated name penalty effect in children's natural reading: Evidence from eye tracking}, author = {Sarah Eilers and Simon P Tiffin-Richards and Sascha Schroeder}, doi = {10.1177/1747021818757712}, year = {2019}, date = {2019-01-01}, journal = {Quarterly Journal of Experimental Psychology}, volume = {72}, number = {3}, pages = {403--412}, abstract = {We report data from an eye tracking experiment on the repeated name penalty effect in 9-year-old children and young adults. The repeated name penalty effect is informative for the study of children's reading because it allows conclusions about children's ability to direct attention to discourse-level processing cues during reading. We presented children and adults simple three-sentence stories with a single referent, which was referred to by an anaphor—either a pronoun or a repeated name—downstream in the text. The anaphor was either near or far from the antecedent. We found a repeated name penalty effect in early processing for children as well as adults, suggesting that beginning readers are already susceptible to discourse-level expectations of anaphora during reading. Furthermore, children's reading was more influenced by the distance of anaphor and antecedent than adults', which we attribute to differences in reading fluency and the resulting cognitive load during reading.}, keywords = {}, pubstate = {published}, tppubtype = {article} } We report data from an eye tracking experiment on the repeated name penalty effect in 9-year-old children and young adults. The repeated name penalty effect is informative for the study of children's reading because it allows conclusions about children's ability to direct attention to discourse-level processing cues during reading. We presented children and adults simple three-sentence stories with a single referent, which was referred to by an anaphor—either a pronoun or a repeated name—downstream in the text. The anaphor was either near or far from the antecedent. We found a repeated name penalty effect in early processing for children as well as adults, suggesting that beginning readers are already susceptible to discourse-level expectations of anaphora during reading. Furthermore, children's reading was more influenced by the distance of anaphor and antecedent than adults', which we attribute to differences in reading fluency and the resulting cognitive load during reading. |
Sarah Eilers; Simon P Tiffin-Richards; Sascha Schroeder Gender cue effects in children's pronoun processing: A longitudinal eye tracking study Journal Article Scientific Studies of Reading, 23 (6), pp. 509–522, 2019. @article{Eilers2019b, title = {Gender cue effects in children's pronoun processing: A longitudinal eye tracking study}, author = {Sarah Eilers and Simon P Tiffin-Richards and Sascha Schroeder}, doi = {10.1080/10888438.2019.1617293}, year = {2019}, date = {2019-01-01}, journal = {Scientific Studies of Reading}, volume = {23}, number = {6}, pages = {509--522}, publisher = {Routledge}, abstract = {Children struggle with the resolution of pronouns during reading, but little is known about the sources of their difficulties. We conducted a longitudinal eye tracking experiment with 70 children in the final years of primary school. The children read sentences with a contextual resolution preference in which gender was either an informative resolution cue for the pronoun or not. We were interested in children's processing of the pronoun and their resolution preferences, as well as the effects of individual differences of Grade level and reading skill. Children's resolution ability improved with age, and good readers were more accurate than poor readers. In the eye-tracking measures, we found strong individual differences related to reading skill: Children with good reading skill took more time to read the pronoun region when pronoun gender was informative, suggesting that good readers make better use of the available information at the pronoun than poor readers.}, keywords = {}, pubstate = {published}, tppubtype = {article} } Children struggle with the resolution of pronouns during reading, but little is known about the sources of their difficulties. We conducted a longitudinal eye tracking experiment with 70 children in the final years of primary school. The children read sentences with a contextual resolution preference in which gender was either an informative resolution cue for the pronoun or not. We were interested in children's processing of the pronoun and their resolution preferences, as well as the effects of individual differences of Grade level and reading skill. Children's resolution ability improved with age, and good readers were more accurate than poor readers. In the eye-tracking measures, we found strong individual differences related to reading skill: Children with good reading skill took more time to read the pronoun region when pronoun gender was informative, suggesting that good readers make better use of the available information at the pronoun than poor readers. |
Mengjiao Fan; Thomson W L Wong The effect of errorless motor training on visuomotor behaviors in the goal-directed reaching by older adults Journal Article Alzheimer's, Dementia & Cognitive Neurology, 2 (2), pp. 1–6, 2019. @article{Fan2019, title = {The effect of errorless motor training on visuomotor behaviors in the goal-directed reaching by older adults}, author = {Mengjiao Fan and Thomson W L Wong}, doi = {10.15761/adcn.1000123}, year = {2019}, date = {2019-01-01}, journal = {Alzheimer's, Dementia & Cognitive Neurology}, volume = {2}, number = {2}, pages = {1--6}, abstract = {This study aims to investigate the effect of errorless motor training on visuomotor behaviors among older adults. We recruited 29 eligible older adults (Mean age = 71.56 years}, keywords = {}, pubstate = {published}, tppubtype = {article} } This study aims to investigate the effect of errorless motor training on visuomotor behaviors among older adults. We recruited 29 eligible older adults (Mean age = 71.56 years |
Wanlu Fu; Jing Zhao; Yun Ding; Zhiguo Wang Dyslexic children are sluggish in disengaging spatial attention Journal Article Dyslexia, 25 (2), pp. 158–172, 2019. @article{Fu2019, title = {Dyslexic children are sluggish in disengaging spatial attention}, author = {Wanlu Fu and Jing Zhao and Yun Ding and Zhiguo Wang}, doi = {10.1002/dys.1609}, year = {2019}, date = {2019-01-01}, journal = {Dyslexia}, volume = {25}, number = {2}, pages = {158--172}, abstract = {Previous work has shown that inefficient attentional orienting is likely a causal factor for dyslexia; however, the nature of this attentional dysfunction remains unclear. The process of attentional orienting is characterized by an early facilitation effect, resulting from the successful engagement of attention, and a later inhibitory effect—frequently referred to as inhibition of return (IOR)—which encourages attentional disengagement and facilitates efficient visual sampling. The present study examined the time course of attentional orienting in dyslexic and typically developing children, by parametrically manipulating the cue-target onset asynchronies in a spatial cueing task. Experiment 1 revealed an early facilitation effect in dyslexic children, suggesting that they have no issue in engaging attention to salient spatial locations. However, contrast to both age-matched and reading level-matched healthy controls, no reliable IOR effect was observed in dyslexic children, suggesting that they have difficulties in disengaging attention. When a second cue was presented to encourage attentional disengagement in Experiment 2, reliable IOR effects were observed in the same group of dyslexic children, and importantly, the onset time of IOR was comparable with that in healthy controls. These results clearly show a selective impairment of attentional disengagement in dyslexic children and provide a solid empirical basis for intervention programmes focusing on attentional shifting.}, keywords = {}, pubstate = {published}, tppubtype = {article} } Previous work has shown that inefficient attentional orienting is likely a causal factor for dyslexia; however, the nature of this attentional dysfunction remains unclear. The process of attentional orienting is characterized by an early facilitation effect, resulting from the successful engagement of attention, and a later inhibitory effect—frequently referred to as inhibition of return (IOR)—which encourages attentional disengagement and facilitates efficient visual sampling. The present study examined the time course of attentional orienting in dyslexic and typically developing children, by parametrically manipulating the cue-target onset asynchronies in a spatial cueing task. Experiment 1 revealed an early facilitation effect in dyslexic children, suggesting that they have no issue in engaging attention to salient spatial locations. However, contrast to both age-matched and reading level-matched healthy controls, no reliable IOR effect was observed in dyslexic children, suggesting that they have difficulties in disengaging attention. When a second cue was presented to encourage attentional disengagement in Experiment 2, reliable IOR effects were observed in the same group of dyslexic children, and importantly, the onset time of IOR was comparable with that in healthy controls. These results clearly show a selective impairment of attentional disengagement in dyslexic children and provide a solid empirical basis for intervention programmes focusing on attentional shifting. |
Jesse Gomez; Alexis Drain; Brianna Jeska; Vaidehi S Natu; Michael Barnett; Kalanit Grill-Spector Development of population receptive fields in the lateral visual stream improves spatial coding amid stable structural-functional coupling Journal Article NeuroImage, 188 , pp. 59–69, 2019. @article{Gomez2019, title = {Development of population receptive fields in the lateral visual stream improves spatial coding amid stable structural-functional coupling}, author = {Jesse Gomez and Alexis Drain and Brianna Jeska and Vaidehi S Natu and Michael Barnett and Kalanit Grill-Spector}, doi = {10.1016/j.neuroimage.2018.11.056}, year = {2019}, date = {2019-01-01}, journal = {NeuroImage}, volume = {188}, pages = {59--69}, publisher = {Elsevier Inc.}, abstract = {Human visual cortex encompasses more than a dozen visual field maps across three major processing streams. One of these streams is the lateral visual stream, which extends from V1 to lateral-occipital (LO) and temporal-occipital (TO) visual field maps and plays a prominent role in shape as well as motion perception. However, it is unknown if and how population receptive fields (pRFs) in the lateral visual stream develop from childhood to adulthood, and what impact this development may have on spatial coding. Here, we used functional magnetic resonance imaging and pRF modeling in school-age children and adults to investigate the development of the lateral visual stream. Our data reveal four main findings: 1) The topographic organization of eccentricity and polar angle maps of the lateral stream is stable after age five. 2) In both age groups there is a reliable relationship between eccentricity map transitions and cortical folding: the middle occipital gyrus predicts the transition between the peripheral representation of LO and TO maps. 3) pRFs in LO and TO maps undergo differential development from childhood to adulthood, resulting in increasing coverage of the central visual field in LO and of the peripheral visual field in TO. 4) Model-based decoding shows that the consequence of pRF and visual field coverage development is improved spatial decoding from LO and TO distributed responses in adults vs. children. Together, these results explicate both the development and topography of the lateral visual stream. Our data show that the general structural-functional organization is laid out early in development, but fine-scale properties, such as pRF distribution across the visual field and consequently, spatial precision, become fine-tuned across childhood development. These findings advance understanding of the development of the human visual system from childhood to adulthood and provide an essential foundation for understanding developmental deficits.}, keywords = {}, pubstate = {published}, tppubtype = {article} } Human visual cortex encompasses more than a dozen visual field maps across three major processing streams. One of these streams is the lateral visual stream, which extends from V1 to lateral-occipital (LO) and temporal-occipital (TO) visual field maps and plays a prominent role in shape as well as motion perception. However, it is unknown if and how population receptive fields (pRFs) in the lateral visual stream develop from childhood to adulthood, and what impact this development may have on spatial coding. Here, we used functional magnetic resonance imaging and pRF modeling in school-age children and adults to investigate the development of the lateral visual stream. Our data reveal four main findings: 1) The topographic organization of eccentricity and polar angle maps of the lateral stream is stable after age five. 2) In both age groups there is a reliable relationship between eccentricity map transitions and cortical folding: the middle occipital gyrus predicts the transition between the peripheral representation of LO and TO maps. 3) pRFs in LO and TO maps undergo differential development from childhood to adulthood, resulting in increasing coverage of the central visual field in LO and of the peripheral visual field in TO. 4) Model-based decoding shows that the consequence of pRF and visual field coverage development is improved spatial decoding from LO and TO distributed responses in adults vs. children. Together, these results explicate both the development and topography of the lateral visual stream. Our data show that the general structural-functional organization is laid out early in development, but fine-scale properties, such as pRF distribution across the visual field and consequently, spatial precision, become fine-tuned across childhood development. These findings advance understanding of the development of the human visual system from childhood to adulthood and provide an essential foundation for understanding developmental deficits. |
Ramona Grzeschik; Ruth Conroy-Dalton; Anthea Innes; Shanti Shanker; Jan M Wiener The contribution of visual attention and declining verbal memory abilities to age-related route learning deficits Journal Article Cognition, 187 , pp. 50–61, 2019. @article{Grzeschik2019, title = {The contribution of visual attention and declining verbal memory abilities to age-related route learning deficits}, author = {Ramona Grzeschik and Ruth Conroy-Dalton and Anthea Innes and Shanti Shanker and Jan M Wiener}, doi = {10.1016/j.cognition.2019.02.012}, year = {2019}, date = {2019-01-01}, journal = {Cognition}, volume = {187}, pages = {50--61}, publisher = {Elsevier}, abstract = {Our ability to learn unfamiliar routes declines in typical and atypical ageing. The reasons for this decline, however, are not well understood. Here we used eye-tracking to investigate how ageing affects people's ability to attend to navigationally relevant information and to select unique objects as landmarks. We created short routes through a virtual environment, each comprised of four intersections with two objects each, and we systematically manipulated the saliency and uniqueness of these objects. While salient objects might be easier to memorise than non-salient objects, they cannot be used as reliable landmarks if they appear more than once along the route. As cognitive ageing affects executive functions and control of attention, we hypothesised that the process of selecting navigationally relevant objects as landmarks might be affected as well. The behavioural data showed that younger participants outperformed the older participants and the eye-movement data revealed some systematic differences between age groups. Specifically, older adults spent less time looking at the unique, and therefore navigationally relevant, landmark objects. Both young and older participants, however, effectively directed gaze towards the unique and away from the non-unique objects, even if these were more salient. These findings highlight specific age-related differences in the control of attention that could contribute to declining route learning abilities in older age. Interestingly, route-learning performance in the older age group was more variable than in the young age group with some older adults showing performance similar to the young group. These individual differences in route learning performance were strongly associated with verbal and episodic memory abilities.}, keywords = {}, pubstate = {published}, tppubtype = {article} } Our ability to learn unfamiliar routes declines in typical and atypical ageing. The reasons for this decline, however, are not well understood. Here we used eye-tracking to investigate how ageing affects people's ability to attend to navigationally relevant information and to select unique objects as landmarks. We created short routes through a virtual environment, each comprised of four intersections with two objects each, and we systematically manipulated the saliency and uniqueness of these objects. While salient objects might be easier to memorise than non-salient objects, they cannot be used as reliable landmarks if they appear more than once along the route. As cognitive ageing affects executive functions and control of attention, we hypothesised that the process of selecting navigationally relevant objects as landmarks might be affected as well. The behavioural data showed that younger participants outperformed the older participants and the eye-movement data revealed some systematic differences between age groups. Specifically, older adults spent less time looking at the unique, and therefore navigationally relevant, landmark objects. Both young and older participants, however, effectively directed gaze towards the unique and away from the non-unique objects, even if these were more salient. These findings highlight specific age-related differences in the control of attention that could contribute to declining route learning abilities in older age. Interestingly, route-learning performance in the older age group was more variable than in the young age group with some older adults showing performance similar to the young group. These individual differences in route learning performance were strongly associated with verbal and episodic memory abilities. |
Pascal Mark Gygax; Lucie Schoenhals; Arik Lévy; Patrick Luethold; Ute Gabriel Exploring the onset of a male-biased interpretation of masculine generics among French speaking kindergarten children Journal Article Frontiers in Psychology, 10 , pp. 1–10, 2019. @article{Gygax2019, title = {Exploring the onset of a male-biased interpretation of masculine generics among French speaking kindergarten children}, author = {Pascal Mark Gygax and Lucie Schoenhals and Arik Lévy and Patrick Luethold and Ute Gabriel}, doi = {10.3389/fpsyg.2019.01225}, year = {2019}, date = {2019-01-01}, journal = {Frontiers in Psychology}, volume = {10}, pages = {1--10}, abstract = {In French, and other gender marked languages, there are two ways to interpret a grammatical masculine form when used to refer to social roles or occupations [e.g., les magiciens (the magiciansmasculine)]. It can refer to a group composed of only men (specific use of the masculine form), or one composed of both women and men (generic use). Studies of adults revealed that the rule that masculine forms can be interpreted as inclusive of either gender is not readily applied. To gain a better understanding of the processes shaping this phenomenon, we present a follow-up study (N = 52) to Lévy et al. (2016) to explore how French-speaking kindergarten children (3-5 years of age) resolve the semantic ambiguity of the grammatical masculine form when presented with role or occupation nouns. In a paradigm where participants' gazes were monitored, children were presented with pictures of a pair of two boys and a pair of one girl and one boy and were prompted to Look at the [role nounmasculine plural form]. First, the results suggest a stereotype effect in that children more strongly directed their gaze toward the boy-boy picture for stereotypical male role nouns, but toward the girl-boy picture for stereotypical female role nouns. Second, in the non-stereotypical/neutral condition we did not find an indication of any own-sex preference (as in Lévy et al., 2016), but of an influence of the role nouns' grammatical gender, in that children more strongly directed their gaze toward boy-boy pictures than toward girl-boy pictures. We suggest that a specific interpretation of masculine forms might already start to emerge between 3 and 5 years of age, while gender stereotypes are still activated.}, keywords = {}, pubstate = {published}, tppubtype = {article} } In French, and other gender marked languages, there are two ways to interpret a grammatical masculine form when used to refer to social roles or occupations [e.g., les magiciens (the magiciansmasculine)]. It can refer to a group composed of only men (specific use of the masculine form), or one composed of both women and men (generic use). Studies of adults revealed that the rule that masculine forms can be interpreted as inclusive of either gender is not readily applied. To gain a better understanding of the processes shaping this phenomenon, we present a follow-up study (N = 52) to Lévy et al. (2016) to explore how French-speaking kindergarten children (3-5 years of age) resolve the semantic ambiguity of the grammatical masculine form when presented with role or occupation nouns. In a paradigm where participants' gazes were monitored, children were presented with pictures of a pair of two boys and a pair of one girl and one boy and were prompted to Look at the [role nounmasculine plural form]. First, the results suggest a stereotype effect in that children more strongly directed their gaze toward the boy-boy picture for stereotypical male role nouns, but toward the girl-boy picture for stereotypical female role nouns. Second, in the non-stereotypical/neutral condition we did not find an indication of any own-sex preference (as in Lévy et al., 2016), but of an influence of the role nouns' grammatical gender, in that children more strongly directed their gaze toward boy-boy pictures than toward girl-boy pictures. We suggest that a specific interpretation of masculine forms might already start to emerge between 3 and 5 years of age, while gender stereotypes are still activated. |
Julia Habicht; Oliver Behler; Birger Kollmeier; Tobias Neher Frontiers in Neuroscience, 13 , pp. 1–15, 2019. @article{Habicht2019, title = {Exploring differences in speech processing among older hearing-impaired listeners with or without hearing aid experience: Eye-tracking and fMRI measurements}, author = {Julia Habicht and Oliver Behler and Birger Kollmeier and Tobias Neher}, doi = {10.3389/fnins.2019.00420}, year = {2019}, date = {2019-01-01}, journal = {Frontiers in Neuroscience}, volume = {13}, pages = {1--15}, abstract = {Recently, evidence has been accumulating that untreated hearing loss can lead to neurophysiological changes that affect speech processing abilities in noise. To shed more light on how aiding may impact these effects, this study explored the influence of hearing aid (HA) experience on the cognitive processes underlying speech comprehension. Eye-tracking and functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) measurements were carried out with acoustic sentence-in-noise (SiN) stimuli complemented by pairs of pictures that either correctly (target picture) or incorrectly (competitor picture) depicted the sentence meanings. For the eye-tracking measurements, the time taken by the participants to start fixating the target picture (the ‘processing time') was measured. For the fMRI measurements, brain activation inferred from blood-oxygen-level dependent responses following sentence comprehension was measured. A noise-only condition was also included. Groups of older hearing-impaired individuals matched in terms of age, hearing loss, and working memory capacity with (eHA; N = 13) or without (iHA; N = 14) HA experience participated. All acoustic stimuli were presented via earphones with individual linear amplification to ensure audibility. Consistent with previous findings, the iHA group had significantly longer (poorer) processing times than the eHA group, despite no differences in speech recognition performance. Concerning the fMRI measurements, there were indications of less brain activation in some right frontal areas for SiN relative to noise-only stimuli in the eHA group compared to the iHA group. Together, these results suggest that HA experience leads to faster speech-in-noise processing, possibly related to less recruitment of brain regions outside the core sentence-comprehension network. Follow-up research is needed to substantiate the findings related to changes in cortical speech processing with HA use.}, keywords = {}, pubstate = {published}, tppubtype = {article} } Recently, evidence has been accumulating that untreated hearing loss can lead to neurophysiological changes that affect speech processing abilities in noise. To shed more light on how aiding may impact these effects, this study explored the influence of hearing aid (HA) experience on the cognitive processes underlying speech comprehension. Eye-tracking and functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) measurements were carried out with acoustic sentence-in-noise (SiN) stimuli complemented by pairs of pictures that either correctly (target picture) or incorrectly (competitor picture) depicted the sentence meanings. For the eye-tracking measurements, the time taken by the participants to start fixating the target picture (the ‘processing time') was measured. For the fMRI measurements, brain activation inferred from blood-oxygen-level dependent responses following sentence comprehension was measured. A noise-only condition was also included. Groups of older hearing-impaired individuals matched in terms of age, hearing loss, and working memory capacity with (eHA; N = 13) or without (iHA; N = 14) HA experience participated. All acoustic stimuli were presented via earphones with individual linear amplification to ensure audibility. Consistent with previous findings, the iHA group had significantly longer (poorer) processing times than the eHA group, despite no differences in speech recognition performance. Concerning the fMRI measurements, there were indications of less brain activation in some right frontal areas for SiN relative to noise-only stimuli in the eHA group compared to the iHA group. Together, these results suggest that HA experience leads to faster speech-in-noise processing, possibly related to less recruitment of brain regions outside the core sentence-comprehension network. Follow-up research is needed to substantiate the findings related to changes in cortical speech processing with HA use. |
Naomi Havron; Alex de Carvalho; Anne Caroline Fiévet; Anne Christophe Three- to four-year-old children rapidly adapt their predictions and use them to learn novel word meanings Journal Article Child Development, 90 (1), pp. 82–90, 2019. @article{Havron2019, title = {Three- to four-year-old children rapidly adapt their predictions and use them to learn novel word meanings}, author = {Naomi Havron and Alex de Carvalho and Anne Caroline Fiévet and Anne Christophe}, doi = {10.1111/cdev.13113}, year = {2019}, date = {2019-01-01}, journal = {Child Development}, volume = {90}, number = {1}, pages = {82--90}, abstract = {Adults create and update predictions about what speakers will say next. This study asks whether prediction can drive language acquisition, by testing whether 3- to 4-year-old children (n = 45) adapt to recent information when learning novel words. The study used a syntactic context which can precede both nouns and verbs to manipulate children's predictions about what syntactic category will follow. Children for whom the syntactic context predicted verbs were more likely to infer that a novel word appearing in this context referred to an action, than children for whom it predicted nouns. This suggests that children make rapid changes to their predictions, and use this information to learn novel information, supporting the role of prediction in language acquisition.}, keywords = {}, pubstate = {published}, tppubtype = {article} } Adults create and update predictions about what speakers will say next. This study asks whether prediction can drive language acquisition, by testing whether 3- to 4-year-old children (n = 45) adapt to recent information when learning novel words. The study used a syntactic context which can precede both nouns and verbs to manipulate children's predictions about what syntactic category will follow. Children for whom the syntactic context predicted verbs were more likely to infer that a novel word appearing in this context referred to an action, than children for whom it predicted nouns. This suggests that children make rapid changes to their predictions, and use this information to learn novel information, supporting the role of prediction in language acquisition. |
Christopher Hilton; Sebastien Miellet; Timothy J Slattery; Jan Wiener Are age-related deficits in route learning related to control of visual attention? Journal Article Psychological Research, pp. 1–12, 2019. @article{Hilton2019, title = {Are age-related deficits in route learning related to control of visual attention?}, author = {Christopher Hilton and Sebastien Miellet and Timothy J Slattery and Jan Wiener}, doi = {10.1007/s00426-019-01159-5}, year = {2019}, date = {2019-01-01}, journal = {Psychological Research}, pages = {1--12}, publisher = {Springer Berlin Heidelberg}, abstract = {Typically aged adults show reduced ability to learn a route compared to younger adults. In this experiment, we investigate the role of visual attention through eye-tracking and engagement of attentional resources in age-related route learning deficits. Participants were shown a route through a realistic virtual environment before being tested on their route knowledge. Younger and older adults were compared on their gaze behaviour during route learning and on their reaction time to a secondary probe task as a measure of attentional engagement. Behavioural results show a performance deficit in route knowledge for older adults compared to younger adults, which is consistent with previous research. We replicated previous findings showing that reaction times to the secondary probe task were longer at decision points than non-decision points, indicating stronger attentional engagement at navigationally relevant locations. However, we found no differences in attentional engagement and no differences for a range of gaze measures between age groups. We conclude that age-related changes in route learning ability are not reflected in changes in control of visual attention or regulation of attentional engagement.}, keywords = {}, pubstate = {published}, tppubtype = {article} } Typically aged adults show reduced ability to learn a route compared to younger adults. In this experiment, we investigate the role of visual attention through eye-tracking and engagement of attentional resources in age-related route learning deficits. Participants were shown a route through a realistic virtual environment before being tested on their route knowledge. Younger and older adults were compared on their gaze behaviour during route learning and on their reaction time to a secondary probe task as a measure of attentional engagement. Behavioural results show a performance deficit in route knowledge for older adults compared to younger adults, which is consistent with previous research. We replicated previous findings showing that reaction times to the secondary probe task were longer at decision points than non-decision points, indicating stronger attentional engagement at navigationally relevant locations. However, we found no differences in attentional engagement and no differences for a range of gaze measures between age groups. We conclude that age-related changes in route learning ability are not reflected in changes in control of visual attention or regulation of attentional engagement. |
Yueh-Nu Hung Fifth grade students reading a Chinese text with embedded errors: An eye movement miscue analysis study Journal Article Reading Psychology, 40 , pp. 397–424, 2019. @article{Hung2019a, title = {Fifth grade students reading a Chinese text with embedded errors: An eye movement miscue analysis study}, author = {Yueh-Nu Hung}, doi = {10.1080/02702711.2019.1623960}, year = {2019}, date = {2019-01-01}, journal = {Reading Psychology}, volume = {40}, pages = {397--424}, publisher = {Routledge}, abstract = {This study adopted eye movement miscue analysis research method to examine and illustrate the cognitive and psychological processes of meaning construction and error detection in reading Chinese. Eighteen Taiwanese grade five elementary students read a short Chinese text with six embedded errors. Results show that like earlier studies, only about a third of the errors were detected. Unlike earlier research, meaning group found more errors than did the error group. Reading miscues, eye movements, and the juxtaposition of the two sources of information helped to more fully illustrate the dynamic and complex processes of seeing, perceiving, reading aloud and comprehending.}, keywords = {}, pubstate = {published}, tppubtype = {article} } This study adopted eye movement miscue analysis research method to examine and illustrate the cognitive and psychological processes of meaning construction and error detection in reading Chinese. Eighteen Taiwanese grade five elementary students read a short Chinese text with six embedded errors. Results show that like earlier studies, only about a third of the errors were detected. Unlike earlier research, meaning group found more errors than did the error group. Reading miscues, eye movements, and the juxtaposition of the two sources of information helped to more fully illustrate the dynamic and complex processes of seeing, perceiving, reading aloud and comprehending. |
Yu Cin Jian Reading instructions facilitate signaling effect on science text for young readers: An eye-movement study Journal Article International Journal of Science and Mathematics Education, 17 (3), pp. 503–522, 2019. @article{Jian2019, title = {Reading instructions facilitate signaling effect on science text for young readers: An eye-movement study}, author = {Yu Cin Jian}, doi = {10.1007/s10763-018-9878-y}, year = {2019}, date = {2019-01-01}, journal = {International Journal of Science and Mathematics Education}, volume = {17}, number = {3}, pages = {503--522}, publisher = {International Journal of Science and Mathematics Education}, abstract = {Science texts often use visual representations (e.g. diagrams, graphs, photographs) to help readers learn science knowledge. Reading an illustrated text for learning is one type of multimedia learning. Empirical research has increasingly confirmed the signaling principle's effectiveness in multimedia learning. Highlighting correspondences between text and pictures benefits learning outcomes. However, the signaling effect's cognitive processes and its generalizability to young readers are unknown. This study clarified these aspects using eye-tracking technology and reading tests. Eighty-nine sixth-grade students read an illustrated science text in one of three conditions: reading material with signals, without signals (identical labels of Diagram 1 and Diagram 2 in text and illustration), and with signals combined with reading instructions. Findings revealed that the signaling principle alone cannot be generalized to young readers. Specifically, “Diagram 1” and “Diagram 2” in parentheses mixed with science text content had limited signaling effect for students and reading instructions are necessary. Eye movements reflected cognitive processes of science reading; students who received reading instructions employed greater cognitive effort and time in reading illustrations and tried to integrate textual and pictorial information using signals.}, keywords = {}, pubstate = {published}, tppubtype = {article} } Science texts often use visual representations (e.g. diagrams, graphs, photographs) to help readers learn science knowledge. Reading an illustrated text for learning is one type of multimedia learning. Empirical research has increasingly confirmed the signaling principle's effectiveness in multimedia learning. Highlighting correspondences between text and pictures benefits learning outcomes. However, the signaling effect's cognitive processes and its generalizability to young readers are unknown. This study clarified these aspects using eye-tracking technology and reading tests. Eighty-nine sixth-grade students read an illustrated science text in one of three conditions: reading material with signals, without signals (identical labels of Diagram 1 and Diagram 2 in text and illustration), and with signals combined with reading instructions. Findings revealed that the signaling principle alone cannot be generalized to young readers. Specifically, “Diagram 1” and “Diagram 2” in parentheses mixed with science text content had limited signaling effect for students and reading instructions are necessary. Eye movements reflected cognitive processes of science reading; students who received reading instructions employed greater cognitive effort and time in reading illustrations and tried to integrate textual and pictorial information using signals. |
Jolie R Keemink; Maryam J Keshavarzi-Pour; David J Kelly Infants' responses to interactive gaze-contingent faces in a novel and naturalistic eye-tracking paradigm Journal Article Developmental Psychology, 55 (7), pp. 1362–1371, 2019. @article{Keemink2019, title = {Infants' responses to interactive gaze-contingent faces in a novel and naturalistic eye-tracking paradigm}, author = {Jolie R Keemink and Maryam J Keshavarzi-Pour and David J Kelly}, doi = {10.1037/dev0000736}, year = {2019}, date = {2019-01-01}, journal = {Developmental Psychology}, volume = {55}, number = {7}, pages = {1362--1371}, abstract = {Face scanning is an important skill that takes place in a highly interactive context embedded within social interaction. However, previous research has studied face scanning using noninteractive stimuli. We aimed to study face scanning and social interaction in infancy in a more ecologically valid way by providing infants with a naturalistic and socially engaging experience. We developed a novel gazecontingent eye-tracking paradigm in which infants could interact with face stimuli. Responses (socially engaging/socially disengaging) from faces were contingent on infants' eye movements. We collected eye-tracking and behavioral data of 162 (79 male, 83 female) 6-, 9- and 12-month-old infants. All infants showed a clear preference for looking at the eyes relative to the mouth. Contingency was learned implicitly, and infants were more likely to show behavioral responses (e.g., smiling, pointing) when receiving socially engaging responses. Infants' responses were also more often congruent with the actors' responses. Additionally, our large sample allowed us to look at the ranges of behavior on our task, and we identified a small number of infants who displayed deviant behaviors. We discuss these findings in relation to data collected from a small sample (N = 11) of infants considered to be at-risk for autism spectrum disorders. Our results demonstrate the versatility of the gaze-contingency eye-tracking paradigm, allowing for a more nuanced and complex investigation of face scanning as it happens in real-life interaction. As we provide additional measures of contingency learning and reciprocity, our task holds the potential to investigate atypical neurodevelopment within the first year of life.}, keywords = {}, pubstate = {published}, tppubtype = {article} } Face scanning is an important skill that takes place in a highly interactive context embedded within social interaction. However, previous research has studied face scanning using noninteractive stimuli. We aimed to study face scanning and social interaction in infancy in a more ecologically valid way by providing infants with a naturalistic and socially engaging experience. We developed a novel gazecontingent eye-tracking paradigm in which infants could interact with face stimuli. Responses (socially engaging/socially disengaging) from faces were contingent on infants' eye movements. We collected eye-tracking and behavioral data of 162 (79 male, 83 female) 6-, 9- and 12-month-old infants. All infants showed a clear preference for looking at the eyes relative to the mouth. Contingency was learned implicitly, and infants were more likely to show behavioral responses (e.g., smiling, pointing) when receiving socially engaging responses. Infants' responses were also more often congruent with the actors' responses. Additionally, our large sample allowed us to look at the ranges of behavior on our task, and we identified a small number of infants who displayed deviant behaviors. We discuss these findings in relation to data collected from a small sample (N = 11) of infants considered to be at-risk for autism spectrum disorders. Our results demonstrate the versatility of the gaze-contingency eye-tracking paradigm, allowing for a more nuanced and complex investigation of face scanning as it happens in real-life interaction. As we provide additional measures of contingency learning and reciprocity, our task holds the potential to investigate atypical neurodevelopment within the first year of life. |
Krista R Kelly; Christina S Cheng-Patel; Reed M Jost; Yi Zhong Wang; Eileen E Birch Fixation instability during binocular viewing in anisometropic and strabismic children Journal Article Experimental Eye Research, 183 , pp. 29–37, 2019. @article{Kelly2019a, title = {Fixation instability during binocular viewing in anisometropic and strabismic children}, author = {Krista R Kelly and Christina S Cheng-Patel and Reed M Jost and Yi Zhong Wang and Eileen E Birch}, doi = {10.1016/j.exer.2018.07.013}, year = {2019}, date = {2019-01-01}, journal = {Experimental Eye Research}, volume = {183}, pages = {29--37}, publisher = {Elsevier Ltd}, abstract = {Purpose: Strabismus or anisometropia disrupts binocularity and results in fixation instability, which is increased with amblyopia. Fixation instability has typically been assessed for each eye individually. Recently, vergence instability was reported in exotropic adults and monkeys during binocular viewing. We evaluated fixation instability during binocular viewing in children treated for anisometropia and/or strabismus. Methods: 160 children age 4–12 years with treated esotropia and/or anisometropia (98 amblyopic, 62 nonamblyopic) were compared to 46 age-similar controls. Fixation instability was recorded during binocular fixation of a 0.3 deg diameter dot for 20 s using a 500 Hz remote video binocular eye tracker (EyeLink 1000; SR Research). The bivariate contour ellipse area (BCEA; log deg2) for fixation instability was calculated for each eye (nonpreferred, preferred) and for vergence instability (left eye position – right eye position). Best-corrected visual acuity, Randot Preschool stereoacuity, and extent of suppression scotoma (Worth 4-Dot) were also obtained. Results: When binocularly viewing, both amblyopic and nonamblyopic children treated for anisometropia and/or strabismus had larger fixation instability and vergence instability than controls. Amblyopia primarily added to the instability of the nonpreferred eye. Anisometropic children had less nonpreferred eye instability and vergence instability than those with strabismus or combined mechanism. Nonpreferred eye instability and vergence instability were related to poorer stereoacuity and a larger suppression scotoma. Preferred eye instability was not related to any visual outcome measure. No relationships were found with visual acuity. Conclusions: Fixation instability and vergence instability during binocular viewing suggests that discordant binocular visual experience during childhood, especially strabismus, interferes with ocular motor development. Amblyopia adds to instability of the nonpreferred eye. Vergence instability may limit potential for recovery of binocular vision in these children.}, keywords = {}, pubstate = {published}, tppubtype = {article} } Purpose: Strabismus or anisometropia disrupts binocularity and results in fixation instability, which is increased with amblyopia. Fixation instability has typically been assessed for each eye individually. Recently, vergence instability was reported in exotropic adults and monkeys during binocular viewing. We evaluated fixation instability during binocular viewing in children treated for anisometropia and/or strabismus. Methods: 160 children age 4–12 years with treated esotropia and/or anisometropia (98 amblyopic, 62 nonamblyopic) were compared to 46 age-similar controls. Fixation instability was recorded during binocular fixation of a 0.3 deg diameter dot for 20 s using a 500 Hz remote video binocular eye tracker (EyeLink 1000; SR Research). The bivariate contour ellipse area (BCEA; log deg2) for fixation instability was calculated for each eye (nonpreferred, preferred) and for vergence instability (left eye position – right eye position). Best-corrected visual acuity, Randot Preschool stereoacuity, and extent of suppression scotoma (Worth 4-Dot) were also obtained. Results: When binocularly viewing, both amblyopic and nonamblyopic children treated for anisometropia and/or strabismus had larger fixation instability and vergence instability than controls. Amblyopia primarily added to the instability of the nonpreferred eye. Anisometropic children had less nonpreferred eye instability and vergence instability than those with strabismus or combined mechanism. Nonpreferred eye instability and vergence instability were related to poorer stereoacuity and a larger suppression scotoma. Preferred eye instability was not related to any visual outcome measure. No relationships were found with visual acuity. Conclusions: Fixation instability and vergence instability during binocular viewing suggests that discordant binocular visual experience during childhood, especially strabismus, interferes with ocular motor development. Amblyopia adds to instability of the nonpreferred eye. Vergence instability may limit potential for recovery of binocular vision in these children. |
Young-Suk Grace Kim; Yaacov Petscher; Christian Vorstius Unpacking eye movements during oral and silent reading and their relations to reading proficiency in beginning readers Journal Article Contemporary Educational Psychology, 58 , pp. 102–120, 2019. @article{Kim2019i, title = {Unpacking eye movements during oral and silent reading and their relations to reading proficiency in beginning readers}, author = {Young-Suk Grace Kim and Yaacov Petscher and Christian Vorstius}, doi = {10.1016/j.cedpsych.2019.03.002}, year = {2019}, date = {2019-01-01}, journal = {Contemporary Educational Psychology}, volume = {58}, pages = {102--120}, abstract = {Our understanding about the developmental similarities and differences between oral and silent reading and their relations to reading proficiency (word reading and reading comprehension) in beginning readers is limited. To fill this gap, we investigated 368 first graders' oral and silent reading using eye-tracking technology at the beginning and end of the school year. Oral reading took a longer time (greater rereading times and refixations) than silent reading, but showed greater development (greater reduction in rereading times and fixations) from the beginning to the end of the year. The relation of eye-movement behaviors to reading proficiency was such that, for example, less rereading time was positively related to reading proficiency, and the relation was stronger in oral reading than in silent reading. Moreover, the nature of relations between eye movements and reading skill varied as a function of the child's reading proficiency such that the relations were weaker for poor readers, particularly at the beginning of the year. The relations between eye movements and reading proficiency stabilized in the spring for children whose reading skill was 0.30 quantile and above, but weaker relations remained for readers below 0.30 quantile. These findings suggest the importance of examining eye-movement behaviors in both oral and silent reading modes and their developmental relations to reading proficiency.}, keywords = {}, pubstate = {published}, tppubtype = {article} } Our understanding about the developmental similarities and differences between oral and silent reading and their relations to reading proficiency (word reading and reading comprehension) in beginning readers is limited. To fill this gap, we investigated 368 first graders' oral and silent reading using eye-tracking technology at the beginning and end of the school year. Oral reading took a longer time (greater rereading times and refixations) than silent reading, but showed greater development (greater reduction in rereading times and fixations) from the beginning to the end of the year. The relation of eye-movement behaviors to reading proficiency was such that, for example, less rereading time was positively related to reading proficiency, and the relation was stronger in oral reading than in silent reading. Moreover, the nature of relations between eye movements and reading skill varied as a function of the child's reading proficiency such that the relations were weaker for poor readers, particularly at the beginning of the year. The relations between eye movements and reading proficiency stabilized in the spring for children whose reading skill was 0.30 quantile and above, but weaker relations remained for readers below 0.30 quantile. These findings suggest the importance of examining eye-movement behaviors in both oral and silent reading modes and their developmental relations to reading proficiency. |
Amelia K Lewis; Melanie A Porter; Tracey A Williams; Samantha Bzishvili; Kathryn N North; Jonathan M Payne Attention to faces in social context in children with neurofibromatosis type 1 Journal Article Developmental Medicine and Child Neurology, 61 (2), pp. 174–180, 2019. @article{Lewis2019, title = {Attention to faces in social context in children with neurofibromatosis type 1}, author = {Amelia K Lewis and Melanie A Porter and Tracey A Williams and Samantha Bzishvili and Kathryn N North and Jonathan M Payne}, doi = {10.1111/dmcn.13928}, year = {2019}, date = {2019-01-01}, journal = {Developmental Medicine and Child Neurology}, volume = {61}, number = {2}, pages = {174--180}, abstract = {Aim: To examine visual attention to faces within social scenes in children with neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1) and typically developing peers. Method: Using eye-tracking technology we investigated the time taken to fixate on a face and the percentage of time spent attending to faces relative to the rest of the screen within social scenes in 24 children with NF1 (17 females, seven males; mean age 10y 4mo [SD 1y 9mo]). Results were compared with those of 24 age-matched typically developing controls (11 females, 13 males; mean age 10y 3mo [SD 2y]). Results: There was no significant between-group differences in time taken to initially fixate on a face (p=0.617); however, children with NF1 spent less time attending to faces within scenes than controls (p=0.048). Decreased attention to faces was associated with elevated autism traits in children with NF1. Interpretation: Children with NF1 spend less time attending to faces than typically developing children when presented in social scenes. Our findings contribute to a growing body of literature suggesting that abnormal face processing is a key aspect of the social-cognitive phenotype of NF1 and appears to be related to autism spectrum disorder traits. Clinicians should consider the impact of reduced attention to faces when designing and implementing treatment programmes for social dysfunction in this population.}, keywords = {}, pubstate = {published}, tppubtype = {article} } Aim: To examine visual attention to faces within social scenes in children with neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1) and typically developing peers. Method: Using eye-tracking technology we investigated the time taken to fixate on a face and the percentage of time spent attending to faces relative to the rest of the screen within social scenes in 24 children with NF1 (17 females, seven males; mean age 10y 4mo [SD 1y 9mo]). Results were compared with those of 24 age-matched typically developing controls (11 females, 13 males; mean age 10y 3mo [SD 2y]). Results: There was no significant between-group differences in time taken to initially fixate on a face (p=0.617); however, children with NF1 spent less time attending to faces within scenes than controls (p=0.048). Decreased attention to faces was associated with elevated autism traits in children with NF1. Interpretation: Children with NF1 spend less time attending to faces than typically developing children when presented in social scenes. Our findings contribute to a growing body of literature suggesting that abnormal face processing is a key aspect of the social-cognitive phenotype of NF1 and appears to be related to autism spectrum disorder traits. Clinicians should consider the impact of reduced attention to faces when designing and implementing treatment programmes for social dysfunction in this population. |
Sha Li; Laurien Oliver-Mighten; Lin Li; Sarah J White; Kevin B Paterson; Jingxin Wang; Kayleigh L Warrington; Victoria A McGowan Adult age differences in effects of text spacing on eye movements during reading Journal Article Frontiers in Psychology, 9 , pp. 1–12, 2019. @article{Li2019j, title = {Adult age differences in effects of text spacing on eye movements during reading}, author = {Sha Li and Laurien Oliver-Mighten and Lin Li and Sarah J White and Kevin B Paterson and Jingxin Wang and Kayleigh L Warrington and Victoria A McGowan}, doi = {10.3389/fpsyg.2018.02700}, year = {2019}, date = {2019-01-01}, journal = {Frontiers in Psychology}, volume = {9}, pages = {1--12}, abstract = {Large-scale changes in text spacing, such as removing the spaces between words, disrupt reading more for older (65+ years) than younger (18–30 years) adults. However, it is unknown whether older readers show greater sensitivity to simultaneous subtle changes in inter-letter and inter-word spacing encountered in everyday reading. To investigate this, we recorded young and older adults' eye movements while reading sentences in which inter-letter and inter-word spacing was normal, condensed (10 and 20% smaller than normal), or expanded (10 or 20% larger than normal). Each sentence included either a high or low frequency target word, matched for length and contextual predictability. Condensing but not expanding text spacing disrupted reading more for the older adults. Moreover, word frequency effects (the reading time cost for low compared to high frequency words) were larger for the older adults, consistent with aging effects on lexical processing in previous research. However, this age difference in the word frequency effect did not vary across spacing conditions, suggesting spacing did not further disrupt older readers' lexical processing. We conclude that visual rather than lexical processing is disrupted more for older readers when text spacing is condensed and discuss this finding in relation to common age-related visual deficits.}, keywords = {}, pubstate = {published}, tppubtype = {article} } Large-scale changes in text spacing, such as removing the spaces between words, disrupt reading more for older (65+ years) than younger (18–30 years) adults. However, it is unknown whether older readers show greater sensitivity to simultaneous subtle changes in inter-letter and inter-word spacing encountered in everyday reading. To investigate this, we recorded young and older adults' eye movements while reading sentences in which inter-letter and inter-word spacing was normal, condensed (10 and 20% smaller than normal), or expanded (10 or 20% larger than normal). Each sentence included either a high or low frequency target word, matched for length and contextual predictability. Condensing but not expanding text spacing disrupted reading more for the older adults. Moreover, word frequency effects (the reading time cost for low compared to high frequency words) were larger for the older adults, consistent with aging effects on lexical processing in previous research. However, this age difference in the word frequency effect did not vary across spacing conditions, suggesting spacing did not further disrupt older readers' lexical processing. We conclude that visual rather than lexical processing is disrupted more for older readers when text spacing is condensed and discuss this finding in relation to common age-related visual deficits. |
Otto Loberg; Jarkko Hautala; Jarmo A Hämäläinen; Paavo H T Leppänen Influence of reading skill and word length on fixation-related brain activity in school-aged children during natural reading Journal Article Vision Research, 165 , pp. 109–122, 2019. @article{Loberg2019, title = {Influence of reading skill and word length on fixation-related brain activity in school-aged children during natural reading}, author = {Otto Loberg and Jarkko Hautala and Jarmo A Hämäläinen and Paavo H T Leppänen}, doi = {10.1016/j.visres.2019.07.008}, year = {2019}, date = {2019-01-01}, journal = {Vision Research}, volume = {165}, pages = {109--122}, publisher = {Elsevier}, abstract = {Word length is one of the main determinants of eye movements during reading and has been shown to influence slow readers more strongly than typical readers. The influence of word length on reading in individuals with different reading skill levels has been shown in separate eye-tracking and electroencephalography studies. However, the influence of reading difficulty on cortical correlates of word length effect during natural reading is unknown. To investigate how reading skill is related to brain activity during natural reading, we performed an exploratory analysis on our data set from a previous study, where slow reading (N = 27) and typically reading (N = 65) 12-to-13.5-year-old children read sentences while co-registered ET-EEG was recorded. We extracted fixation-related potentials (FRPs) from the sentences using the linear deconvolution approach. We examined standard eye-movement variables and deconvoluted FRP estimates: intercept of the response, categorical effect of first fixation versus additional fixation and continuous effect of word length. We replicated the pattern of stronger word length effect in eye movements for slow readers. We found a difference between typical readers and slow readers in the FRP intercept, which contains activity that is common to all fixations, within a fixation time-window of 50–300 ms. For both groups, the word length effect was present in brain activity during additional fixations; however, this effect was not different between groups. This suggests that stronger word length effect in the eye movements of slow readers might be mainly due re-fixations, which are more probable due to the lower efficiency of visual processing.}, keywords = {}, pubstate = {published}, tppubtype = {article} } Word length is one of the main determinants of eye movements during reading and has been shown to influence slow readers more strongly than typical readers. The influence of word length on reading in individuals with different reading skill levels has been shown in separate eye-tracking and electroencephalography studies. However, the influence of reading difficulty on cortical correlates of word length effect during natural reading is unknown. To investigate how reading skill is related to brain activity during natural reading, we performed an exploratory analysis on our data set from a previous study, where slow reading (N = 27) and typically reading (N = 65) 12-to-13.5-year-old children read sentences while co-registered ET-EEG was recorded. We extracted fixation-related potentials (FRPs) from the sentences using the linear deconvolution approach. We examined standard eye-movement variables and deconvoluted FRP estimates: intercept of the response, categorical effect of first fixation versus additional fixation and continuous effect of word length. We replicated the pattern of stronger word length effect in eye movements for slow readers. We found a difference between typical readers and slow readers in the FRP intercept, which contains activity that is common to all fixations, within a fixation time-window of 50–300 ms. For both groups, the word length effect was present in brain activity during additional fixations; however, this effect was not different between groups. This suggests that stronger word length effect in the eye movements of slow readers might be mainly due re-fixations, which are more probable due to the lower efficiency of visual processing. |
Jana Lüdtke; Eva Fröhlich; Arthur M Jacobs; Florian Hutzler The SLS-Berlin: Validation of a German computer-based screening test to measure reading proficiency in early and late adulthood Journal Article Frontiers in Psychology, 10 , pp. 1–23, 2019. @article{Luedtke2019, title = {The SLS-Berlin: Validation of a German computer-based screening test to measure reading proficiency in early and late adulthood}, author = {Jana Lüdtke and Eva Fröhlich and Arthur M Jacobs and Florian Hutzler}, doi = {10.3389/fpsyg.2019.01682}, year = {2019}, date = {2019-01-01}, journal = {Frontiers in Psychology}, volume = {10}, pages = {1--23}, abstract = {Reading proficiency, i.e., successfully integrating early word-based information and utilizing this information in later processes of sentence and text comprehension, and its assessment is subject to extensive research. However, screening tests for German adults across the life span are basically non-existent. Therefore, the present article introduces a standardized computerized sentence-based screening measure for German adult readers to assess reading proficiency including norm data from 2,148 participants covering an age range from 16-88 years. The test was developed in accordance with the children's version of the Salzburger LeseScreening (SLS, Wimmer & Mayringer, 2014). The SLS-Berlin has a high reliability and can easily be implemented in any research setting using German language. We present a detailed description of the test and report the distribution of SLS-Berlin scores for the norm sample as well as for two subsamples of younger (below 60 years) and older adults (60 and older). For all three samples, we conducted regression analyses to investigate the relationship between sentence characteristics and SLS-Berlin scores. In a second validation study, SLS-Berlin scores were compared with two (pseudo)word reading tests, a test measuring attention and processing speed and eye-movements recorded during expository text reading. Our results confirm the SLS-Berlin's sensitivity to capture early word decoding and later text related comprehension processes. The test distinguished very well between skilled and less skilled readers and also within less skilled readers and is therefore a powerful and efficient screening test for German adults to assess interindividual levels of reading proficiency.}, keywords = {}, pubstate = {published}, tppubtype = {article} } Reading proficiency, i.e., successfully integrating early word-based information and utilizing this information in later processes of sentence and text comprehension, and its assessment is subject to extensive research. However, screening tests for German adults across the life span are basically non-existent. Therefore, the present article introduces a standardized computerized sentence-based screening measure for German adult readers to assess reading proficiency including norm data from 2,148 participants covering an age range from 16-88 years. The test was developed in accordance with the children's version of the Salzburger LeseScreening (SLS, Wimmer & Mayringer, 2014). The SLS-Berlin has a high reliability and can easily be implemented in any research setting using German language. We present a detailed description of the test and report the distribution of SLS-Berlin scores for the norm sample as well as for two subsamples of younger (below 60 years) and older adults (60 and older). For all three samples, we conducted regression analyses to investigate the relationship between sentence characteristics and SLS-Berlin scores. In a second validation study, SLS-Berlin scores were compared with two (pseudo)word reading tests, a test measuring attention and processing speed and eye-movements recorded during expository text reading. Our results confirm the SLS-Berlin's sensitivity to capture early word decoding and later text related comprehension processes. The test distinguished very well between skilled and less skilled readers and also within less skilled readers and is therefore a powerful and efficient screening test for German adults to assess interindividual levels of reading proficiency. |
Paola Mengotti; Anna B Kuhns; Gereon R Fink; Simone Vossel Age-related changes in Bayesian belief updating during attentional deployment and motor intention Journal Article Psychological Research, pp. 1–13, 2019. @article{Mengotti2019, title = {Age-related changes in Bayesian belief updating during attentional deployment and motor intention}, author = {Paola Mengotti and Anna B Kuhns and Gereon R Fink and Simone Vossel}, doi = {10.1007/s00426-019-01154-w}, year = {2019}, date = {2019-01-01}, journal = {Psychological Research}, pages = {1--13}, publisher = {Springer Berlin Heidelberg}, abstract = {Predicting upcoming events using past observations is a crucial component of an efficient allocation of attentional resources. Therefore, the deployment of attention is sensitive to different types of cues predicting upcoming events. Here we investigated probabilistic inference abilities in spatial and feature-based attentional, as well as in motor-intentional subsystems, focusing specifically on the age-related changes in these abilities. In two behavioral experiments, younger and older adults (20 younger and 20 older adults for each experiment) performed three versions of a cueing paradigm, where spatial, feature, or motor cues predicted the location, color, or motor response of a target stimulus. The percentage of cue validity (i.e., the probability of the cue being valid) changed over time, thereby creating a volatile environment. A Bayesian hierarchical model was used to estimate trial-wise beliefs concerning the cue validity from reaction times and to derive a subject-specific belief updating parameter $ømega$ in each task version. We also manipulated task difficulty: participants performed an easier version of the task in Experiment 1 and a more difficult version in Experiment 2. Results from Experiment 1 suggested a preserved ability of older adults to use the three different cues to generate predictions. However, the increased task demands of Experiment 2 uncovered a difference in belief updating between the two age groups, indicating moderate evidence for a reduction of the ability to update predictions with motor intention cues in older adults. These results point at a distinction of attentional and motor-intentional subsystems, with age-related differences tackling especially the motor-intentional subsystem.}, keywords = {}, pubstate = {published}, tppubtype = {article} } Predicting upcoming events using past observations is a crucial component of an efficient allocation of attentional resources. Therefore, the deployment of attention is sensitive to different types of cues predicting upcoming events. Here we investigated probabilistic inference abilities in spatial and feature-based attentional, as well as in motor-intentional subsystems, focusing specifically on the age-related changes in these abilities. In two behavioral experiments, younger and older adults (20 younger and 20 older adults for each experiment) performed three versions of a cueing paradigm, where spatial, feature, or motor cues predicted the location, color, or motor response of a target stimulus. The percentage of cue validity (i.e., the probability of the cue being valid) changed over time, thereby creating a volatile environment. A Bayesian hierarchical model was used to estimate trial-wise beliefs concerning the cue validity from reaction times and to derive a subject-specific belief updating parameter $ømega$ in each task version. We also manipulated task difficulty: participants performed an easier version of the task in Experiment 1 and a more difficult version in Experiment 2. Results from Experiment 1 suggested a preserved ability of older adults to use the three different cues to generate predictions. However, the increased task demands of Experiment 2 uncovered a difference in belief updating between the two age groups, indicating moderate evidence for a reduction of the ability to update predictions with motor intention cues in older adults. These results point at a distinction of attentional and motor-intentional subsystems, with age-related differences tackling especially the motor-intentional subsystem. |
Iska Moxon-Emre; Norman A S Farb; Adeoye A Oyefiade; Eric Bouffet; Suzanne Laughlin; Jovanka Skocic; Cynthia B de Medeiros; Donald J Mabbott Facial emotion recognition in children treated for posterior fossa tumours and typically developing children: A divergence of predictors Journal Article NeuroImage: Clinical, 23 , pp. 1–19, 2019. @article{Moxon-Emre2019, title = {Facial emotion recognition in children treated for posterior fossa tumours and typically developing children: A divergence of predictors}, author = {Iska Moxon-Emre and Norman A S Farb and Adeoye A Oyefiade and Eric Bouffet and Suzanne Laughlin and Jovanka Skocic and Cynthia B de Medeiros and Donald J Mabbott}, doi = {10.1016/J.NICL.2019.101886}, year = {2019}, date = {2019-01-01}, journal = {NeuroImage: Clinical}, volume = {23}, pages = {1--19}, publisher = {Elsevier}, abstract = {Facial emotion recognition (FER) deficits are evident and pervasive across neurodevelopmental, psychiatric, and acquired brain disorders in children, including children treated for brain tumours. Such deficits are thought to perpetuate challenges with social relationships and decrease quality of life. The present study combined eye-tracking, neuroimaging and cognitive assessments to evaluate if visual attention, brain structure, and general cognitive function contribute to FER in children treated for posterior fossa (PF) tumours (patients: n = 36) and typically developing children (controls: n = 18). To assess FER, all participants completed the Diagnostic Analysis of Nonverbal Accuracy (DANVA2), a computerized task that measures FER using photographs, while their eye-movements were recorded. Patients made more FER errors than controls (p textless .01). Although we detected subtle deficits in visual attention and general cognitive function in patients, we found no associations with FER. Compared to controls, patients had evidence of white matter (WM) damage, (i.e., lower fractional anisotropy [FA] and higher radial diffusivity [RD]), in multiple regions throughout the brain (all p textless .05), but not in specific WM tracts associated with FER. Despite the distributed WM differences between groups, WM predicted FER in controls only. In patients, factors associated with their disease and treatment predicted FER. Our study provides insight into predictors of FER that may be unique to children treated for PF tumours, and highlights a divergence in associations between brain structure and behavioural outcomes in clinical and typically developing populations; a concept that may be broadly applicable to other neurodevelopmental and clinical populations that experience FER deficits.}, keywords = {}, pubstate = {published}, tppubtype = {article} } Facial emotion recognition (FER) deficits are evident and pervasive across neurodevelopmental, psychiatric, and acquired brain disorders in children, including children treated for brain tumours. Such deficits are thought to perpetuate challenges with social relationships and decrease quality of life. The present study combined eye-tracking, neuroimaging and cognitive assessments to evaluate if visual attention, brain structure, and general cognitive function contribute to FER in children treated for posterior fossa (PF) tumours (patients: n = 36) and typically developing children (controls: n = 18). To assess FER, all participants completed the Diagnostic Analysis of Nonverbal Accuracy (DANVA2), a computerized task that measures FER using photographs, while their eye-movements were recorded. Patients made more FER errors than controls (p textless .01). Although we detected subtle deficits in visual attention and general cognitive function in patients, we found no associations with FER. Compared to controls, patients had evidence of white matter (WM) damage, (i.e., lower fractional anisotropy [FA] and higher radial diffusivity [RD]), in multiple regions throughout the brain (all p textless .05), but not in specific WM tracts associated with FER. Despite the distributed WM differences between groups, WM predicted FER in controls only. In patients, factors associated with their disease and treatment predicted FER. Our study provides insight into predictors of FER that may be unique to children treated for PF tumours, and highlights a divergence in associations between brain structure and behavioural outcomes in clinical and typically developing populations; a concept that may be broadly applicable to other neurodevelopmental and clinical populations that experience FER deficits. |
Marissa Ogren; Brianna Kaplan; Yujia Peng; Kerri L Johnson; Scott P Johnson Motion or emotion: Infants discriminate emotional biological motion based on low-level visual information Journal Article Infant Behavior and Development, 57 , pp. 1–11, 2019. @article{Ogren2019, title = {Motion or emotion: Infants discriminate emotional biological motion based on low-level visual information}, author = {Marissa Ogren and Brianna Kaplan and Yujia Peng and Kerri L Johnson and Scott P Johnson}, doi = {10.1016/j.infbeh.2019.04.006}, year = {2019}, date = {2019-01-01}, journal = {Infant Behavior and Development}, volume = {57}, pages = {1--11}, publisher = {Elsevier}, abstract = {Infants' ability to discriminate emotional facial expressions and tones of voice is well-established, yet little is known about infant discrimination of emotional body movements. Here, we asked if 10–20-month-old infants rely on high-level emotional cues or low-level motion related cues when discriminating between emotional point-light displays (PLDs). In Study 1, infants viewed 18 pairs of angry, happy, sad, or neutral PLDs. Infants looked more at angry vs. neutral, happy vs. neutral, and neutral vs. sad. Motion analyses revealed that infants preferred the PLD with more total body movement in each pairing. Study 2, in which infants viewed inverted versions of the same pairings, yielded similar findings except for sad-neutral. Study 3 directly paired all three emotional stimuli in both orientations. The angry and happy stimuli did not significantly differ in terms of total motion, but both had more motion than the sad stimuli. Infants looked more at angry vs. sad, more at happy vs. sad, and about equally to angry vs. happy in both orientations. Again, therefore, infants preferred PLDs with more total body movement. Overall, the results indicate that a low-level motion preference may drive infants' discrimination of emotional human walking motions.}, keywords = {}, pubstate = {published}, tppubtype = {article} } Infants' ability to discriminate emotional facial expressions and tones of voice is well-established, yet little is known about infant discrimination of emotional body movements. Here, we asked if 10–20-month-old infants rely on high-level emotional cues or low-level motion related cues when discriminating between emotional point-light displays (PLDs). In Study 1, infants viewed 18 pairs of angry, happy, sad, or neutral PLDs. Infants looked more at angry vs. neutral, happy vs. neutral, and neutral vs. sad. Motion analyses revealed that infants preferred the PLD with more total body movement in each pairing. Study 2, in which infants viewed inverted versions of the same pairings, yielded similar findings except for sad-neutral. Study 3 directly paired all three emotional stimuli in both orientations. The angry and happy stimuli did not significantly differ in terms of total motion, but both had more motion than the sad stimuli. Infants looked more at angry vs. sad, more at happy vs. sad, and about equally to angry vs. happy in both orientations. Again, therefore, infants preferred PLDs with more total body movement. Overall, the results indicate that a low-level motion preference may drive infants' discrimination of emotional human walking motions. |
Jonathan F O'rawe; Anna S Huang; Daniel N Klein; Hoi-Chung Leung Neuropsychologia, 127 , pp. 158–170, 2019. @article{Orawe2019, title = {Posterior parietal influences on visual network specialization during development: An fMRI study of functional connectivity in children ages 9 to 12}, author = {Jonathan F O'rawe and Anna S Huang and Daniel N Klein and Hoi-Chung Leung}, doi = {10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2019.03.001}, year = {2019}, date = {2019-01-01}, journal = {Neuropsychologia}, volume = {127}, pages = {158--170}, abstract = {Visual processing in the primate brain is highly organized along the ventral visual pathway, although it is still unclear how categorical selectivity emerges in this system. While many theories have attempted to explain the pattern of visual specialization within the ventral occipital and temporal areas, the biased connectivity hypothesis provides a framework which postulates extrinsic connectivity as a potential mechanism in shaping the development of category selectivity. As the posterior parietal cortex plays a central role in visual attention, we examined whether the pattern of parietal connectivity with the face and scene processing regions is closely linked with the functional properties of these two visually selective networks in a cohort of 60 children ages 9 to 12. Functionally localized face and scene selective regions were used in deriving each visual network's resting-state functional connectivity. The children's face and scene processing networks appeared to show a weak network segregation during resting state, which was confirmed when compared to that of a group of gender and handedness matched adults. Parietal regions of these children showed differential connectivity with the face and scene networks, and the extent of this differential parietal-visual connectivity predicted individual differences in the degree of segregation between the two visual networks, which in turn predicted individual differences in visual perception performance. Finally, the pattern of parietal connectivity with the face processing network also predicted the foci of face-related activation in the right fusiform gyrus across children. These findings provide evidence that extrinsic connectivity with regions such as the posterior parietal cortex may have important implications in the development of specialized visual processing networks.}, keywords = {}, pubstate = {published}, tppubtype = {article} } Visual processing in the primate brain is highly organized along the ventral visual pathway, although it is still unclear how categorical selectivity emerges in this system. While many theories have attempted to explain the pattern of visual specialization within the ventral occipital and temporal areas, the biased connectivity hypothesis provides a framework which postulates extrinsic connectivity as a potential mechanism in shaping the development of category selectivity. As the posterior parietal cortex plays a central role in visual attention, we examined whether the pattern of parietal connectivity with the face and scene processing regions is closely linked with the functional properties of these two visually selective networks in a cohort of 60 children ages 9 to 12. Functionally localized face and scene selective regions were used in deriving each visual network's resting-state functional connectivity. The children's face and scene processing networks appeared to show a weak network segregation during resting state, which was confirmed when compared to that of a group of gender and handedness matched adults. Parietal regions of these children showed differential connectivity with the face and scene networks, and the extent of this differential parietal-visual connectivity predicted individual differences in the degree of segregation between the two visual networks, which in turn predicted individual differences in visual perception performance. Finally, the pattern of parietal connectivity with the face processing network also predicted the foci of face-related activation in the right fusiform gyrus across children. These findings provide evidence that extrinsic connectivity with regions such as the posterior parietal cortex may have important implications in the development of specialized visual processing networks. |
Ascensión Pagán; Megan Bird; Yaling Hsiao; Kate Nation Both semantic diversity and frequency influence children's sentence reading Journal Article Scientific Studies of Reading, pp. 1–9, 2019. @article{Pagan2019, title = {Both semantic diversity and frequency influence children's sentence reading}, author = {Ascensión Pagán and Megan Bird and Yaling Hsiao and Kate Nation}, doi = {10.1080/10888438.2019.1670664}, year = {2019}, date = {2019-01-01}, journal = {Scientific Studies of Reading}, pages = {1--9}, publisher = {Routledge}, abstract = {Semantic diversity–a metric that captures variations in previous contextual experience with a word–influences children's lexical decision and reading aloud. We investigated the effects of semantic diversity and frequency on children's reading of words embedded in sentences, while eye movements were recorded. If semantic diversity and frequency reflect different aspects of experience that influence reading in different ways, they should show independent effects and perhaps even different processing signatures during reading. Forty-nine 9-year-olds read sentences containing high/low frequency and high/low diversity words, manipulated orthogonally. We observed main effects of both variables, with high frequency and high semantic diversity words being read more easily. These results show that variations in the amount and nature of contextual experience influence how easily words are processed during reading.}, keywords = {}, pubstate = {published}, tppubtype = {article} } Semantic diversity–a metric that captures variations in previous contextual experience with a word–influences children's lexical decision and reading aloud. We investigated the effects of semantic diversity and frequency on children's reading of words embedded in sentences, while eye movements were recorded. If semantic diversity and frequency reflect different aspects of experience that influence reading in different ways, they should show independent effects and perhaps even different processing signatures during reading. Forty-nine 9-year-olds read sentences containing high/low frequency and high/low diversity words, manipulated orthogonally. We observed main effects of both variables, with high frequency and high semantic diversity words being read more easily. These results show that variations in the amount and nature of contextual experience influence how easily words are processed during reading. |
Adam J Parker; Timothy J Slattery; Julie A Kirkby Return-sweep saccades during reading in adults and children Journal Article Vision Research, 155 , pp. 35–43, 2019. @article{Parker2019b, title = {Return-sweep saccades during reading in adults and children}, author = {Adam J Parker and Timothy J Slattery and Julie A Kirkby}, doi = {10.1016/j.visres.2018.12.007}, year = {2019}, date = {2019-01-01}, journal = {Vision Research}, volume = {155}, pages = {35--43}, publisher = {Elsevier}, abstract = {During reading, eye movement patterns differ between children and adults. Children make more fixations that are longer in duration and make shorter saccades. Return-sweeps are saccadic eye movements that move a reader's fixation to a new line of text. Return-sweeps move fixation further than intra-line saccades and often undershoot their target. This necessitates a corrective saccade to bring fixation closer to the start of the line. There have been few empirical investigations of return-sweep saccades in adults, and even fewer in children. In the present study, we examined return-sweeps of 47 adults and 48 children who read identical multiline texts. We found that children launch their return-sweeps closer to the end of the line and target a position closer to the left margin. Therefore, children fixate more extreme positions on the screen when reading for comprehension. Furthermore, children required a corrective saccade following a return-sweep more often than adults. Analysis of the duration of the fixation preceding the corrective saccade indicated that children are as efficient as adults at responding to retinal feedback following a saccade. Rather than consider differences in adult's and children's return-sweep behaviour an artefact of oculomotor control, we believe that these differences represent adult's ability to utilise parafoveal processing to encode text at extreme positions.}, keywords = {}, pubstate = {published}, tppubtype = {article} } During reading, eye movement patterns differ between children and adults. Children make more fixations that are longer in duration and make shorter saccades. Return-sweeps are saccadic eye movements that move a reader's fixation to a new line of text. Return-sweeps move fixation further than intra-line saccades and often undershoot their target. This necessitates a corrective saccade to bring fixation closer to the start of the line. There have been few empirical investigations of return-sweep saccades in adults, and even fewer in children. In the present study, we examined return-sweeps of 47 adults and 48 children who read identical multiline texts. We found that children launch their return-sweeps closer to the end of the line and target a position closer to the left margin. Therefore, children fixate more extreme positions on the screen when reading for comprehension. Furthermore, children required a corrective saccade following a return-sweep more often than adults. Analysis of the duration of the fixation preceding the corrective saccade indicated that children are as efficient as adults at responding to retinal feedback following a saccade. Rather than consider differences in adult's and children's return-sweep behaviour an artefact of oculomotor control, we believe that these differences represent adult's ability to utilise parafoveal processing to encode text at extreme positions. |
Jovana Pejovic; Eiling Yee; Monika Molnar Speaker matters: Natural inter-speaker variation affects 4-month-olds' perception of audio-visual speech Journal Article First Language, pp. 1–15, 2019. @article{Pejovic2019, title = {Speaker matters: Natural inter-speaker variation affects 4-month-olds' perception of audio-visual speech}, author = {Jovana Pejovic and Eiling Yee and Monika Molnar}, doi = {10.1177/0142723719876382}, year = {2019}, date = {2019-01-01}, journal = {First Language}, pages = {1--15}, abstract = {In the language development literature, studies often make inferences about infants' speech perception abilities based on their responses to a single speaker. However, there can be significant natural variability across speakers in how speech is produced (i.e., inter-speaker differences). The current study examined whether inter-speaker differences can affect infants' ability to detect a mismatch between the auditory and visual components of vowels. Using an eye-tracker, 4.5-month-old infants were tested on auditory-visual (AV) matching for two vowels (/i/ and /u/). Critically, infants were tested with two speakers who naturally differed in how distinctively they articulated the two vowels within and across the categories. Only infants who watched and listened to the speaker whose visual articulations of the two vowels were most distinct from one another were sensitive to AV mismatch. This speaker also produced a visually more distinct /i/ as compared to the other speaker. This finding suggests that infants are sensitive to the distinctiveness of AV information across speakers, and that when making inferences about infants' perceptual abilities, characteristics of the speaker should be taken into account.}, keywords = {}, pubstate = {published}, tppubtype = {article} } In the language development literature, studies often make inferences about infants' speech perception abilities based on their responses to a single speaker. However, there can be significant natural variability across speakers in how speech is produced (i.e., inter-speaker differences). The current study examined whether inter-speaker differences can affect infants' ability to detect a mismatch between the auditory and visual components of vowels. Using an eye-tracker, 4.5-month-old infants were tested on auditory-visual (AV) matching for two vowels (/i/ and /u/). Critically, infants were tested with two speakers who naturally differed in how distinctively they articulated the two vowels within and across the categories. Only infants who watched and listened to the speaker whose visual articulations of the two vowels were most distinct from one another were sensitive to AV mismatch. This speaker also produced a visually more distinct /i/ as compared to the other speaker. This finding suggests that infants are sensitive to the distinctiveness of AV information across speakers, and that when making inferences about infants' perceptual abilities, characteristics of the speaker should be taken into account. |
Michelle S Peter; Samantha Durrant; Andrew Jessop; Amy Bidgood; Julian M Pine; Caroline F Rowland Does speed of processing or vocabulary size predict later language growth in toddlers? Journal Article Cognitive Psychology, 115 , pp. 1–25, 2019. @article{Peter2019a, title = {Does speed of processing or vocabulary size predict later language growth in toddlers?}, author = {Michelle S Peter and Samantha Durrant and Andrew Jessop and Amy Bidgood and Julian M Pine and Caroline F Rowland}, doi = {10.1016/j.cogpsych.2019.101238}, year = {2019}, date = {2019-01-01}, journal = {Cognitive Psychology}, volume = {115}, pages = {1--25}, publisher = {Elsevier}, abstract = {It is becoming increasingly clear that the way that children acquire cognitive representations depends critically on how their processing system is developing. In particular, recent studies suggest that individual differences in language processing speed play an important role in explaining the speed with which children acquire language. Inconsistencies across studies, however, mean that it is not clear whether this relationship is causal or correlational, whether it is present right across development, or whether it extends beyond word learning to affect other aspects of language learning, like syntax acquisition. To address these issues, the current study used the looking-while-listening paradigm devised by Fernald, Swingley, and Pinto (2001) to test the speed with which a large longitudinal cohort of children (the Language 0–5 Project) processed language at 19, 25, and 31 months of age, and took multiple measures of vocabulary (UK-CDI, Lincoln CDI, CDI-III) and syntax (Lincoln CDI) between 8 and 37 months of age. Processing speed correlated with vocabulary size - though this relationship changed over time, and was observed only when there was variation in how well the items used in the looking-while-listening task were known. Fast processing speed was a positive predictor of subsequent vocabulary growth, but only for children with smaller vocabularies. Faster processing speed did, however, predict faster syntactic growth across the whole sample, even when controlling for concurrent vocabulary. The results indicate a relatively direct relationship between processing speed and syntactic development, but point to a more complex interaction between processing speed, vocabulary size and subsequent vocabulary growth.}, keywords = {}, pubstate = {published}, tppubtype = {article} } It is becoming increasingly clear that the way that children acquire cognitive representations depends critically on how their processing system is developing. In particular, recent studies suggest that individual differences in language processing speed play an important role in explaining the speed with which children acquire language. Inconsistencies across studies, however, mean that it is not clear whether this relationship is causal or correlational, whether it is present right across development, or whether it extends beyond word learning to affect other aspects of language learning, like syntax acquisition. To address these issues, the current study used the looking-while-listening paradigm devised by Fernald, Swingley, and Pinto (2001) to test the speed with which a large longitudinal cohort of children (the Language 0–5 Project) processed language at 19, 25, and 31 months of age, and took multiple measures of vocabulary (UK-CDI, Lincoln CDI, CDI-III) and syntax (Lincoln CDI) between 8 and 37 months of age. Processing speed correlated with vocabulary size - though this relationship changed over time, and was observed only when there was variation in how well the items used in the looking-while-listening task were known. Fast processing speed was a positive predictor of subsequent vocabulary growth, but only for children with smaller vocabularies. Faster processing speed did, however, predict faster syntactic growth across the whole sample, even when controlling for concurrent vocabulary. The results indicate a relatively direct relationship between processing speed and syntactic development, but point to a more complex interaction between processing speed, vocabulary size and subsequent vocabulary growth. |
Eva Rafetseder; Sarah Schuster; Stefan Hawelka; Martin Doherty; Britt Anderson; James Danckert; Elisabeth Stöttinger Children struggle beyond preschool-age in a continuous version of the ambiguous figures task Journal Article Psychological Research, pp. 1–14, 2019. @article{Rafetseder2019, title = {Children struggle beyond preschool-age in a continuous version of the ambiguous figures task}, author = {Eva Rafetseder and Sarah Schuster and Stefan Hawelka and Martin Doherty and Britt Anderson and James Danckert and Elisabeth Stöttinger}, doi = {10.1007/s00426-019-01278-z}, year = {2019}, date = {2019-01-01}, journal = {Psychological Research}, pages = {1--14}, publisher = {Springer Berlin Heidelberg}, abstract = {Children until the age of five are only able to reverse an ambiguous figure when they are informed about the second interpretation. In two experiments, we examined whether children's difficulties would extend to a continuous version of the ambiguous figures task. Children (Experiment 1: 66 3- to 5-year olds; Experiment 2: 54 4- to 9-year olds) and adult controls saw line drawings of animals gradually morph—through well-known ambiguous figures—into other animals. Results show a relatively late developing ability to recognize the target animal, with difficulties extending beyond preschool-age. This delay can neither be explained with improvements in theory of mind, inhibitory control, nor individual differences in eye movements. Even the best achieving children only started to approach adult level performance at the age of 9, suggesting a fundamentally different processing style in children and adults.}, keywords = {}, pubstate = {published}, tppubtype = {article} } Children until the age of five are only able to reverse an ambiguous figure when they are informed about the second interpretation. In two experiments, we examined whether children's difficulties would extend to a continuous version of the ambiguous figures task. Children (Experiment 1: 66 3- to 5-year olds; Experiment 2: 54 4- to 9-year olds) and adult controls saw line drawings of animals gradually morph—through well-known ambiguous figures—into other animals. Results show a relatively late developing ability to recognize the target animal, with difficulties extending beyond preschool-age. This delay can neither be explained with improvements in theory of mind, inhibitory control, nor individual differences in eye movements. Even the best achieving children only started to approach adult level performance at the age of 9, suggesting a fundamentally different processing style in children and adults. |
Anirban Ray; Aditi Subramanian; Harleen Chhabra; John Vijay; Sagar Kommu; Ganesan Venkatsubramanian; Shoba Srinath; Satish Girimaji; Shekhar P Sheshadri; Mariamma Philip Eye movement tracking in pediatric obsessive compulsive disorder Journal Article Asian Journal of Psychiatry, 43 , pp. 9–16, 2019. @article{Ray2019c, title = {Eye movement tracking in pediatric obsessive compulsive disorder}, author = {Anirban Ray and Aditi Subramanian and Harleen Chhabra and John Vijay and Sagar Kommu and Ganesan Venkatsubramanian and Shoba Srinath and Satish Girimaji and Shekhar P Sheshadri and Mariamma Philip}, doi = {10.1016/j.ajp.2019.04.003}, year = {2019}, date = {2019-01-01}, journal = {Asian Journal of Psychiatry}, volume = {43}, pages = {9--16}, abstract = {Till date researchers have elucidated the neurobiological substrates in OCD using methods like neuroimaging. However, a potential biomarker is still elusive. The present study is an attempt to identify a potential biomarker in pediatric OCD using eye tracking. The present study measured pro-saccade and anti-saccade parameters in 36 cases of pediatric OCD and 31 healthy controls. There was no significant difference between cases and controls in the error rate, peak velocity, position gain and latency measures in both pro-saccade and anti-saccade eye tracking tasks. With age, anti-saccades become slower in velocity, faster in response and more accurate irrespective of disorder status of the child. Pro-saccades also show a similar effect that is less prominent than anti-saccades. Gain measures more significantly vary with age in children with OCD than the controls, whereas latency measures positively correlated with age in children with OCD as opposed to being negatively correlated in the controls. Findings of this study do not support any of the eye tracking measures as putative diagnostic bio-markers in OCD. However, latency and gain parameters across different age groups in anti-saccade tasks need to be explored in future studies.}, keywords = {}, pubstate = {published}, tppubtype = {article} } Till date researchers have elucidated the neurobiological substrates in OCD using methods like neuroimaging. However, a potential biomarker is still elusive. The present study is an attempt to identify a potential biomarker in pediatric OCD using eye tracking. The present study measured pro-saccade and anti-saccade parameters in 36 cases of pediatric OCD and 31 healthy controls. There was no significant difference between cases and controls in the error rate, peak velocity, position gain and latency measures in both pro-saccade and anti-saccade eye tracking tasks. With age, anti-saccades become slower in velocity, faster in response and more accurate irrespective of disorder status of the child. Pro-saccades also show a similar effect that is less prominent than anti-saccades. Gain measures more significantly vary with age in children with OCD than the controls, whereas latency measures positively correlated with age in children with OCD as opposed to being negatively correlated in the controls. Findings of this study do not support any of the eye tracking measures as putative diagnostic bio-markers in OCD. However, latency and gain parameters across different age groups in anti-saccade tasks need to be explored in future studies. |
Tracy Reuter; Arielle Borovsky; Casey Lew-Williams Predict and redirect: Prediction errors support children's word learning Journal Article Developmental Psychology, 55 (8), pp. 1656–1665, 2019. @article{Reuter2019a, title = {Predict and redirect: Prediction errors support children's word learning}, author = {Tracy Reuter and Arielle Borovsky and Casey Lew-Williams}, doi = {10.1037/dev0000754}, year = {2019}, date = {2019-01-01}, journal = {Developmental Psychology}, volume = {55}, number = {8}, pages = {1656--1665}, abstract = {According to prediction-based learning theories, erroneous predictions support learning. However, empirical evidence for a relation between prediction error and children's language learning is currently lacking. Here we investigated whether and how prediction errors influence children's learning of novel words. We hypothesized that word learning would vary as a function of 2 factors: the extent to which children generate predictions, and the extent to which children redirect attention in response to errors. Children were tested in a novel word learning task, which used eye tracking to measure (a) real-time semantic predictions to familiar referents, (b) attention redirection following prediction errors, and (c) learning of novel referents. Results indicated that predictions and prediction errors interdependently supported novel word learning, via children's efficient redirection of attention. This study provides a developmental evaluation of prediction-based theories and suggests that erroneous predictions play a mechanistic role in children's language learning.}, keywords = {}, pubstate = {published}, tppubtype = {article} } According to prediction-based learning theories, erroneous predictions support learning. However, empirical evidence for a relation between prediction error and children's language learning is currently lacking. Here we investigated whether and how prediction errors influence children's learning of novel words. We hypothesized that word learning would vary as a function of 2 factors: the extent to which children generate predictions, and the extent to which children redirect attention in response to errors. Children were tested in a novel word learning task, which used eye tracking to measure (a) real-time semantic predictions to familiar referents, (b) attention redirection following prediction errors, and (c) learning of novel referents. Results indicated that predictions and prediction errors interdependently supported novel word learning, via children's efficient redirection of attention. This study provides a developmental evaluation of prediction-based theories and suggests that erroneous predictions play a mechanistic role in children's language learning. |
Erin K Robertson; Jennifer E Gallant Eye tracking reveals subtle spoken sentence comprehension problems in children with dyslexia Journal Article Lingua, 228 , pp. 1–17, 2019. @article{Robertson2019, title = {Eye tracking reveals subtle spoken sentence comprehension problems in children with dyslexia}, author = {Erin K Robertson and Jennifer E Gallant}, doi = {10.1016/j.lingua.2019.06.009}, year = {2019}, date = {2019-01-01}, journal = {Lingua}, volume = {228}, pages = {1--17}, publisher = {Elsevier B.V.}, abstract = {Children with dyslexia who did not have SLI (n = 31) and typically-developing (TD}, keywords = {}, pubstate = {published}, tppubtype = {article} } Children with dyslexia who did not have SLI (n = 31) and typically-developing (TD |
Isabel R Rodríguez-Ortiz; Francisco J Moreno-Pérez; Pablo Delgado; David Saldaña The development of anaphora resolution in Spanish Journal Article Journal of Psycholinguistic Research, 48 (4), pp. 797–817, 2019. @article{Rodriguez-Ortiz2019, title = {The development of anaphora resolution in Spanish}, author = {Isabel R Rodríguez-Ortiz and Francisco J Moreno-Pérez and Pablo Delgado and David Salda{ñ}a}, doi = {10.1007/s10936-019-09632-3}, year = {2019}, date = {2019-01-01}, journal = {Journal of Psycholinguistic Research}, volume = {48}, number = {4}, pages = {797--817}, publisher = {Springer US}, abstract = {The present study focuses on the development of Spanish pronominal processing. We investigate whether the pronoun interpretation problem (i.e., reflexive pronouns comprehension is resolved at an earlier age than that of personal pronouns, also known as the Delay of the Principle B Effect), which has been documented in other languages, also occurs in Spanish. For this purpose, we conducted two experiments including pronoun resolution tasks. In Experiment 1, a task adapted from the experimental paradigm proposed by Love et al. (J Psycholinguist Res 38:285–304, 2009. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10936-009-9103-9) was used, which examines the off-line processing of the Spanish pronouns se and le. In Experiment 2, on-line processing of the same pronouns was evaluated with eye-tracking, using a paradigm developed by Thompson and Choy (J Psycholinguist Res 38:255–283, 2009. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10936-009-9105-7). Forty-three participants aged 4–16 years completed both experiments. Results indicated that there is no developmental asymmetry in the acquisition of successful resolution of the two types of anaphora in Spanish: from age 4, reflexive and clitic pronouns are processed with the same degree of accuracy.}, keywords = {}, pubstate = {published}, tppubtype = {article} } The present study focuses on the development of Spanish pronominal processing. We investigate whether the pronoun interpretation problem (i.e., reflexive pronouns comprehension is resolved at an earlier age than that of personal pronouns, also known as the Delay of the Principle B Effect), which has been documented in other languages, also occurs in Spanish. For this purpose, we conducted two experiments including pronoun resolution tasks. In Experiment 1, a task adapted from the experimental paradigm proposed by Love et al. (J Psycholinguist Res 38:285–304, 2009. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10936-009-9103-9) was used, which examines the off-line processing of the Spanish pronouns se and le. In Experiment 2, on-line processing of the same pronouns was evaluated with eye-tracking, using a paradigm developed by Thompson and Choy (J Psycholinguist Res 38:255–283, 2009. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10936-009-9105-7). Forty-three participants aged 4–16 years completed both experiments. Results indicated that there is no developmental asymmetry in the acquisition of successful resolution of the two types of anaphora in Spanish: from age 4, reflexive and clitic pronouns are processed with the same degree of accuracy. |
Christiane S Rohr; Dennis Dimond; Manuela Schuetze; Ivy Y K Cho; Limor Lichtenstein-Vidne; Hadas Okon-Singer; Deborah Dewey; Signe Bray Girls' attentive traits associate with cerebellar to dorsal attention and default mode network connectivity Journal Article Neuropsychologia, 127 , pp. 84–92, 2019. @article{Rohr2019, title = {Girls' attentive traits associate with cerebellar to dorsal attention and default mode network connectivity}, author = {Christiane S Rohr and Dennis Dimond and Manuela Schuetze and Ivy Y K Cho and Limor Lichtenstein-Vidne and Hadas Okon-Singer and Deborah Dewey and Signe Bray}, doi = {10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2019.02.011}, year = {2019}, date = {2019-01-01}, journal = {Neuropsychologia}, volume = {127}, pages = {84--92}, publisher = {Elsevier Ltd}, abstract = {Attention traits are a cornerstone to the healthy development of children's performance in the classroom, their interactions with peers, and in predicting future success and problems. The cerebellum is increasingly appreciated as a region involved in complex cognition and behavior, and moreover makes important connections to key brain networks known to support attention: the dorsal attention and default mode networks (DAN; DMN). The cerebellum has also been implicated in childhood disorders affecting attention, namely autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), suggesting that attention networks extending to the cerebellum may be important to consider in relation to attentive traits. Yet, direct investigations into the association between cerebellar FC and attentive traits are lacking. Therefore, in this study we examined attentive traits, assessed using parent reports of ADHD and ASD symptoms, in a community sample of 52 girls aged 4–7 years, i.e. around the time of school entry, and their association with cerebellar connections with the DAN and DMN. We found that cortico-cerebellar functional connectivity (FC) jointly and differentially correlated with attentive traits, through a combination of weaker and stronger FC across anterior and posterior DAN and DMN nodes. These findings suggest that cortico-cerebellar integration may play an important role in the manifestation of attentive traits.}, keywords = {}, pubstate = {published}, tppubtype = {article} } Attention traits are a cornerstone to the healthy development of children's performance in the classroom, their interactions with peers, and in predicting future success and problems. The cerebellum is increasingly appreciated as a region involved in complex cognition and behavior, and moreover makes important connections to key brain networks known to support attention: the dorsal attention and default mode networks (DAN; DMN). The cerebellum has also been implicated in childhood disorders affecting attention, namely autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), suggesting that attention networks extending to the cerebellum may be important to consider in relation to attentive traits. Yet, direct investigations into the association between cerebellar FC and attentive traits are lacking. Therefore, in this study we examined attentive traits, assessed using parent reports of ADHD and ASD symptoms, in a community sample of 52 girls aged 4–7 years, i.e. around the time of school entry, and their association with cerebellar connections with the DAN and DMN. We found that cortico-cerebellar functional connectivity (FC) jointly and differentially correlated with attentive traits, through a combination of weaker and stronger FC across anterior and posterior DAN and DMN nodes. These findings suggest that cortico-cerebellar integration may play an important role in the manifestation of attentive traits. |
Marianna Stella; Paul E Engelhardt Syntactic ambiguity resolution in dyslexia: An examination of cognitive factors underlying eye movement differences and comprehension failures Journal Article Dyslexia, 25 (2), pp. 115–141, 2019. @article{Stella2019, title = {Syntactic ambiguity resolution in dyslexia: An examination of cognitive factors underlying eye movement differences and comprehension failures}, author = {Marianna Stella and Paul E Engelhardt}, doi = {10.1002/dys.1613}, year = {2019}, date = {2019-01-01}, journal = {Dyslexia}, volume = {25}, number = {2}, pages = {115--141}, abstract = {This study examined eye movements and comprehension of temporary syntactic ambiguities in individuals with dyslexia, as few studies have focused on sentence-level comprehension in dyslexia. We tested 50 participants with dyslexia and 50 typically developing controls, in order to investigate (a) whether dyslexics have difficulty revising temporary syntactic misinterpretations and (b) underlying cognitive factors (i.e., working memory and processing speed) associated with eye movement differences and comprehension failures. In the sentence comprehension task, participants read subordinate-main structures that were either ambiguous or unambiguous, and we also manipulated the type of verb contained in the subordinate clause (i.e., reflexive or optionally transitive). Results showed a main effect of group on comprehension, in which individuals with dyslexia showed poorer comprehension than typically developing readers. In addition, participants with dyslexia showed longer total reading times on the disambiguating region of syntactically ambiguous sentences. With respect to cognitive factors, working memory was more associated with group differences than was processing speed. Conclusions focus on sentence-level syntactic processing issues in dyslexia (a previously under-researched area) and the relationship between online and offline measures of syntactic ambiguity resolution.}, keywords = {}, pubstate = {published}, tppubtype = {article} } This study examined eye movements and comprehension of temporary syntactic ambiguities in individuals with dyslexia, as few studies have focused on sentence-level comprehension in dyslexia. We tested 50 participants with dyslexia and 50 typically developing controls, in order to investigate (a) whether dyslexics have difficulty revising temporary syntactic misinterpretations and (b) underlying cognitive factors (i.e., working memory and processing speed) associated with eye movement differences and comprehension failures. In the sentence comprehension task, participants read subordinate-main structures that were either ambiguous or unambiguous, and we also manipulated the type of verb contained in the subordinate clause (i.e., reflexive or optionally transitive). Results showed a main effect of group on comprehension, in which individuals with dyslexia showed poorer comprehension than typically developing readers. In addition, participants with dyslexia showed longer total reading times on the disambiguating region of syntactically ambiguous sentences. With respect to cognitive factors, working memory was more associated with group differences than was processing speed. Conclusions focus on sentence-level syntactic processing issues in dyslexia (a previously under-researched area) and the relationship between online and offline measures of syntactic ambiguity resolution. |
Gil Suzin; Ramit Ravona-springer; Elissa L Ash; Eddy J Davelaar; Marius Usher Differences in semantic memory encoding strategies in young, healthy old and MCI patients Journal Article Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience, 11 , pp. 1–10, 2019. @article{Suzin2019, title = {Differences in semantic memory encoding strategies in young, healthy old and MCI patients}, author = {Gil Suzin and Ramit Ravona-springer and Elissa L Ash and Eddy J Davelaar and Marius Usher}, doi = {10.3389/fnagi.2019.00306}, year = {2019}, date = {2019-01-01}, journal = {Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience}, volume = {11}, pages = {1--10}, abstract = {Associative processes, such as the encoding of associations between words in a list, can enhance episodic memory performance and are thought to deteriorate with age. Here, we examine the nature of age-related deficits in the encoding of associations, by using a free recall paradigm with visual arrays of objects. Fifty-five participants (26 young students; 20 cognitive healthy older adults; nine patients with Mild Cognitive Impairment, MCI) were shown multiple slides (experimental trials), each containing an array of nine common objects for recall. Most of the arrays contained three objects from three semantic categories, each. In the remaining arrays, the nine objects were unrelated. Eye fixations were also monitored during the viewing of the arrays, in a subset of the participants. While for young participants the immediate recall was higher for the semantically related arrays, this effect was diminished in healthy elderly and totally absent in MCI patients. Furthermore, only in the young group did the sequence of eye fixations show a semantic scanning pattern during encoding, even when the related objects were non- adjacent in the array. Healthy elderly and MCI patients were not influenced by the semantic relatedness of items during the array encoding, to the same extent as young subjects, as observed by a lack of (or reduced) semantic scanning. The results support a version of the encoding of the association aging-deficit hypothesis.}, keywords = {}, pubstate = {published}, tppubtype = {article} } Associative processes, such as the encoding of associations between words in a list, can enhance episodic memory performance and are thought to deteriorate with age. Here, we examine the nature of age-related deficits in the encoding of associations, by using a free recall paradigm with visual arrays of objects. Fifty-five participants (26 young students; 20 cognitive healthy older adults; nine patients with Mild Cognitive Impairment, MCI) were shown multiple slides (experimental trials), each containing an array of nine common objects for recall. Most of the arrays contained three objects from three semantic categories, each. In the remaining arrays, the nine objects were unrelated. Eye fixations were also monitored during the viewing of the arrays, in a subset of the participants. While for young participants the immediate recall was higher for the semantically related arrays, this effect was diminished in healthy elderly and totally absent in MCI patients. Furthermore, only in the young group did the sequence of eye fixations show a semantic scanning pattern during encoding, even when the related objects were non- adjacent in the array. Healthy elderly and MCI patients were not influenced by the semantic relatedness of items during the array encoding, to the same extent as young subjects, as observed by a lack of (or reduced) semantic scanning. The results support a version of the encoding of the association aging-deficit hypothesis. |
Sabrina E Twilhaar; Jorrit F de Kieviet; Catharina E Bergwerff; Martijn J J Finken; Ruurd M van Elburg; Jaap Oosterlaan Social adjustment in adolescents born very preterm: Evidence for a cognitive basis of social problems Journal Article The Journal of Pediatrics, 213 , pp. 66–73, 2019. @article{Twilhaar2019a, title = {Social adjustment in adolescents born very preterm: Evidence for a cognitive basis of social problems}, author = {Sabrina E Twilhaar and Jorrit F de Kieviet and Catharina E Bergwerff and Martijn J J Finken and Ruurd M van Elburg and Jaap Oosterlaan}, doi = {10.1016/j.jpeds.2019.06.045}, year = {2019}, date = {2019-01-01}, journal = {The Journal of Pediatrics}, volume = {213}, pages = {66--73}, publisher = {Elsevier Inc}, abstract = {Objective: To increase the understanding of social adjustment and autism spectrum disorder symptoms in adolescents born very preterm by studying the role of emotion recognition and cognitive control processes in the relation between very preterm birth and social adjustment. Study design: A Dutch cohort of 61 very preterm and 61 full-term adolescents aged 13 years participated. Social adjustment was rated by parents, teachers, and adolescents and autism spectrum disorder symptoms by parents. Emotion recognition was assessed with a computerized task including pictures of child faces expressing anger, fear, sadness, and happiness with varying intensity. Cognitive control was assessed using a visuospatial span, antisaccade, and sustained attention to response task. Performance measures derived from these tasks served as indicators of a latent cognitive control construct, which was tested using confirmatory factor analysis. Mediation analyses were conducted with emotion recognition and cognitive control as mediators of the relation between very preterm birth and social problems. Results: Very preterm adolescents showed more parent- and teacher-rated social problems and increased autism spectrum disorder symptomatology than controls. No difference in self-reported social problems was observed. Moreover, very preterm adolescents showed deficits in emotion recognition and cognitive control compared with full-term adolescents. The relation between very preterm birth and parent-rated social problems was significantly mediated by cognitive control but not by emotion recognition. Very preterm birth was associated with a 0.67-SD increase in parent-rated social problems through its negative effect on cognitive control. Conclusions: The present findings provide strong evidence for a central role of impaired cognitive control in the social problems of adolescents born very preterm.}, keywords = {}, pubstate = {published}, tppubtype = {article} } Objective: To increase the understanding of social adjustment and autism spectrum disorder symptoms in adolescents born very preterm by studying the role of emotion recognition and cognitive control processes in the relation between very preterm birth and social adjustment. Study design: A Dutch cohort of 61 very preterm and 61 full-term adolescents aged 13 years participated. Social adjustment was rated by parents, teachers, and adolescents and autism spectrum disorder symptoms by parents. Emotion recognition was assessed with a computerized task including pictures of child faces expressing anger, fear, sadness, and happiness with varying intensity. Cognitive control was assessed using a visuospatial span, antisaccade, and sustained attention to response task. Performance measures derived from these tasks served as indicators of a latent cognitive control construct, which was tested using confirmatory factor analysis. Mediation analyses were conducted with emotion recognition and cognitive control as mediators of the relation between very preterm birth and social problems. Results: Very preterm adolescents showed more parent- and teacher-rated social problems and increased autism spectrum disorder symptomatology than controls. No difference in self-reported social problems was observed. Moreover, very preterm adolescents showed deficits in emotion recognition and cognitive control compared with full-term adolescents. The relation between very preterm birth and parent-rated social problems was significantly mediated by cognitive control but not by emotion recognition. Very preterm birth was associated with a 0.67-SD increase in parent-rated social problems through its negative effect on cognitive control. Conclusions: The present findings provide strong evidence for a central role of impaired cognitive control in the social problems of adolescents born very preterm. |
Daan R van Renswoude; Linda van den Berg; Maartje E J Raijmakers; Ingmar Visser Infants' center bias in free viewing of real-world scenes Journal Article Vision Research, 154 , pp. 44–53, 2019. @article{Renswoude2019, title = {Infants' center bias in free viewing of real-world scenes}, author = {Daan R van Renswoude and Linda van den Berg and Maartje E J Raijmakers and Ingmar Visser}, doi = {10.1016/j.visres.2018.10.003}, year = {2019}, date = {2019-01-01}, journal = {Vision Research}, volume = {154}, pages = {44--53}, publisher = {Elsevier}, abstract = {This study examines how salience and a center bias drive infants' first fixation while looking at complex scenes. Adults are known to have a strong center bias, their first point of gaze is nearly always in the center of the scene. The center bias is likely to be a strategic bias, as looking towards the center minimizes the distance to other parts of the scene and important objects are often located at the center. In an experimental design varying salience regions of scenes and start positions we examined infants' (N = 48}, keywords = {}, pubstate = {published}, tppubtype = {article} } This study examines how salience and a center bias drive infants' first fixation while looking at complex scenes. Adults are known to have a strong center bias, their first point of gaze is nearly always in the center of the scene. The center bias is likely to be a strategic bias, as looking towards the center minimizes the distance to other parts of the scene and important objects are often located at the center. In an experimental design varying salience regions of scenes and start positions we examined infants' (N = 48 |
Daan R van Renswoude; Ingmar Visser; Maartje E J Raijmakers; Tawny Tsang; Scott P Johnson Real-world scene perception in infants: What factors guide attention allocation? Journal Article Infancy, 24 , pp. 693–717, 2019. @article{Renswoude2019a, title = {Real-world scene perception in infants: What factors guide attention allocation?}, author = {Daan R van Renswoude and Ingmar Visser and Maartje E J Raijmakers and Tawny Tsang and Scott P Johnson}, doi = {10.1111/infa.12308}, year = {2019}, date = {2019-01-01}, journal = {Infancy}, volume = {24}, pages = {693--717}, abstract = {The foci of visual attention were modeled as a function of perceptual salience, adult fixation locations, and attentional control mechanisms (measured in separate tasks) in infants (N = 45, 3-to 15-month-olds) as they viewed static real-world scenes. After controlling for the center bias, the results showed that low-level perceptual salience predicts where infants look. In addition, high-level factors also played a role: Infants fix-ated parts of the scenes frequently fixated by adults and this effect was stronger for older than younger infants. In line with this finding, infant fixation durations were longer on regions more frequently fixated by adults, implying longer time taken to process the available information. Fixation durations decreased with age, and this decline interacted with orienting skills such that fixation durations decreased faster with age for infants with high orienting skills, relative to infants with low orienting skills. There was a further interaction between fixa-tion durations and selective attention abilities: Infants with low selective attention skills showed a decrease in fixation durations with age, whereas infants with higher selective attention skills showed a slight increase in fixation durations with age. These findings imply that infants' visual processing of static real-world stimuli develops in accord with attentional control.}, keywords = {}, pubstate = {published}, tppubtype = {article} } The foci of visual attention were modeled as a function of perceptual salience, adult fixation locations, and attentional control mechanisms (measured in separate tasks) in infants (N = 45, 3-to 15-month-olds) as they viewed static real-world scenes. After controlling for the center bias, the results showed that low-level perceptual salience predicts where infants look. In addition, high-level factors also played a role: Infants fix-ated parts of the scenes frequently fixated by adults and this effect was stronger for older than younger infants. In line with this finding, infant fixation durations were longer on regions more frequently fixated by adults, implying longer time taken to process the available information. Fixation durations decreased with age, and this decline interacted with orienting skills such that fixation durations decreased faster with age for infants with high orienting skills, relative to infants with low orienting skills. There was a further interaction between fixa-tion durations and selective attention abilities: Infants with low selective attention skills showed a decrease in fixation durations with age, whereas infants with higher selective attention skills showed a slight increase in fixation durations with age. These findings imply that infants' visual processing of static real-world stimuli develops in accord with attentional control. |
Paula Vieweg; Martin Riemer; David Berron; Thomas Wolbers Memory image completion: Establishing a task to behaviorally assess pattern completion in humans Journal Article Hippocampus, 29 , pp. 340–351, 2019. @article{Vieweg2019, title = {Memory image completion: Establishing a task to behaviorally assess pattern completion in humans}, author = {Paula Vieweg and Martin Riemer and David Berron and Thomas Wolbers}, doi = {10.1002/hipo.23030}, year = {2019}, date = {2019-01-01}, journal = {Hippocampus}, volume = {29}, pages = {340--351}, abstract = {For memory retrieval, pattern completion is a crucial process that restores memories from partial or degraded cues. Neurocognitive aging models suggest that the aged memory system is biased toward pattern completion, resulting in a behavioral preference for retrieval over encoding of memories. Here, we built on our previously developed behavioral recognition memory paradigm-the Memory Image Completion (MIC) task-a task to specifically target pattern completion. First, we used the original design with concurrent eye-tracking in order to rule out perceptual confounds that could interact with recognition performance. Second, we developed parallel versions of the task to accommodate test settings in clinical environments or longitudinal studies. The results show that older adults have a deficit in pattern completion ability with a concurrent bias toward pattern completion. Importantly, eye-tracking data during encoding could not account for age-related performance differences. At retrieval, spatial viewing patterns for both age groups were more driven by stimulus identity than by response choice, but compared to young adults, older adults' fixation patterns overlapped more between stimuli that they (wrongly) thought had the same identity. This supports the observation that older adults choose responses perceived as similar to a learned stimulus, indicating a bias toward pattern completion. Additionally, two shorter versions of the task yielded comparable results, and no general learning effects were observed for repeated testing. Together, we present evidence that the MIC is a reliable behavioral task that targets pattern completion, that is easily and repeatedly applicable, and that is made freely available online.}, keywords = {}, pubstate = {published}, tppubtype = {article} } For memory retrieval, pattern completion is a crucial process that restores memories from partial or degraded cues. Neurocognitive aging models suggest that the aged memory system is biased toward pattern completion, resulting in a behavioral preference for retrieval over encoding of memories. Here, we built on our previously developed behavioral recognition memory paradigm-the Memory Image Completion (MIC) task-a task to specifically target pattern completion. First, we used the original design with concurrent eye-tracking in order to rule out perceptual confounds that could interact with recognition performance. Second, we developed parallel versions of the task to accommodate test settings in clinical environments or longitudinal studies. The results show that older adults have a deficit in pattern completion ability with a concurrent bias toward pattern completion. Importantly, eye-tracking data during encoding could not account for age-related performance differences. At retrieval, spatial viewing patterns for both age groups were more driven by stimulus identity than by response choice, but compared to young adults, older adults' fixation patterns overlapped more between stimuli that they (wrongly) thought had the same identity. This supports the observation that older adults choose responses perceived as similar to a learned stimulus, indicating a bias toward pattern completion. Additionally, two shorter versions of the task yielded comparable results, and no general learning effects were observed for repeated testing. Together, we present evidence that the MIC is a reliable behavioral task that targets pattern completion, that is easily and repeatedly applicable, and that is made freely available online. |
Kayleigh L Warrington; Victoria A McGowan; Kevin B Paterson; Sarah J White Effects of adult aging on letter position coding in reading: Evidence from eye movements Journal Article Psychology and Aging, 34 (4), pp. 598–612, 2019. @article{Warrington2019, title = {Effects of adult aging on letter position coding in reading: Evidence from eye movements}, author = {Kayleigh L Warrington and Victoria A McGowan and Kevin B Paterson and Sarah J White}, doi = {10.1037/pag0000342}, year = {2019}, date = {2019-01-01}, journal = {Psychology and Aging}, volume = {34}, number = {4}, pages = {598--612}, abstract = {It is well-established that young adults encode letter position flexibly during natural reading. However, given the visual changes that occur with normal aging, it is important to establish whether letter position coding is equivalent across adulthood. In 2 experiments, young (18-25 years) and older (65+ years) adults' were recorded while reading sentences with words containing transposed adjacent letters. Transpositions occurred at beginning (rpoblem), internal (porblem), or end (problme) locations in words. In Experiment 1, these transpositions were present throughout reading. By comparison, Experiment 2 used a gaze-contingent paradigm such that once the reader's gaze moved past a word containing a transposition, this word was shown correctly and did not subsequently change. Both age groups showed normal levels of comprehension for text including words with transposed letters. The pattern of letter transposition effects on eye movements was similar for the young and older adults, with greater increases in reading times when external relative to internal letters were transposed. In Experiment 1, however, effects of word beginning transpositions during rereading were larger for the older adults. In Experiment 2 there were no interactions, confirming that letter position coding is similar for both age groups at least during first-pass processing of words. These findings show that flexibility in letter position encoding during the initial processing of words is preserved across adulthood, although the interaction effect in rereading in Experiment 1 also suggests that older readers may use more stringent postlexical verification processes, for which the accuracy of word beginning letters is especially important.}, keywords = {}, pubstate = {published}, tppubtype = {article} } It is well-established that young adults encode letter position flexibly during natural reading. However, given the visual changes that occur with normal aging, it is important to establish whether letter position coding is equivalent across adulthood. In 2 experiments, young (18-25 years) and older (65+ years) adults' were recorded while reading sentences with words containing transposed adjacent letters. Transpositions occurred at beginning (rpoblem), internal (porblem), or end (problme) locations in words. In Experiment 1, these transpositions were present throughout reading. By comparison, Experiment 2 used a gaze-contingent paradigm such that once the reader's gaze moved past a word containing a transposition, this word was shown correctly and did not subsequently change. Both age groups showed normal levels of comprehension for text including words with transposed letters. The pattern of letter transposition effects on eye movements was similar for the young and older adults, with greater increases in reading times when external relative to internal letters were transposed. In Experiment 1, however, effects of word beginning transpositions during rereading were larger for the older adults. In Experiment 2 there were no interactions, confirming that letter position coding is similar for both age groups at least during first-pass processing of words. These findings show that flexibility in letter position encoding during the initial processing of words is preserved across adulthood, although the interaction effect in rereading in Experiment 1 also suggests that older readers may use more stringent postlexical verification processes, for which the accuracy of word beginning letters is especially important. |
Kayleigh L Warrington; Fang Xie; Jingxin Wang; Kevin B Paterson Aging effects on the visual span for alphabetic stimuli Journal Article Experimental Aging Research, 45 (5), pp. 387–399, 2019. @article{Warrington2019a, title = {Aging effects on the visual span for alphabetic stimuli}, author = {Kayleigh L Warrington and Fang Xie and Jingxin Wang and Kevin B Paterson}, doi = {10.1080/0361073X.2019.1664465}, year = {2019}, date = {2019-01-01}, journal = {Experimental Aging Research}, volume = {45}, number = {5}, pages = {387--399}, publisher = {Routledge}, abstract = {Background: The visual span (i.e., an estimate of the number of letters that can be recognized reliably on a single glance) is widely considered to impose an important sensory limitation on reading speed. With the present research, we investigated adult age differences in the visual span for alphabetic stimuli (i.e., Latin alphabetic letters), as aging effects on span size may make an important contribution to slower reading speeds in older adulthood. Method: A trigram task, in which sets of three letters were displayed randomly at specified locations to the right and left of a central fixation point, was used to estimate the size of the visual span for young (18–30 years) and older (65+years) adults while an eye tracker was used to ensure accurate central fixation during stimulus presentation. Participants also completed tests of visual acuity and visual crowding. Results: There were clear age differences in the size of the visual span. The older adults produced visual spans which were on average 1.2 letters smaller than the spans of young adults. However, both young and older adults produced spans smaller than those previously reported. In addition, span size correlated with measures of both visual acuity and measures of visual crowding. Conclusion: The findings show that the size of the visual span is smaller for older compared to young adults. The age-related reduction in span size is relatively small but may make a significant contribution to reduced parafoveal processing during natural reading so may play a role in the greater difficulty experienced by older adult readers. Moreover, these results highlight the importance of carefully controlling fixation location in visual span experiments.}, keywords = {}, pubstate = {published}, tppubtype = {article} } Background: The visual span (i.e., an estimate of the number of letters that can be recognized reliably on a single glance) is widely considered to impose an important sensory limitation on reading speed. With the present research, we investigated adult age differences in the visual span for alphabetic stimuli (i.e., Latin alphabetic letters), as aging effects on span size may make an important contribution to slower reading speeds in older adulthood. Method: A trigram task, in which sets of three letters were displayed randomly at specified locations to the right and left of a central fixation point, was used to estimate the size of the visual span for young (18–30 years) and older (65+years) adults while an eye tracker was used to ensure accurate central fixation during stimulus presentation. Participants also completed tests of visual acuity and visual crowding. Results: There were clear age differences in the size of the visual span. The older adults produced visual spans which were on average 1.2 letters smaller than the spans of young adults. However, both young and older adults produced spans smaller than those previously reported. In addition, span size correlated with measures of both visual acuity and measures of visual crowding. Conclusion: The findings show that the size of the visual span is smaller for older compared to young adults. The age-related reduction in span size is relatively small but may make a significant contribution to reduced parafoveal processing during natural reading so may play a role in the greater difficulty experienced by older adult readers. Moreover, these results highlight the importance of carefully controlling fixation location in visual span experiments. |
Stephanie Wermelinger; Anja Gampe; Moritz M Daum The dynamics of the interrelation of perception and action across the life span Journal Article Psychological Research, 83 , pp. 116–131, 2019. @article{Wermelinger2019, title = {The dynamics of the interrelation of perception and action across the life span}, author = {Stephanie Wermelinger and Anja Gampe and Moritz M Daum}, doi = {10.1007/s00426-018-1058-8}, year = {2019}, date = {2019-01-01}, journal = {Psychological Research}, volume = {83}, pages = {116--131}, publisher = {Springer Berlin Heidelberg}, abstract = {Successful social interaction relies on the interaction partners' perception, anticipation and understanding of their respective actions. The perception of a particular action and the capability to produce this action share a common representational ground. So far, no study has explored the interrelation between action perception and production across the life span using the same tasks and the same measurement techniques. This study was designed to fill this gap. Participants between 3 and 80 years (N = 214) observed two multistep actions of different familiarities and then reproduced the according actions. Using eye tracking, we measured participants' action perception via their prediction of action goals during observation. To capture subtler perceptual processes, we additionally analysed the dynamics and recurrent patterns within participants' gaze behaviour. Action production was assessed via the accuracy of the participants' reproduction of the observed actions. No age-related differences were found for the perception of the familiar action, where participants of all ages could rely on previous experience. In the unfamiliar action, where participants had less experience, action goals were predicted more frequently with increasing age. The recurrence in participants' gaze behaviour was related to both, age and action production: gaze behaviour was more recurrent (i.e. less flexible) in very young and very old participants, and lower levels of recurrence (i.e. greater flexibility) were related to higher scores in action production across participants. Incorporating a life-span perspective, this study illustrates the dynamic nature of developmental differences in the associations of action production with action perception.}, keywords = {}, pubstate = {published}, tppubtype = {article} } Successful social interaction relies on the interaction partners' perception, anticipation and understanding of their respective actions. The perception of a particular action and the capability to produce this action share a common representational ground. So far, no study has explored the interrelation between action perception and production across the life span using the same tasks and the same measurement techniques. This study was designed to fill this gap. Participants between 3 and 80 years (N = 214) observed two multistep actions of different familiarities and then reproduced the according actions. Using eye tracking, we measured participants' action perception via their prediction of action goals during observation. To capture subtler perceptual processes, we additionally analysed the dynamics and recurrent patterns within participants' gaze behaviour. Action production was assessed via the accuracy of the participants' reproduction of the observed actions. No age-related differences were found for the perception of the familiar action, where participants of all ages could rely on previous experience. In the unfamiliar action, where participants had less experience, action goals were predicted more frequently with increasing age. The recurrence in participants' gaze behaviour was related to both, age and action production: gaze behaviour was more recurrent (i.e. less flexible) in very young and very old participants, and lower levels of recurrence (i.e. greater flexibility) were related to higher scores in action production across participants. Incorporating a life-span perspective, this study illustrates the dynamic nature of developmental differences in the associations of action production with action perception. |
Veronica Whitford; Debra Titone Lexical entrenchment and cross-language activation: Two sides of the same coin for bilingual reading across the adult lifespan Journal Article Bilingualism: Language and Cognition, 22 (1), pp. 58–77, 2019. @article{Whitford2019, title = {Lexical entrenchment and cross-language activation: Two sides of the same coin for bilingual reading across the adult lifespan}, author = {Veronica Whitford and Debra Titone}, doi = {10.1017/S1366728917000554}, year = {2019}, date = {2019-01-01}, journal = {Bilingualism: Language and Cognition}, volume = {22}, number = {1}, pages = {58--77}, abstract = {We used eye movement measures of paragraph reading to examine whether two consequences of bilingualism, namely, reduced lexical entrenchment (i.e., reduced lexical quality and accessibility arising from less absolute language experience) and cross-language activation (i.e., simultaneous co-activation of target- and non-target-language lexical representations) interact during word processing in bilingual younger and older adults. Specifically, we focused on the interaction between word frequency (a predictor of lexical entrenchment) and cross-language neighborhood density (a predictor of cross-language activation) during first- and second-language reading. Across both languages and both age groups, greater cross-language (and within-language) neighborhood density facilitated word processing, indexed by smaller word frequency effects. Moreover, word frequency effects and, to a lesser extent, cross-language neighborhood density effects were larger in older versus younger adults, potentially reflecting age-related changes in lexical accessibility and cognitive control. Thus, lexical entrenchment and cross-language activation multiplicatively influence bilingual word processing across the adult lifespan.}, keywords = {}, pubstate = {published}, tppubtype = {article} } We used eye movement measures of paragraph reading to examine whether two consequences of bilingualism, namely, reduced lexical entrenchment (i.e., reduced lexical quality and accessibility arising from less absolute language experience) and cross-language activation (i.e., simultaneous co-activation of target- and non-target-language lexical representations) interact during word processing in bilingual younger and older adults. Specifically, we focused on the interaction between word frequency (a predictor of lexical entrenchment) and cross-language neighborhood density (a predictor of cross-language activation) during first- and second-language reading. Across both languages and both age groups, greater cross-language (and within-language) neighborhood density facilitated word processing, indexed by smaller word frequency effects. Moreover, word frequency effects and, to a lesser extent, cross-language neighborhood density effects were larger in older versus younger adults, potentially reflecting age-related changes in lexical accessibility and cognitive control. Thus, lexical entrenchment and cross-language activation multiplicatively influence bilingual word processing across the adult lifespan. |
Michael T Willoughby; Benjamin Piper; Dunston Kwayumba; Megan McCune Measuring executive function skills in young children in Kenya Journal Article Child Neuropsychology, 25 (4), pp. 425–444, 2019. @article{Willoughby2019, title = {Measuring executive function skills in young children in Kenya}, author = {Michael T Willoughby and Benjamin Piper and Dunston Kwayumba and Megan McCune}, doi = {10.1080/09297049.2018.1486395}, year = {2019}, date = {2019-01-01}, journal = {Child Neuropsychology}, volume = {25}, number = {4}, pages = {425--444}, publisher = {Routledge}, abstract = {Interest in measuring executive function skills in young children in low- and middle-income country contexts has been stymied by the lack of assessments that are both easy to deploy and scalable. This study reports on an initial effort to develop a tablet-based battery of executive function tasks, which were designed and extensively studied in the United States, for use in Kenya. Participants were 193 children, aged 3–6 years old, who attended early childhood development and education centers. The rates of individual task completion were high (65–100%), and 85% of children completed three or more tasks. Assessors indicated that 90% of all task administrations were of acceptable quality. An executive function composite score was approximately normally distributed, despite higher-than-expected floor and ceiling effects on inhibitory control tasks. Children's simple reaction time ($beta$ = –0.20, p = .004), attention-related behaviors during testing ($beta$ = 0.24, p = .0005), and age ($beta$ = –0.24, p = .0009) were all uniquely related to performance on the executive function composite. Results are discussed as they inform efforts to develop valid and reliable measures of executive function skills among young children in developing country contexts.}, keywords = {}, pubstate = {published}, tppubtype = {article} } Interest in measuring executive function skills in young children in low- and middle-income country contexts has been stymied by the lack of assessments that are both easy to deploy and scalable. This study reports on an initial effort to develop a tablet-based battery of executive function tasks, which were designed and extensively studied in the United States, for use in Kenya. Participants were 193 children, aged 3–6 years old, who attended early childhood development and education centers. The rates of individual task completion were high (65–100%), and 85% of children completed three or more tasks. Assessors indicated that 90% of all task administrations were of acceptable quality. An executive function composite score was approximately normally distributed, despite higher-than-expected floor and ceiling effects on inhibitory control tasks. Children's simple reaction time ($beta$ = –0.20, p = .004), attention-related behaviors during testing ($beta$ = 0.24, p = .0005), and age ($beta$ = –0.24, p = .0009) were all uniquely related to performance on the executive function composite. Results are discussed as they inform efforts to develop valid and reliable measures of executive function skills among young children in developing country contexts. |
Angele Yazbec; Michael P Kaschak; Arielle Borovsky Developmental timescale of rapid adaptation to conflicting cues in real-time sentence processing Journal Article Cognitive Science, 43 , pp. 1–41, 2019. @article{Yazbec2019, title = {Developmental timescale of rapid adaptation to conflicting cues in real-time sentence processing}, author = {Angele Yazbec and Michael P Kaschak and Arielle Borovsky}, doi = {10.1111/cogs.12704}, year = {2019}, date = {2019-01-01}, journal = {Cognitive Science}, volume = {43}, pages = {1--41}, abstract = {Children and adults use established global knowledge to generate real-time linguistic predictions, but less is known about how listeners generate predictions in circumstances that semantically conflict with long-standing event knowledge. We explore these issues in adults and 5- to 10-year-old children using an eye-tracked sentence comprehension task that tests real-time activation of unexpected events that had been previously encountered in brief stories. Adults generated predictions for these previously unexpected events based on these discourse cues alone, whereas children overall did not override their established global knowledge to generate expectations for semantically conflicting material; however, they do show an increased ability to integrate discourse cues to generate appropriate predictions for sentential endings. These results indicate that the ability to rapidly integrate and deploy semantically conflicting knowledge has a long developmental trajectory, with adult-like patterns not emerging until later in childhood.}, keywords = {}, pubstate = {published}, tppubtype = {article} } Children and adults use established global knowledge to generate real-time linguistic predictions, but less is known about how listeners generate predictions in circumstances that semantically conflict with long-standing event knowledge. We explore these issues in adults and 5- to 10-year-old children using an eye-tracked sentence comprehension task that tests real-time activation of unexpected events that had been previously encountered in brief stories. Adults generated predictions for these previously unexpected events based on these discourse cues alone, whereas children overall did not override their established global knowledge to generate expectations for semantically conflicting material; however, they do show an increased ability to integrate discourse cues to generate appropriate predictions for sentential endings. These results indicate that the ability to rapidly integrate and deploy semantically conflicting knowledge has a long developmental trajectory, with adult-like patterns not emerging until later in childhood. |
Lok-Kin Yeung; Rosanna K Olsen; Bryan Hong; Valentina Mihajlovic; Maria C D'Angelo; Arber Kacollja; Jennifer D Ryan; Morgan D Barense Object-in-place memory predicted by anterolateral entorhinal cortex and parahippocampal cortex in older adults Journal Article Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience, 31 (5), pp. 711–729, 2019. @article{Yeung2019, title = {Object-in-place memory predicted by anterolateral entorhinal cortex and parahippocampal cortex in older adults}, author = {Lok-Kin Yeung and Rosanna K Olsen and Bryan Hong and Valentina Mihajlovic and Maria C D'Angelo and Arber Kacollja and Jennifer D Ryan and Morgan D Barense}, doi = {10.1162/jocn}, year = {2019}, date = {2019-01-01}, journal = {Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience}, volume = {31}, number = {5}, pages = {711--729}, abstract = {The lateral portion of the entorhinal cortex is one of the first brain regions affected by tau pathology, an important biomarker for Alzheimer disease. Improving our understanding of this region's cognitive role may help identify better cognitive tests for early detection of Alzheimer disease. Based on its functional connections, we tested the idea that the human anterolateral entorhinal cortex (alERC) may play a role in integrating spatial information into object representations. We recently demonstrated that the volume of the alERC was related to processing the spatial relationships of the features within an object [Yeung, L. K., Olsen, R. K., Bild-Enkin, H. E. P., D'Angelo, M. C., Kacollja, A., McQuiggan, D. A., et al. Anterolateral entorhinal cortex volume predicted by altered intra-item configural processing. Journal of Neuroscience, 37, 5527–5538, 2017]. In this study, we investi- gated whether the human alERC might also play a role in processing the spatial relationships between an object and its environment using an eye-tracking task that assessed visual fixations to a critical object within a scene. Guided by rodent work, we measured both object-in-place memory, the association of an object with a given context [Wilson, D. I., Langston, R. F., Schlesiger, M. I., Wagner, M., Watanabe, S., & Ainge, J. A. Lateral entorhinal cortex is critical for novel object-context recog- nition. Hippocampus, 23,352–366, 2013], and object-trace memory, the memory for the former location of objects [Tsao, A., Moser, M. B., & Moser, E. I. Traces of experience in the lateral entorhinal cortex. Current Biology, 23,399–405, 2013]. In a group of older adults with varying stages of brain atrophy and cognitive decline, we found that the volume of the alERC and the volume of the parahippocampal cortex selectively predicted object-in-place memory, but not object-trace memory. These results provide support for the notion that the alERC may integrate spatial information into object representations.}, keywords = {}, pubstate = {published}, tppubtype = {article} } The lateral portion of the entorhinal cortex is one of the first brain regions affected by tau pathology, an important biomarker for Alzheimer disease. Improving our understanding of this region's cognitive role may help identify better cognitive tests for early detection of Alzheimer disease. Based on its functional connections, we tested the idea that the human anterolateral entorhinal cortex (alERC) may play a role in integrating spatial information into object representations. We recently demonstrated that the volume of the alERC was related to processing the spatial relationships of the features within an object [Yeung, L. K., Olsen, R. K., Bild-Enkin, H. E. P., D'Angelo, M. C., Kacollja, A., McQuiggan, D. A., et al. Anterolateral entorhinal cortex volume predicted by altered intra-item configural processing. Journal of Neuroscience, 37, 5527–5538, 2017]. In this study, we investi- gated whether the human alERC might also play a role in processing the spatial relationships between an object and its environment using an eye-tracking task that assessed visual fixations to a critical object within a scene. Guided by rodent work, we measured both object-in-place memory, the association of an object with a given context [Wilson, D. I., Langston, R. F., Schlesiger, M. I., Wagner, M., Watanabe, S., & Ainge, J. A. Lateral entorhinal cortex is critical for novel object-context recog- nition. Hippocampus, 23,352–366, 2013], and object-trace memory, the memory for the former location of objects [Tsao, A., Moser, M. B., & Moser, E. I. Traces of experience in the lateral entorhinal cortex. Current Biology, 23,399–405, 2013]. In a group of older adults with varying stages of brain atrophy and cognitive decline, we found that the volume of the alERC and the volume of the parahippocampal cortex selectively predicted object-in-place memory, but not object-trace memory. These results provide support for the notion that the alERC may integrate spatial information into object representations. |
Andrea M Zawoyski; Scott P Ardoin Using eye-tracking technology to examine the impact of question format on reading behavior in elementary students Journal Article School Psychology Review, 48 (4), pp. 320–332, 2019. @article{Zawoyski2019, title = {Using eye-tracking technology to examine the impact of question format on reading behavior in elementary students}, author = {Andrea M Zawoyski and Scott P Ardoin}, doi = {10.17105/SPR-2018-0014.V48-4}, year = {2019}, date = {2019-01-01}, journal = {School Psychology Review}, volume = {48}, number = {4}, pages = {320--332}, abstract = {Reading comprehension assessments often include multiple-choice (MC) questions, but some researchers doubt their validity in measuring comprehension. Consequently, new assessments may include more short-answer (SA) questions. The current study contributes to the research comparing MC and SA questions by evaluating the effects of anticipated question format on elementary students' reading behavior. Third- and fourth-grade participants were divided into the MC (n = 43) or SA condition (n = 44) and expected to answer questions consistent with their group assignment. Eye movements (EMs) were analyzed across the passage and on areas significant to its meaning. Correlational analyses between EMs and reading measures were conducted. Findings support modification of question format in reading assessments. Implications for school psychologists, teachers, and EM researchers are addressed.}, keywords = {}, pubstate = {published}, tppubtype = {article} } Reading comprehension assessments often include multiple-choice (MC) questions, but some researchers doubt their validity in measuring comprehension. Consequently, new assessments may include more short-answer (SA) questions. The current study contributes to the research comparing MC and SA questions by evaluating the effects of anticipated question format on elementary students' reading behavior. Third- and fourth-grade participants were divided into the MC (n = 43) or SA condition (n = 44) and expected to answer questions consistent with their group assignment. Eye movements (EMs) were analyzed across the passage and on areas significant to its meaning. Correlational analyses between EMs and reading measures were conducted. Findings support modification of question format in reading assessments. Implications for school psychologists, teachers, and EM researchers are addressed. |
Chen Zhang; Angelina Paolozza; Po-He Tseng; James N Reynolds; Douglas P Munoz; Laurent Itti Detection of children/youth with fetal alcohol spectrum disorder through eye movement, psychometric, and neuroimaging data Journal Article Frontiers in Neurology, 10 , pp. 1–15, 2019. @article{Zhang2019a, title = {Detection of children/youth with fetal alcohol spectrum disorder through eye movement, psychometric, and neuroimaging data}, author = {Chen Zhang and Angelina Paolozza and Po-He Tseng and James N Reynolds and Douglas P Munoz and Laurent Itti}, doi = {10.3389/fneur.2019.00080}, year = {2019}, date = {2019-01-01}, journal = {Frontiers in Neurology}, volume = {10}, pages = {1--15}, abstract = {Background: Fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD) is one of the most common causes of developmental disabilities and neurobehavioral deficits. Despite the high-prevalence of FASD, the current diagnostic process is challenging and time- and money-consuming, with underreported profiles of the neurocognitive and neurobehavioral impairments because of limited clinical capacity. We assessed children/youth with FASD from a multimodal perspective and developed a high-performing, low-cost screening protocol using a machine learning framework. Methods and Findings: Participants with FASD and age-matched typically developing controls completed up to six assessments, including saccadic eye movement tasks (prosaccade, antisaccade, and memory-guided saccade), free viewing of videos, psychometric tests, and neuroimaging of the corpus callosum. We comparatively investigated new machine learning methods applied to these data, toward the acquisition of a quantitative signature of the neurodevelopmental deficits, and the development of an objective, high-throughput screening tool to identify children/youth with FASD. Our method provides a comprehensive profile of distinct measures in domains including sensorimotor and visuospatial control, visual perception, attention, inhibition, working memory, academic functions, and brain structure. We also showed that a combination of four to six assessments yields the best FASD vs. control classification accuracy; however, this protocol is expensive and time consuming. We conducted a cost/benefit analysis of the six assessments and developed a high-performing, low-cost screening protocol based on a subset of eye movement and psychometric tests that approached the best result under a range of constraints (time, cost, participant age, required administration, and access to neuroimaging facility). Using insights from the theory of value of information, we proposed an optimal annual screening procedure for children at risk of FASD. Conclusions: We developed a high-capacity, low-cost screening procedure under constrains, with high expected monetary benefit, substantial impact of the referral and diagnostic process, and expected maximized long-term benefits to the tested individuals and to society. This annual screening procedure for children/youth at risk of FASD can be easily and widely deployed for early identification, potentially leading to earlier intervention and treatment. This is crucial for neurodevelopmental disorders, to mitigate the severity of the disorder and/or frequency of secondary comorbidities.}, keywords = {}, pubstate = {published}, tppubtype = {article} } Background: Fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD) is one of the most common causes of developmental disabilities and neurobehavioral deficits. Despite the high-prevalence of FASD, the current diagnostic process is challenging and time- and money-consuming, with underreported profiles of the neurocognitive and neurobehavioral impairments because of limited clinical capacity. We assessed children/youth with FASD from a multimodal perspective and developed a high-performing, low-cost screening protocol using a machine learning framework. Methods and Findings: Participants with FASD and age-matched typically developing controls completed up to six assessments, including saccadic eye movement tasks (prosaccade, antisaccade, and memory-guided saccade), free viewing of videos, psychometric tests, and neuroimaging of the corpus callosum. We comparatively investigated new machine learning methods applied to these data, toward the acquisition of a quantitative signature of the neurodevelopmental deficits, and the development of an objective, high-throughput screening tool to identify children/youth with FASD. Our method provides a comprehensive profile of distinct measures in domains including sensorimotor and visuospatial control, visual perception, attention, inhibition, working memory, academic functions, and brain structure. We also showed that a combination of four to six assessments yields the best FASD vs. control classification accuracy; however, this protocol is expensive and time consuming. We conducted a cost/benefit analysis of the six assessments and developed a high-performing, low-cost screening protocol based on a subset of eye movement and psychometric tests that approached the best result under a range of constraints (time, cost, participant age, required administration, and access to neuroimaging facility). Using insights from the theory of value of information, we proposed an optimal annual screening procedure for children at risk of FASD. Conclusions: We developed a high-capacity, low-cost screening procedure under constrains, with high expected monetary benefit, substantial impact of the referral and diagnostic process, and expected maximized long-term benefits to the tested individuals and to society. This annual screening procedure for children/youth at risk of FASD can be easily and widely deployed for early identification, potentially leading to earlier intervention and treatment. This is crucial for neurodevelopmental disorders, to mitigate the severity of the disorder and/or frequency of secondary comorbidities. |
Xiaoxian Zhang; Wanlu Fu; Licheng Xue; Jing Zhao; Zhiguo Wang Children with mathematical learning difficulties are sluggish in disengaging attention Journal Article Frontiers in Psychology, 10 , pp. 1–9, 2019. @article{Zhang2019f, title = {Children with mathematical learning difficulties are sluggish in disengaging attention}, author = {Xiaoxian Zhang and Wanlu Fu and Licheng Xue and Jing Zhao and Zhiguo Wang}, doi = {10.3389/fpsyg.2019.00932}, year = {2019}, date = {2019-01-01}, journal = {Frontiers in Psychology}, volume = {10}, pages = {1--9}, abstract = {Mathematical learning difficulties (MLD) refer to a variety of deficits in math skills, typically pertaining to the domains of arithmetic and problem solving. The present study examined the time course of attentional orienting in MLD children with a spatial cueing task, by parametrically manipulating the cue-target onset asynchrony (CTOA). The results of Experiment 1 revealed that, in contrast to typical developing children, the inhibitory aftereffect of attentional orienting-frequently referred to as inhibition of return (IOR)-was not observed in the MLD children, even at the longest CTOA tested (800 ms). However, robust early facilitation effects were observed in the MLD children, suggesting that they have difficulties in attentional disengagement rather than attentional engagement. In a second experiment, a secondary cue was introduced to the cueing task to encourage attentional disengagement and IOR effects were observed in the MLD children. Taken together, the present experiments indicate that MLD children are sluggish in disengaging spatial attention.}, keywords = {}, pubstate = {published}, tppubtype = {article} } Mathematical learning difficulties (MLD) refer to a variety of deficits in math skills, typically pertaining to the domains of arithmetic and problem solving. The present study examined the time course of attentional orienting in MLD children with a spatial cueing task, by parametrically manipulating the cue-target onset asynchrony (CTOA). The results of Experiment 1 revealed that, in contrast to typical developing children, the inhibitory aftereffect of attentional orienting-frequently referred to as inhibition of return (IOR)-was not observed in the MLD children, even at the longest CTOA tested (800 ms). However, robust early facilitation effects were observed in the MLD children, suggesting that they have difficulties in attentional disengagement rather than attentional engagement. In a second experiment, a secondary cue was introduced to the cueing task to encourage attentional disengagement and IOR effects were observed in the MLD children. Taken together, the present experiments indicate that MLD children are sluggish in disengaging spatial attention. |
Sijia Zhao; Gabriela Bury; Alice Milne; Maria Chait Pupillometry as an objective measure of sustained attention in young and older listeners Journal Article Trends in Hearing, pp. 1–21, 2019. @article{Zhao2019a, title = {Pupillometry as an objective measure of sustained attention in young and older listeners}, author = {Sijia Zhao and Gabriela Bury and Alice Milne and Maria Chait}, doi = {10.1101/579540}, year = {2019}, date = {2019-01-01}, journal = {Trends in Hearing}, pages = {1--21}, abstract = {The ability to sustain attention on a task-relevant sound-source whilst avoiding distraction from other concurrent sounds is fundamental to listening in crowded environments. To isolate this aspect of hearing we designed a paradigm that continuously measured behavioural and pupillometry responses during 25-second-long trials in young (18-35 yo) and older (63-79 yo) participants. The auditory stimuli consisted of a number (1, 2 or 3) of concurrent, spectrally distinct tone streams. On each trial, participants detected brief silent gaps in one of the streams whilst resisting distraction from the others. Behavioural performance demonstrated increasing difficulty with time-on-task and with number/proximity of distractor streams. In young listeners (N=20), pupillometry revealed that pupil diameter (on the group and individual level) was dynamically modulated by instantaneous task difficulty such that periods where behavioural performance revealed a strain on sustained attention, were also accompanied by increased pupil diameter. Only trials on which participants performed successfully were included in the pupillometry analysis. Therefore, the observed effects reflect consequences of task demands as opposed to failure to attend.In line with existing reports, we observed global changes to pupil dynamics in the older group, including decreased pupil diameter, a limited dilation range, and reduced temporal variability. However, despite these changes, the older group showed similar effects of attentive tracking to those observed in the younger listeners. Overall, our results demonstrate that pupillometry can be a reliable and time-sensitive measure of the effort associated with attentive tracking over long durations in both young and (with some caveats) older listeners.}, keywords = {}, pubstate = {published}, tppubtype = {article} } The ability to sustain attention on a task-relevant sound-source whilst avoiding distraction from other concurrent sounds is fundamental to listening in crowded environments. To isolate this aspect of hearing we designed a paradigm that continuously measured behavioural and pupillometry responses during 25-second-long trials in young (18-35 yo) and older (63-79 yo) participants. The auditory stimuli consisted of a number (1, 2 or 3) of concurrent, spectrally distinct tone streams. On each trial, participants detected brief silent gaps in one of the streams whilst resisting distraction from the others. Behavioural performance demonstrated increasing difficulty with time-on-task and with number/proximity of distractor streams. In young listeners (N=20), pupillometry revealed that pupil diameter (on the group and individual level) was dynamically modulated by instantaneous task difficulty such that periods where behavioural performance revealed a strain on sustained attention, were also accompanied by increased pupil diameter. Only trials on which participants performed successfully were included in the pupillometry analysis. Therefore, the observed effects reflect consequences of task demands as opposed to failure to attend.In line with existing reports, we observed global changes to pupil dynamics in the older group, including decreased pupil diameter, a limited dilation range, and reduced temporal variability. However, despite these changes, the older group showed similar effects of attentive tracking to those observed in the younger listeners. Overall, our results demonstrate that pupillometry can be a reliable and time-sensitive measure of the effort associated with attentive tracking over long durations in both young and (with some caveats) older listeners. |
Peng Zhou; Weiyi Ma; Likan Zhan A deficit in using prosodic cues to understand communicative intentions by children with autism spectrum disorders: An eye-tracking study Journal Article First Language, pp. 1–13, 2019. @article{Zhou2019, title = {A deficit in using prosodic cues to understand communicative intentions by children with autism spectrum disorders: An eye-tracking study}, author = {Peng Zhou and Weiyi Ma and Likan Zhan}, doi = {10.1177/0142723719885270}, year = {2019}, date = {2019-01-01}, journal = {First Language}, pages = {1--13}, abstract = {The present study investigated whether Mandarin-speaking preschool children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) were able to use prosodic cues to understand others' communicative intentions. Using the visual world eye-tracking paradigm, the study found that unlike typically developing (TD) 4-year-olds, both 4-year-olds with ASD and 5-year-olds with ASD exhibited an eye gaze pattern that reflected their inability to use prosodic cues to infer the intended meaning of the speaker. Their performance was relatively independent of their verbal IQ and mean length of utterance. In addition, the findings also show that there was no development in this ability from 4 years of age to 5 years of age. The findings indicate that Mandarin-speaking preschool children with ASD exhibit a deficit in using prosodic cues to understand the communicative intentions of the speaker, and this ability might be inherently impaired in ASD.}, keywords = {}, pubstate = {published}, tppubtype = {article} } The present study investigated whether Mandarin-speaking preschool children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) were able to use prosodic cues to understand others' communicative intentions. Using the visual world eye-tracking paradigm, the study found that unlike typically developing (TD) 4-year-olds, both 4-year-olds with ASD and 5-year-olds with ASD exhibited an eye gaze pattern that reflected their inability to use prosodic cues to infer the intended meaning of the speaker. Their performance was relatively independent of their verbal IQ and mean length of utterance. In addition, the findings also show that there was no development in this ability from 4 years of age to 5 years of age. The findings indicate that Mandarin-speaking preschool children with ASD exhibit a deficit in using prosodic cues to understand the communicative intentions of the speaker, and this ability might be inherently impaired in ASD. |
Peng Zhou; Likan Zhan; Huimin Ma Predictive language processing in preschool children with autism spectrum disorder: An eye-tracking study Journal Article Journal of Psycholinguistic Research, 48 (2), pp. 431–452, 2019. @article{Zhou2019d, title = {Predictive language processing in preschool children with autism spectrum disorder: An eye-tracking study}, author = {Peng Zhou and Likan Zhan and Huimin Ma}, doi = {10.1007/s10936-018-9612-5}, year = {2019}, date = {2019-01-01}, journal = {Journal of Psycholinguistic Research}, volume = {48}, number = {2}, pages = {431--452}, publisher = {Springer US}, abstract = {Sentence comprehension relies on the abilities to rapidly integrate different types of linguistic and non-linguistic information. The present study investigated whether Mandarin-speaking preschool children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are able to use verb information predictively to anticipate the upcoming linguistic input during real-time sentence comprehension. 26 five-year-olds with ASD, 25 typically developing (TD) five-year-olds and 24 TD four-year-olds were tested using the visual world eye-tracking paradigm. The results showed that the 5-year-olds with ASD, like their TD peers, exhibited verb-based anticipatory eye movements during real-time sentence comprehension. No difference was observed between the ASD and TD groups in the time course of their eye gaze patterns, indicating that Mandarin-speaking preschool children with ASD are able to use verb information as effectively and rapidly as TD peers to predict the upcoming linguistic input.}, keywords = {}, pubstate = {published}, tppubtype = {article} } Sentence comprehension relies on the abilities to rapidly integrate different types of linguistic and non-linguistic information. The present study investigated whether Mandarin-speaking preschool children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are able to use verb information predictively to anticipate the upcoming linguistic input during real-time sentence comprehension. 26 five-year-olds with ASD, 25 typically developing (TD) five-year-olds and 24 TD four-year-olds were tested using the visual world eye-tracking paradigm. The results showed that the 5-year-olds with ASD, like their TD peers, exhibited verb-based anticipatory eye movements during real-time sentence comprehension. No difference was observed between the ASD and TD groups in the time course of their eye gaze patterns, indicating that Mandarin-speaking preschool children with ASD are able to use verb information as effectively and rapidly as TD peers to predict the upcoming linguistic input. |
2018 |
Tania S Zamuner; Stephanie Strahm; Elizabeth Morin-Lessard; Michael P A Page Reverse production effect: Children recognize novel words better when they are heard rather than produced Journal Article Developmental Science, 21 (4), pp. 1–13, 2018. @article{Zamuner2018, title = {Reverse production effect: Children recognize novel words better when they are heard rather than produced}, author = {Tania S Zamuner and Stephanie Strahm and Elizabeth Morin-Lessard and Michael P A Page}, doi = {10.1111/desc.12636}, year = {2018}, date = {2018-07-01}, journal = {Developmental Science}, volume = {21}, number = {4}, pages = {1--13}, publisher = {John Wiley & Sons, Ltd (10.1111)}, abstract = {This research investigates the effect of production on 4.5‐ to 6‐year‐old children's recognition of newly learned words. In Experiment 1, children were taught four novel words in a produced or heard training condition during a brief training phase. In Experiment 2, children were taught eight novel words, and this time training condition was in a blocked design. Immediately after training, children were tested on their recognition of the trained novel words using a preferential looking paradigm. In both experiments, children recognized novel words that were produced and heard during training, but demonstrated better recognition for items that were heard. These findings are opposite to previous results reported in the literature with adults and children. Our results show that benefits of speech production for word learning are dependent on factors such as task complexity and the developmental stage of the learner.}, keywords = {}, pubstate = {published}, tppubtype = {article} } This research investigates the effect of production on 4.5‐ to 6‐year‐old children's recognition of newly learned words. In Experiment 1, children were taught four novel words in a produced or heard training condition during a brief training phase. In Experiment 2, children were taught eight novel words, and this time training condition was in a blocked design. Immediately after training, children were tested on their recognition of the trained novel words using a preferential looking paradigm. In both experiments, children recognized novel words that were produced and heard during training, but demonstrated better recognition for items that were heard. These findings are opposite to previous results reported in the literature with adults and children. Our results show that benefits of speech production for word learning are dependent on factors such as task complexity and the developmental stage of the learner. |
Candice C Morey; Silvana Mareva; Jaroslaw R Lelonkiewicz; Nicolas Chevalier Gaze-based rehearsal in children under 7: A developmental investigation of eye movements during a serial spatial memory task Journal Article Developmental Science, 21 , pp. 1–8, 2018. @article{Morey2018, title = {Gaze-based rehearsal in children under 7: A developmental investigation of eye movements during a serial spatial memory task}, author = {Candice C Morey and Silvana Mareva and Jaroslaw R Lelonkiewicz and Nicolas Chevalier}, doi = {10.1111/desc.12559}, year = {2018}, date = {2018-05-01}, journal = {Developmental Science}, volume = {21}, pages = {1--8}, publisher = {John Wiley & Sons, Ltd (10.1111)}, abstract = {The emergence of strategic verbal rehearsal at around 7 years of age is widely considered a major milestone in descriptions of the development of short‐term memory across childhood. Likewise, rehearsal is believed by many to be a crucial factor in explaining why memory improves with age. This apparent qualitative shift in mnemonic processes has also been characterized as a shift from passive visual to more active verbal mnemonic strategy use, but no investigation of the development of overt spatial rehearsal has informed this explanation. We measured serial spatial order reconstruction in adults and groups of children 5–7 years old and 8–11 years old, while recording their eye movements. Children, particularly the youngest children, overtly fixated late‐list spatial positions longer than adults, suggesting that younger children are less likely to engage in covert rehearsal during stimulus presentation than older children and adults. However, during retention the youngest children overtly fixated more of the to‐be‐remembered sequences than any other group, which is inconsistent with the idea that children do nothing to try to remember. Altogether, these data are inconsistent with the notion that children under 7 do not engage in any attempts to remember. They are most consistent with proposals that children's style of remembering shifts around age 7 from reactive cue‐driven methods to proactive, covert methods, which may include cumulative rehearsal.}, keywords = {}, pubstate = {published}, tppubtype = {article} } The emergence of strategic verbal rehearsal at around 7 years of age is widely considered a major milestone in descriptions of the development of short‐term memory across childhood. Likewise, rehearsal is believed by many to be a crucial factor in explaining why memory improves with age. This apparent qualitative shift in mnemonic processes has also been characterized as a shift from passive visual to more active verbal mnemonic strategy use, but no investigation of the development of overt spatial rehearsal has informed this explanation. We measured serial spatial order reconstruction in adults and groups of children 5–7 years old and 8–11 years old, while recording their eye movements. Children, particularly the youngest children, overtly fixated late‐list spatial positions longer than adults, suggesting that younger children are less likely to engage in covert rehearsal during stimulus presentation than older children and adults. However, during retention the youngest children overtly fixated more of the to‐be‐remembered sequences than any other group, which is inconsistent with the idea that children do nothing to try to remember. Altogether, these data are inconsistent with the notion that children under 7 do not engage in any attempts to remember. They are most consistent with proposals that children's style of remembering shifts around age 7 from reactive cue‐driven methods to proactive, covert methods, which may include cumulative rehearsal. |
Signy Wegener; Hua-Chen Wang; Peter de Lissa; Serje Robidoux; Kate Nation; Anne Castles Children reading spoken words: Interactions between vocabulary and orthographic expectancy Journal Article Developmental Science, 21 (3), pp. 1–9, 2018. @article{Wegener2018, title = {Children reading spoken words: Interactions between vocabulary and orthographic expectancy}, author = {Signy Wegener and Hua-Chen Wang and Peter de Lissa and Serje Robidoux and Kate Nation and Anne Castles}, doi = {10.1111/desc.12577}, year = {2018}, date = {2018-05-01}, journal = {Developmental Science}, volume = {21}, number = {3}, pages = {1--9}, publisher = {John Wiley & Sons, Ltd (10.1111)}, abstract = {There is an established association between children's oral vocabulary and their word reading but its basis is not well understood. Here, we present evidence from eye movements for a novel mechanism underlying this association. Two groups of 18 Grade 4 children received oral vocabulary training on one set of 16 novel words (e.g., ‘nesh', ‘coib'), but no training on another set. The words were assigned spellings that were either predictable from phonology (e.g., nesh) or unpredictable (e.g., koyb). These were subsequently shown in print, embedded in sentences. Reading times were shorter for orally familiar than unfamiliar items, and for words with predictable than unpredictable spellings but, importantly, there was an interaction between the two: children demonstrated a larger benefit of oral familiarity for predictable than for unpredictable items. These findings indicate that children form initial orthographic expectations about spoken words before first seeing them in print. A video abstract of this article can be viewed at: https://youtu.be/jvpJwpKMM3E.}, keywords = {}, pubstate = {published}, tppubtype = {article} } There is an established association between children's oral vocabulary and their word reading but its basis is not well understood. Here, we present evidence from eye movements for a novel mechanism underlying this association. Two groups of 18 Grade 4 children received oral vocabulary training on one set of 16 novel words (e.g., ‘nesh', ‘coib'), but no training on another set. The words were assigned spellings that were either predictable from phonology (e.g., nesh) or unpredictable (e.g., koyb). These were subsequently shown in print, embedded in sentences. Reading times were shorter for orally familiar than unfamiliar items, and for words with predictable than unpredictable spellings but, importantly, there was an interaction between the two: children demonstrated a larger benefit of oral familiarity for predictable than for unpredictable items. These findings indicate that children form initial orthographic expectations about spoken words before first seeing them in print. A video abstract of this article can be viewed at: https://youtu.be/jvpJwpKMM3E. |
Nicolas Chevalier; Bruno Dauvier; Agnès Blaye From prioritizing objects to prioritizing cues: A developmental shift for cognitive control Journal Article Developmental Science, 21 (2), pp. 1–8, 2018. @article{Chevalier2018, title = {From prioritizing objects to prioritizing cues: A developmental shift for cognitive control}, author = {Nicolas Chevalier and Bruno Dauvier and Agn{è}s Blaye}, doi = {10.1111/desc.12534}, year = {2018}, date = {2018-03-01}, journal = {Developmental Science}, volume = {21}, number = {2}, pages = {1--8}, publisher = {John Wiley & Sons, Ltd (10.1111)}, abstract = {Emerging cognitive control supports increasingly adaptive behaviors and predicts life success, while low cognitive control is a major risk factor during childhood. It is therefore essential to understand how it develops. The present study provides evidence for an age‐related shift in the type of information that children prioritize in their environment, from objects that can be directly acted upon to cues signaling how to act. Specifically, gaze patterns recorded while 3‐ to 12‐year‐olds and adults engaged in a cognitive control task showed that whereas younger children fixated on targets that they needed to respond to before gazing at task cues signaling how to respond, older children and adults showed the opposite pattern (which yielded better performance). This shift in information prioritization has important conceptual implications, suggesting that a major force behind cognitive control development may be non‐executive in nature, as well as opening new directions for interventions.}, keywords = {}, pubstate = {published}, tppubtype = {article} } Emerging cognitive control supports increasingly adaptive behaviors and predicts life success, while low cognitive control is a major risk factor during childhood. It is therefore essential to understand how it develops. The present study provides evidence for an age‐related shift in the type of information that children prioritize in their environment, from objects that can be directly acted upon to cues signaling how to act. Specifically, gaze patterns recorded while 3‐ to 12‐year‐olds and adults engaged in a cognitive control task showed that whereas younger children fixated on targets that they needed to respond to before gazing at task cues signaling how to respond, older children and adults showed the opposite pattern (which yielded better performance). This shift in information prioritization has important conceptual implications, suggesting that a major force behind cognitive control development may be non‐executive in nature, as well as opening new directions for interventions. |
Wendy Troop-Gordon; Robert D Gordon; Bethany M Schwandt; Gregor A Horvath; Elizabeth Ewing Lee; Kari J Visconti Allocation of attention to scenes of peer harassment: Visual–cognitive moderators of the link between peer victimization and aggression Journal Article Development and Psychopathology, pp. 1–16, 2018. @article{Troop-Gordon2018, title = {Allocation of attention to scenes of peer harassment: Visual–cognitive moderators of the link between peer victimization and aggression}, author = {Wendy Troop-Gordon and Robert D Gordon and Bethany M Schwandt and Gregor A Horvath and Elizabeth {Ewing Lee} and Kari J Visconti}, doi = {10.1017/S0954579418000068}, year = {2018}, date = {2018-03-01}, journal = {Development and Psychopathology}, pages = {1--16}, publisher = {Cambridge University Press}, abstract = {As approximately one-third of peer-victimized children evidence heightened aggression (Schwartz, Proctor, & Chien, 2001), it is imperative to identify the circumstances under which victimization and aggression co-develop. The current study explored two potential moderators of victimization–aggression linkages: (a) attentional bias toward cues signaling threat and (b) attentional bias toward cues communicating interpersonal support. Seventy-two fifth- and sixth-grade children (34 boys = 11.67) were eye tracked while watching video clips of bullying. Each scene included a bully, a victim, a reinforcer, and a defender. Children's victimization was measured using peer, parent, and teacher reports. Aggression was measured using peer reports of overt and relational aggression and teacher reports of aggression. Victimization was associated with greater aggression at high levels of attention to the bully. Victimization was also associated with greater aggression at low attention to the defender for boys, but at high attention to the defender for girls. Attention to the victim was negatively correlated with aggression regardless of victimization history. Thus, attentional biases to social cues integral to the bullying context differentiate whether victimization is linked to aggression, necessitating future research on the development of these biases and concurrent trajectories of sociobehavioral development.}, keywords = {}, pubstate = {published}, tppubtype = {article} } As approximately one-third of peer-victimized children evidence heightened aggression (Schwartz, Proctor, & Chien, 2001), it is imperative to identify the circumstances under which victimization and aggression co-develop. The current study explored two potential moderators of victimization–aggression linkages: (a) attentional bias toward cues signaling threat and (b) attentional bias toward cues communicating interpersonal support. Seventy-two fifth- and sixth-grade children (34 boys = 11.67) were eye tracked while watching video clips of bullying. Each scene included a bully, a victim, a reinforcer, and a defender. Children's victimization was measured using peer, parent, and teacher reports. Aggression was measured using peer reports of overt and relational aggression and teacher reports of aggression. Victimization was associated with greater aggression at high levels of attention to the bully. Victimization was also associated with greater aggression at low attention to the defender for boys, but at high attention to the defender for girls. Attention to the victim was negatively correlated with aggression regardless of victimization history. Thus, attentional biases to social cues integral to the bullying context differentiate whether victimization is linked to aggression, necessitating future research on the development of these biases and concurrent trajectories of sociobehavioral development. |
Emily Atkinson; Matthew W Wagers; Jeffrey Lidz; Colin Phillips; Akira Omaki Developing incrementality in filler-gap dependency processing Journal Article Cognition, 179 , pp. 132–149, 2018. @article{Atkinson2018, title = {Developing incrementality in filler-gap dependency processing}, author = {Emily Atkinson and Matthew W Wagers and Jeffrey Lidz and Colin Phillips and Akira Omaki}, doi = {10.1016/j.cognition.2018.05.022}, year = {2018}, date = {2018-01-01}, journal = {Cognition}, volume = {179}, pages = {132--149}, abstract = {Much work has demonstrated that children are able to use bottom-up linguistic cues to incrementally interpret sentences, but there is little understanding of the extent to which children's comprehension mechanisms are guided by top-down linguistic information that can be learned from distributional regularities in the input. Using a visual world eye tracking experiment and a corpus analysis, the current study investigates whether 5- and 6-year-old children incrementally assign interpretations to temporarily ambiguous wh-questions like What was Emily eating the cake with __? In the visual world eye-tracking experiment, adults demonstrated evidence for active dependency formation at the earliest region (i.e., the verb region), while 6-year-old children demonstrated a spill-over effect of this bias in the subsequent NP region. No evidence for this bias was found in 5-year-olds, although the speed of arrival at the ultimately correct instrument interpretation appears to be modulated by the vocabulary size. These results suggest that adult-like active formation of filler-gap dependencies begins to emerge around age 6. The corpus analysis of filler-gap dependency structures in adult corpora and child corpora demonstrate that the distributional regularities in either corpora are equally in favor of early, incremental completion of filler-gap dependencies, suggesting that the distributional information in the input is either not relevant to this incremental bias, or that 5-year-old children are somehow unable to recruit this information in real-time comprehension. Taken together, these findings shed light on the origin of the incremental processing bias in filler-gap dependency processing, as well as on the role of language experience and cognitive constraints in the development of incremental sentence processing mechanisms.}, keywords = {}, pubstate = {published}, tppubtype = {article} } Much work has demonstrated that children are able to use bottom-up linguistic cues to incrementally interpret sentences, but there is little understanding of the extent to which children's comprehension mechanisms are guided by top-down linguistic information that can be learned from distributional regularities in the input. Using a visual world eye tracking experiment and a corpus analysis, the current study investigates whether 5- and 6-year-old children incrementally assign interpretations to temporarily ambiguous wh-questions like What was Emily eating the cake with __? In the visual world eye-tracking experiment, adults demonstrated evidence for active dependency formation at the earliest region (i.e., the verb region), while 6-year-old children demonstrated a spill-over effect of this bias in the subsequent NP region. No evidence for this bias was found in 5-year-olds, although the speed of arrival at the ultimately correct instrument interpretation appears to be modulated by the vocabulary size. These results suggest that adult-like active formation of filler-gap dependencies begins to emerge around age 6. The corpus analysis of filler-gap dependency structures in adult corpora and child corpora demonstrate that the distributional regularities in either corpora are equally in favor of early, incremental completion of filler-gap dependencies, suggesting that the distributional information in the input is either not relevant to this incremental bias, or that 5-year-old children are somehow unable to recruit this information in real-time comprehension. Taken together, these findings shed light on the origin of the incremental processing bias in filler-gap dependency processing, as well as on the role of language experience and cognitive constraints in the development of incremental sentence processing mechanisms. |
Emma L Axelsson; Rachelle L Dawson; Sharon Y Yim; Tashfia Quddus Mine, mine, mine: Self-reference and children's retention of novel words Journal Article Frontiers in Psychology, 9 , pp. 1–9, 2018. @article{Axelsson2018, title = {Mine, mine, mine: Self-reference and children's retention of novel words}, author = {Emma L Axelsson and Rachelle L Dawson and Sharon Y Yim and Tashfia Quddus}, doi = {10.3389/fpsyg.2018.00958}, year = {2018}, date = {2018-01-01}, journal = {Frontiers in Psychology}, volume = {9}, pages = {1--9}, abstract = {Adults demonstrate enhanced memory for words encoded as belonging to themselves compared to those belonging to another. Known as the self-reference effect, there is evidence for the effect in children as young as three. Toddlers are efficient in linking novel words to novel objects, but have difficulties retaining multiple word-object associations. The aim here was to investigate the self-reference ownership paradigm on 3-year-old children's retention of novel words. Following exposure to each of four novel word-object pairings, children were told that objects either belonged to them or another character. Children demonstrated significantly higher immediate retention of self-referenced compared to other-referenced items. Retention was also tested 4 h later and the following morning. Retention for self- and other-referenced words was significantly higher than chance at both delayed time points, but the difference between the self- and other-referenced words was no longer significant. The findings suggest that when it comes to toddlers' retention of multiple novel words there is an initial memory enhancing effect for self- compared to other-referenced items, but the difference diminishes over time. Children's looking times during the self-reference presentations were positively associated with retention of self-referenced words 4 h later. Looking times during the other-reference presentations were positively associated with proportional looking at other-referenced items during immediate retention testing. The findings have implications for children's memory for novel words and future studies could test children's explicit memories for the ownership manipulation itself and whether the effect is superior to other forms of memory supports such as ostensive naming.}, keywords = {}, pubstate = {published}, tppubtype = {article} } Adults demonstrate enhanced memory for words encoded as belonging to themselves compared to those belonging to another. Known as the self-reference effect, there is evidence for the effect in children as young as three. Toddlers are efficient in linking novel words to novel objects, but have difficulties retaining multiple word-object associations. The aim here was to investigate the self-reference ownership paradigm on 3-year-old children's retention of novel words. Following exposure to each of four novel word-object pairings, children were told that objects either belonged to them or another character. Children demonstrated significantly higher immediate retention of self-referenced compared to other-referenced items. Retention was also tested 4 h later and the following morning. Retention for self- and other-referenced words was significantly higher than chance at both delayed time points, but the difference between the self- and other-referenced words was no longer significant. The findings suggest that when it comes to toddlers' retention of multiple novel words there is an initial memory enhancing effect for self- compared to other-referenced items, but the difference diminishes over time. Children's looking times during the self-reference presentations were positively associated with retention of self-referenced words 4 h later. Looking times during the other-reference presentations were positively associated with proportional looking at other-referenced items during immediate retention testing. The findings have implications for children's memory for novel words and future studies could test children's explicit memories for the ownership manipulation itself and whether the effect is superior to other forms of memory supports such as ostensive naming. |
Emma L Axelsson; Jaclyn Swinton; Amanda I Winiger; Jessica S Horst Napping and toddlers' memory for fast-mapped words Journal Article First Language, 38 (6), pp. 582–595, 2018. @article{Axelsson2018a, title = {Napping and toddlers' memory for fast-mapped words}, author = {Emma L Axelsson and Jaclyn Swinton and Amanda I Winiger and Jessica S Horst}, doi = {10.1177/0142723718785490}, year = {2018}, date = {2018-01-01}, journal = {First Language}, volume = {38}, number = {6}, pages = {582--595}, abstract = {When toddlers hear a novel word, they quickly and independently link it with a novel object rather than known-name objects. However, they are less proficient in retaining multiple novel words. Sleep and even short naps can enhance declarative memory in adults and children and this study investigates the effect of napping on children's memory for novel words. Forty two-and-a-half-year-old children were presented with referent selection trials for four novel nouns. Children's retention of the words was tested immediately after referent selection, four hours later in the afternoon, and the following morning. Half of the toddlers napped prior to the afternoon retention test. Amongst the toddlers who napped, retention scores remained steady four hours after exposure and the following morning. In contrast, for the wake group, there was a steady decline in retention scores by the following morning and significantly lower retention scores compared to the nap group. Napping following exposure to novel word–object ...}, keywords = {}, pubstate = {published}, tppubtype = {article} } When toddlers hear a novel word, they quickly and independently link it with a novel object rather than known-name objects. However, they are less proficient in retaining multiple novel words. Sleep and even short naps can enhance declarative memory in adults and children and this study investigates the effect of napping on children's memory for novel words. Forty two-and-a-half-year-old children were presented with referent selection trials for four novel nouns. Children's retention of the words was tested immediately after referent selection, four hours later in the afternoon, and the following morning. Half of the toddlers napped prior to the afternoon retention test. Amongst the toddlers who napped, retention scores remained steady four hours after exposure and the following morning. In contrast, for the wake group, there was a steady decline in retention scores by the following morning and significantly lower retention scores compared to the nap group. Napping following exposure to novel word–object ... |
Nicole D Ayasse; Arthur Wingfield A tipping point in listening effort: Effects of linguistic complexity and age-related hearing loss on sentence comprehension Journal Article Trends in Hearing, 22 , pp. 1–14, 2018. @article{Ayasse2018, title = {A tipping point in listening effort: Effects of linguistic complexity and age-related hearing loss on sentence comprehension}, author = {Nicole D Ayasse and Arthur Wingfield}, doi = {10.1177/2331216518790907}, year = {2018}, date = {2018-01-01}, journal = {Trends in Hearing}, volume = {22}, pages = {1--14}, abstract = {In recent years, there has been a growing interest in the relationship between effort and performance. Early formulations implied that, as the challenge of a task increases, individuals will exert more effort, with resultant maintenance of stable performance. We report an experiment in which normal-hearing young adults, normal-hearing older adults, and older adults with age-related mild-to-moderate hearing loss were tested for comprehension of recorded sentences that varied the comprehension challenge in two ways. First, sentences were constructed that expressed their meaning either with a simpler subject-relative syntactic structure or a more computationally demanding object-relative structure. Second, for each sentence type, an adjectival phrase was inserted that created either a short or long gap in the sentence between the agent performing an action and the action being performed. The measurement of pupil dilation as an index of processing effort showed effort to increase with task difficulty until a difficulty tipping point was reached. Beyond this point, the measurement of pupil size revealed a commitment of effort by the two groups of older adults who failed to keep pace with task demands as evidenced by reduced comprehension accuracy. We take these pupillometry data as revealing a complex relationship between task difficulty, effort, and performance that might not otherwise appear from task performance alone.}, keywords = {}, pubstate = {published}, tppubtype = {article} } In recent years, there has been a growing interest in the relationship between effort and performance. Early formulations implied that, as the challenge of a task increases, individuals will exert more effort, with resultant maintenance of stable performance. We report an experiment in which normal-hearing young adults, normal-hearing older adults, and older adults with age-related mild-to-moderate hearing loss were tested for comprehension of recorded sentences that varied the comprehension challenge in two ways. First, sentences were constructed that expressed their meaning either with a simpler subject-relative syntactic structure or a more computationally demanding object-relative structure. Second, for each sentence type, an adjectival phrase was inserted that created either a short or long gap in the sentence between the agent performing an action and the action being performed. The measurement of pupil dilation as an index of processing effort showed effort to increase with task difficulty until a difficulty tipping point was reached. Beyond this point, the measurement of pupil size revealed a commitment of effort by the two groups of older adults who failed to keep pace with task demands as evidenced by reduced comprehension accuracy. We take these pupillometry data as revealing a complex relationship between task difficulty, effort, and performance that might not otherwise appear from task performance alone. |
Chiara Banfi; Ferenc Kemény; Melanie Gangl; Gerd Schulte-Körne; Kristina Moll; Karin Landerl Visual attention span performance in German-speaking children with differential reading and spelling profiles: No evidence of group differences Journal Article Plos One, 13 (6), pp. 1–17, 2018. @article{Banfi2018, title = {Visual attention span performance in German-speaking children with differential reading and spelling profiles: No evidence of group differences}, author = {Chiara Banfi and Ferenc Kemény and Melanie Gangl and Gerd Schulte-Körne and Kristina Moll and Karin Landerl}, doi = {10.1371/journal.pone.0198903}, year = {2018}, date = {2018-01-01}, journal = {Plos One}, volume = {13}, number = {6}, pages = {1--17}, abstract = {An impairment in the visual attention span (VAS) has been suggested to hamper reading performance of individuals with dyslexia. It is not clear, however, if the very nature of the deficit is visual or verbal and, importantly, if it affects spelling skills as well. The current study investigated VAS by means of forced choice tasks with letters and symbols in a sample of third and fourth graders with age-adequate reading and spelling skills (n= 43), a typical dyslexia profile with combined reading and spelling deficits (n= 26) and isolated spelling deficits (n= 32). The task was devised to contain low phonological short-term memory load and to overcome the limitations of oral reports. Notably, eye-movements were monitored to control that children fixated the center of the display when stimuli were presented. Results yielded no main effect of group as well as no group-related interactions, thus showing that children with dyslexia and isolated spelling deficits did not manifest a VAS deficit for letters or symbols once certain methodological aspects were controlled for. The present results could not replicate previous evidence for the involvement of VAS in reading and dyslexia.}, keywords = {}, pubstate = {published}, tppubtype = {article} } An impairment in the visual attention span (VAS) has been suggested to hamper reading performance of individuals with dyslexia. It is not clear, however, if the very nature of the deficit is visual or verbal and, importantly, if it affects spelling skills as well. The current study investigated VAS by means of forced choice tasks with letters and symbols in a sample of third and fourth graders with age-adequate reading and spelling skills (n= 43), a typical dyslexia profile with combined reading and spelling deficits (n= 26) and isolated spelling deficits (n= 32). The task was devised to contain low phonological short-term memory load and to overcome the limitations of oral reports. Notably, eye-movements were monitored to control that children fixated the center of the display when stimuli were presented. Results yielded no main effect of group as well as no group-related interactions, thus showing that children with dyslexia and isolated spelling deficits did not manifest a VAS deficit for letters or symbols once certain methodological aspects were controlled for. The present results could not replicate previous evidence for the involvement of VAS in reading and dyslexia. |
Wesley R Barnhart; Samuel Rivera; Christopher W Robinson Different patterns of modality dominance across development Journal Article Acta Psychologica, 182 , pp. 154–165, 2018. @article{Barnhart2018a, title = {Different patterns of modality dominance across development}, author = {Wesley R Barnhart and Samuel Rivera and Christopher W Robinson}, doi = {10.1016/j.actpsy.2017.11.017}, year = {2018}, date = {2018-01-01}, journal = {Acta Psychologica}, volume = {182}, pages = {154--165}, publisher = {Elsevier}, abstract = {The present study sought to better understand how children, young adults, and older adults attend and respond to multisensory information. In Experiment 1, young adults were presented with two spoken words, two pictures, or two word-picture pairings and they had to determine if the two stimuli/pairings were exactly the same or different. Pairing the words and pictures together slowed down visual but not auditory response times and delayed the latency of first fixations, both of which are consistent with a proposed mechanism underlying auditory dominance. Experiment 2 examined the development of modality dominance in children, young adults, and older adults. Cross-modal presentation attenuated visual accuracy and slowed down visual response times in children, whereas older adults showed the opposite pattern, with cross-modal presentation attenuating auditory accuracy and slowing down auditory response times. Cross-modal presentation also delayed first fixations in children and young adults. Mechanisms underlying modality dominance and multisensory processing are discussed.}, keywords = {}, pubstate = {published}, tppubtype = {article} } The present study sought to better understand how children, young adults, and older adults attend and respond to multisensory information. In Experiment 1, young adults were presented with two spoken words, two pictures, or two word-picture pairings and they had to determine if the two stimuli/pairings were exactly the same or different. Pairing the words and pictures together slowed down visual but not auditory response times and delayed the latency of first fixations, both of which are consistent with a proposed mechanism underlying auditory dominance. Experiment 2 examined the development of modality dominance in children, young adults, and older adults. Cross-modal presentation attenuated visual accuracy and slowed down visual response times in children, whereas older adults showed the opposite pattern, with cross-modal presentation attenuating auditory accuracy and slowing down auditory response times. Cross-modal presentation also delayed first fixations in children and young adults. Mechanisms underlying modality dominance and multisensory processing are discussed. |
Wesley R Barnhart; Samuel Rivera; Christopher W Robinson Effects of linguistic labels on visual attention in children and young adults Journal Article Frontiers in Psychology, 9 , pp. 1–11, 2018. @article{Barnhart2018b, title = {Effects of linguistic labels on visual attention in children and young adults}, author = {Wesley R Barnhart and Samuel Rivera and Christopher W Robinson}, doi = {10.3389/fpsyg.2018.00358}, year = {2018}, date = {2018-01-01}, journal = {Frontiers in Psychology}, volume = {9}, pages = {1--11}, abstract = {Effects of linguistic labels on learning outcomes are well-established; however, developmental research examining possible mechanisms underlying these effects have provided mixed results. We used a novel paradigm where 8-year-olds and adults were simultaneously trained on three sparse categories (categories with many irrelevant or unique features and a single rule defining feature). Category members were either associated with the same label, different labels, or no labels (silent baseline). Similar to infant paradigms, participants passively viewed individual exemplars and we examined fixations to category relevant features across training. While it is well established that adults can optimize their attention in forced-choice categorization tasks without linguistic input, the present findings provide support for label induced attention optimization: simply hearing the same label associated with different exemplars was associated with increased attention to category relevant features over time, and participants continued to focus on these features on a subsequent recognition task. Participants also viewed images longer and made more fixations when images were paired with unique labels. These findings provide support for the claim that labels may facilitate categorization by directing attention to category relevant features.}, keywords = {}, pubstate = {published}, tppubtype = {article} } Effects of linguistic labels on learning outcomes are well-established; however, developmental research examining possible mechanisms underlying these effects have provided mixed results. We used a novel paradigm where 8-year-olds and adults were simultaneously trained on three sparse categories (categories with many irrelevant or unique features and a single rule defining feature). Category members were either associated with the same label, different labels, or no labels (silent baseline). Similar to infant paradigms, participants passively viewed individual exemplars and we examined fixations to category relevant features across training. While it is well established that adults can optimize their attention in forced-choice categorization tasks without linguistic input, the present findings provide support for label induced attention optimization: simply hearing the same label associated with different exemplars was associated with increased attention to category relevant features over time, and participants continued to focus on these features on a subsequent recognition task. Participants also viewed images longer and made more fixations when images were paired with unique labels. These findings provide support for the claim that labels may facilitate categorization by directing attention to category relevant features. |
Nathalie N Bélanger; Michelle Lee; Elizabeth R Schotter Young skilled deaf readers have an enhanced perceptual span in reading Journal Article Quarterly Journal of Experimental Psychology, 71 (1), pp. 291–301, 2018. @article{Belanger2018, title = {Young skilled deaf readers have an enhanced perceptual span in reading}, author = {Nathalie N Bélanger and Michelle Lee and Elizabeth R Schotter}, doi = {10.1080/17470218.2017.1324498}, year = {2018}, date = {2018-01-01}, journal = {Quarterly Journal of Experimental Psychology}, volume = {71}, number = {1}, pages = {291--301}, abstract = {Recent evidence suggests that deaf people have enhanced visual attention to simple stimuli in the parafovea in comparison to hearing people. Although a large part of reading involves processing the fixated words in foveal vision, readers also utilize information in parafoveal vision to pre-process upcoming words and decide where to look next. We investigated whether auditory deprivation affects low-level visual processing during reading, and compared the perceptual span of deaf signers who were skilled and less skilled readers to that of skilled hearing readers. Compared to hearing readers, deaf readers had a larger perceptual span than would be expected by their reading ability. These results provide the first evidence that deaf readers' enhanced attentional allocation to the parafovea is used during a complex cognitive task such as reading.}, keywords = {}, pubstate = {published}, tppubtype = {article} } Recent evidence suggests that deaf people have enhanced visual attention to simple stimuli in the parafovea in comparison to hearing people. Although a large part of reading involves processing the fixated words in foveal vision, readers also utilize information in parafoveal vision to pre-process upcoming words and decide where to look next. We investigated whether auditory deprivation affects low-level visual processing during reading, and compared the perceptual span of deaf signers who were skilled and less skilled readers to that of skilled hearing readers. Compared to hearing readers, deaf readers had a larger perceptual span than would be expected by their reading ability. These results provide the first evidence that deaf readers' enhanced attentional allocation to the parafovea is used during a complex cognitive task such as reading. |
Jutta Billino; Goedele van Belle; Bruno Rossion; Gudrun Schwarzer The nature of individual face recognition in preschool children: Insights from a gaze-contingent paradigm Journal Article Cognitive Development, 47 , pp. 168–180, 2018. @article{Billino2018, title = {The nature of individual face recognition in preschool children: Insights from a gaze-contingent paradigm}, author = {Jutta Billino and Goedele van Belle and Bruno Rossion and Gudrun Schwarzer}, doi = {10.1016/j.cogdev.2018.06.007}, year = {2018}, date = {2018-01-01}, journal = {Cognitive Development}, volume = {47}, pages = {168--180}, publisher = {Elsevier}, abstract = {The development of individual face recognition has been intensively studied and supports early expertise in childhood. However, how the differential use of holistic and analytical face processing modes contribute to the well-documented prolonged development of individual face recognition until adulthood remains poorly understood. We applied a gaze-contingency approach to study individual face recognition in 5-year-old children and young adults, allowing selective manipulation of processing modes and providing insights into facial information use through fixation patterns. Although both age groups relied on similar processing modes, children were less efficient in compensating for processing manipulations, in particular when analytical processing was emphasized. They were also less flexible in using facial information. Our findings suggest that efficiency in adaptively exploiting visual information contributes to still developing individual face recognition abilities in children.}, keywords = {}, pubstate = {published}, tppubtype = {article} } The development of individual face recognition has been intensively studied and supports early expertise in childhood. However, how the differential use of holistic and analytical face processing modes contribute to the well-documented prolonged development of individual face recognition until adulthood remains poorly understood. We applied a gaze-contingency approach to study individual face recognition in 5-year-old children and young adults, allowing selective manipulation of processing modes and providing insights into facial information use through fixation patterns. Although both age groups relied on similar processing modes, children were less efficient in compensating for processing manipulations, in particular when analytical processing was emphasized. They were also less flexible in using facial information. Our findings suggest that efficiency in adaptively exploiting visual information contributes to still developing individual face recognition abilities in children. |
Abdullah Bin Zahid; Molly E Hubbard; Julia Lockyer; Olivia Podolak; Vikalpa M Dammavalam; Matthew Grady; Michael Nance; Mitchell Scheiman; Uzma Samadani; Christina L Master Eye tracking as a biomarker for concussion in children Journal Article Clinical Journal of Sport Medicine, pp. 1–11, 2018. @article{BinZahid2018, title = {Eye tracking as a biomarker for concussion in children}, author = {Abdullah {Bin Zahid} and Molly E Hubbard and Julia Lockyer and Olivia Podolak and Vikalpa M Dammavalam and Matthew Grady and Michael Nance and Mitchell Scheiman and Uzma Samadani and Christina L Master}, doi = {10.1097/jsm.0000000000000639}, year = {2018}, date = {2018-01-01}, journal = {Clinical Journal of Sport Medicine}, pages = {1--11}, abstract = {OBJECTIVE: Concussion is the most common type of brain injury in both pediatric and adult populations and can potentially result in persistent postconcussion symptoms. Objective assessment of physiologic "mild" traumatic brain injury in concussion patients remains challenging. This study evaluates an automated eye-tracking algorithm as a biomarker for concussion as defined by its symptoms and the clinical signs of convergence insufficiency and accommodation dysfunction in a pediatric population. DESIGN: Cross-sectional case-control study. SETTING: Primary care. PATIENTS: Concussed children (N = 56; mean age = 13 years), evaluated at a mean of 22-week post-injury, compared with 83 uninjured controls. INDEPENDENT VARIABLES: Metrics comparing velocity and conjugacy of eye movements over time were obtained and were compared with the correlation between Acute Concussion Evaluation (ACE) scores, convergence, and accommodation dysfunction. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Subjects' eye movements recorded with an automated eye tracker while they watched a 220-second cartoon film clip played continuously while moving within an aperture. RESULTS: Twelve eye-tracking metrics were significantly different between concussed and nonconcussed children. A model to classify concussion as diagnosed by its symptoms assessed using the ACE achieved an area under the curve (AUC) = 0.854 (71.9% sensitivity, 84.4% specificity, a cross-validated AUC = 0.789). An eye-tracking model built to identify near point of convergence (NPC) disability achieved 95.8% specificity and 57.1% sensitivity for an AUC = 0.810. Reduced binocular amplitude of accommodation had a Spearman correlation of 0.752(P value textless0.001) with NPC. CONCLUSION: Eye tracking correlated with concussion symptoms and detected convergence and accommodative abnormalities associated with concussion in the pediatric population. It demonstrates utility as a rapid, objective, noninvasive aid in the diagnosis of concussion.}, keywords = {}, pubstate = {published}, tppubtype = {article} } OBJECTIVE: Concussion is the most common type of brain injury in both pediatric and adult populations and can potentially result in persistent postconcussion symptoms. Objective assessment of physiologic "mild" traumatic brain injury in concussion patients remains challenging. This study evaluates an automated eye-tracking algorithm as a biomarker for concussion as defined by its symptoms and the clinical signs of convergence insufficiency and accommodation dysfunction in a pediatric population. DESIGN: Cross-sectional case-control study. SETTING: Primary care. PATIENTS: Concussed children (N = 56; mean age = 13 years), evaluated at a mean of 22-week post-injury, compared with 83 uninjured controls. INDEPENDENT VARIABLES: Metrics comparing velocity and conjugacy of eye movements over time were obtained and were compared with the correlation between Acute Concussion Evaluation (ACE) scores, convergence, and accommodation dysfunction. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Subjects' eye movements recorded with an automated eye tracker while they watched a 220-second cartoon film clip played continuously while moving within an aperture. RESULTS: Twelve eye-tracking metrics were significantly different between concussed and nonconcussed children. A model to classify concussion as diagnosed by its symptoms assessed using the ACE achieved an area under the curve (AUC) = 0.854 (71.9% sensitivity, 84.4% specificity, a cross-validated AUC = 0.789). An eye-tracking model built to identify near point of convergence (NPC) disability achieved 95.8% specificity and 57.1% sensitivity for an AUC = 0.810. Reduced binocular amplitude of accommodation had a Spearman correlation of 0.752(P value textless0.001) with NPC. CONCLUSION: Eye tracking correlated with concussion symptoms and detected convergence and accommodative abnormalities associated with concussion in the pediatric population. It demonstrates utility as a rapid, objective, noninvasive aid in the diagnosis of concussion. |
James Blundella; Steven Frissona; Anupam Chakrapanib; Paul Gissenc; Chris Hendriksz; Suresh Vijaye; Andrew Olson Oculomotor abnormalities in children with Niemann-Pick type C Journal Article Molecular Genetics and Metabolism, 123 (2), pp. 159–168, 2018. @article{Blundella2018, title = {Oculomotor abnormalities in children with Niemann-Pick type C}, author = {James Blundella and Steven Frissona and Anupam Chakrapanib and Paul Gissenc and Chris Hendriksz and Suresh Vijaye and Andrew Olson}, doi = {10.1016/j.ymgme.2017.11.004}, year = {2018}, date = {2018-01-01}, journal = {Molecular Genetics and Metabolism}, volume = {123}, number = {2}, pages = {159--168}, publisher = {Elsevier}, abstract = {Niemann-Pick type C (NP-C) is a rare recessive disorder associated with progressive supranuclear gaze palsy. Degeneration occurs initially for vertical saccades and later for horizontal saccades. There are studies of oculo- motor degeneration in adult NP-C patients [1, 2] but no comparable studies in children. We used high-resolution video-based eye tracking to record monocular vertical and horizontal eye movements in 2 neurological NP-C pa- tients (children with clinically observable oculomotor abnormalities) and 3 pre-neurological NP-C patients (children without clinically observable oculomotor abnormalities). Saccade onset latency, saccade peak velocity and saccade curvature were compared to healthy controls (N= 77). NP-C patients had selective impairments of vertical sac- cade peak velocity and vertical saccade curvature, with slower peak velocities and greater curvature. Changes were more pronounced in neurological than pre-neurological patients, showing that these measures are sensitive to disease progress, but abnormal curvature and slowed downward saccades were present in both groups, showing that eye- tracking can register disease-related changes before these are evident in a clinical exam. Both slowing, curvature and the detailed characteristics of the curvature we observed are predicted by the detailed characteristics of RIMLF population codes. Onset latencies were not different from healthy controls. High-resolution video-based eye tracking is a promising sensitive and objective method to measure NP-C disease severity and neurological onset. It may also help evaluate responses to therapeutic interventions.}, keywords = {}, pubstate = {published}, tppubtype = {article} } Niemann-Pick type C (NP-C) is a rare recessive disorder associated with progressive supranuclear gaze palsy. Degeneration occurs initially for vertical saccades and later for horizontal saccades. There are studies of oculo- motor degeneration in adult NP-C patients [1, 2] but no comparable studies in children. We used high-resolution video-based eye tracking to record monocular vertical and horizontal eye movements in 2 neurological NP-C pa- tients (children with clinically observable oculomotor abnormalities) and 3 pre-neurological NP-C patients (children without clinically observable oculomotor abnormalities). Saccade onset latency, saccade peak velocity and saccade curvature were compared to healthy controls (N= 77). NP-C patients had selective impairments of vertical sac- cade peak velocity and vertical saccade curvature, with slower peak velocities and greater curvature. Changes were more pronounced in neurological than pre-neurological patients, showing that these measures are sensitive to disease progress, but abnormal curvature and slowed downward saccades were present in both groups, showing that eye- tracking can register disease-related changes before these are evident in a clinical exam. Both slowing, curvature and the detailed characteristics of the curvature we observed are predicted by the detailed characteristics of RIMLF population codes. Onset latencies were not different from healthy controls. High-resolution video-based eye tracking is a promising sensitive and objective method to measure NP-C disease severity and neurological onset. It may also help evaluate responses to therapeutic interventions. |
Rudolf Burggraaf; Jos N van der Geest; Maarten A Frens; Ignace T C Hooge Visual search accelerates during adolescence Journal Article Journal of Vision, 18 (5), pp. 1–11, 2018. @article{Burggraaf2018, title = {Visual search accelerates during adolescence}, author = {Rudolf Burggraaf and Jos N van der Geest and Maarten A Frens and Ignace T C Hooge}, doi = {10.1167/18.5.3}, year = {2018}, date = {2018-01-01}, journal = {Journal of Vision}, volume = {18}, number = {5}, pages = {1--11}, abstract = {We studied changes in visual-search performance and behavior during adolescence. Search performance was analyzed in terms of reaction time and response accuracy. Search behavior was analyzed in terms of the objects fixated and the duration of these fixations. A large group of adolescents (N ¼ 140; age: 12-19 years; 47% female, 53% male) participated in a visual-search experiment in which their eye movements were recorded with an eye tracker. The experiment consisted of 144 trials (50% with a target present), and participants had to decide whether a target was present. Each trial showed a search display with 36 Gabor patches placed on a hexagonal grid. The target was a vertically oriented element with a high spatial frequency. Nontargets differed from the target in spatial frequency, orientation, or both. Search performance and behavior changed during adolescence; with increasing age, fixation duration and reaction time decreased. Response accuracy, number of fixations, and selection of elements to fixate upon did not change with age. Thus, the speed of foveal discrimination increases with age, while the efficiency of peripheral selection does not change. We conclude that the way visual information is gathered does not change during adolescence, but the processing of visual information becomes faster.}, keywords = {}, pubstate = {published}, tppubtype = {article} } We studied changes in visual-search performance and behavior during adolescence. Search performance was analyzed in terms of reaction time and response accuracy. Search behavior was analyzed in terms of the objects fixated and the duration of these fixations. A large group of adolescents (N ¼ 140; age: 12-19 years; 47% female, 53% male) participated in a visual-search experiment in which their eye movements were recorded with an eye tracker. The experiment consisted of 144 trials (50% with a target present), and participants had to decide whether a target was present. Each trial showed a search display with 36 Gabor patches placed on a hexagonal grid. The target was a vertically oriented element with a high spatial frequency. Nontargets differed from the target in spatial frequency, orientation, or both. Search performance and behavior changed during adolescence; with increasing age, fixation duration and reaction time decreased. Response accuracy, number of fixations, and selection of elements to fixate upon did not change with age. Thus, the speed of foveal discrimination increases with age, while the efficiency of peripheral selection does not change. We conclude that the way visual information is gathered does not change during adolescence, but the processing of visual information becomes faster. |
Sarah E Burke; Immanuel Babu Henry Samuel; Qing Zhao; Jackson Cagle; Ronald A Cohen; Benzi Kluger; Mingzhou Ding Task-based cognitive fatigability for older adults and validation of mental fatigability subscore of pittsburgh fatigability scale Journal Article Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience, 10 , pp. 1–7, 2018. @article{Burke2018, title = {Task-based cognitive fatigability for older adults and validation of mental fatigability subscore of pittsburgh fatigability scale}, author = {Sarah E Burke and Immanuel Babu Henry Samuel and Qing Zhao and Jackson Cagle and Ronald A Cohen and Benzi Kluger and Mingzhou Ding}, doi = {10.3389/fnagi.2018.00327}, year = {2018}, date = {2018-01-01}, journal = {Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience}, volume = {10}, pages = {1--7}, abstract = {Cognitive fatigue and cognitive fatigability are distinct constructs. Cognitive fatigue reflects perception of cognitive fatigue outside of the context of activity level and duration and can be reliably assessed via established instruments such as the Fatigue Severity Scale (FSS) and the Modified Fatigue Impact Scale (MFIS). In contrast, cognitive fatigability reflects change in fatigue levels quantified within the context of the level and duration of cognitive activity, and currently there are no reliable measures of cognitive fatigability. A recently published scale, the Pittsburgh Fatigability Scale (PFS), attempts to remedy this problem with a focus on the aged population. While the physical fatigability subscore of PFS has been validated using physical activity derived measures, the mental fatigability subscore of PFS remains to be tested against equivalent measures derived from cognitive activities. To this end, we recruited 35 older, healthy adult participants (mean age 73.77 ± 5.9) to complete the PFS as well as a prolonged continuous performance of a Stroop task (textgreater2 h). Task-based assessments included time-on-task changes in self-reported fatigue scores (every 20 min), reaction time, and pupil diameter. Defining subjective fatigability, behavioral fatigability, and physiologic/autonomic fatigability to be the slope of change over time-on-task in the above three assessed variables, we found that the PFS mental subscore was not correlated with any of the three task-based fatigability measures. Instead, the PFS mental subscore was correlated with trait level fatigue measures FSS ($rho$ = 0.63, p textless 0.001), and MFIS cognitive subsection ($rho$ = 0.36}, keywords = {}, pubstate = {published}, tppubtype = {article} } Cognitive fatigue and cognitive fatigability are distinct constructs. Cognitive fatigue reflects perception of cognitive fatigue outside of the context of activity level and duration and can be reliably assessed via established instruments such as the Fatigue Severity Scale (FSS) and the Modified Fatigue Impact Scale (MFIS). In contrast, cognitive fatigability reflects change in fatigue levels quantified within the context of the level and duration of cognitive activity, and currently there are no reliable measures of cognitive fatigability. A recently published scale, the Pittsburgh Fatigability Scale (PFS), attempts to remedy this problem with a focus on the aged population. While the physical fatigability subscore of PFS has been validated using physical activity derived measures, the mental fatigability subscore of PFS remains to be tested against equivalent measures derived from cognitive activities. To this end, we recruited 35 older, healthy adult participants (mean age 73.77 ± 5.9) to complete the PFS as well as a prolonged continuous performance of a Stroop task (textgreater2 h). Task-based assessments included time-on-task changes in self-reported fatigue scores (every 20 min), reaction time, and pupil diameter. Defining subjective fatigability, behavioral fatigability, and physiologic/autonomic fatigability to be the slope of change over time-on-task in the above three assessed variables, we found that the PFS mental subscore was not correlated with any of the three task-based fatigability measures. Instead, the PFS mental subscore was correlated with trait level fatigue measures FSS ($rho$ = 0.63, p textless 0.001), and MFIS cognitive subsection ($rho$ = 0.36 |
Cynthia Y H Chan; Antoni B Chan; Tatia M C Lee; Janet H Hsiao Eye-movement patterns in face recognition are associated with cognitive decline in older adults Journal Article Psychonomic Bulletin & Review, 25 (6), pp. 2200–2207, 2018. @article{Chan2018, title = {Eye-movement patterns in face recognition are associated with cognitive decline in older adults}, author = {Cynthia Y H Chan and Antoni B Chan and Tatia M C Lee and Janet H Hsiao}, doi = {10.3758/s13423-017-1419-0}, year = {2018}, date = {2018-01-01}, journal = {Psychonomic Bulletin & Review}, volume = {25}, number = {6}, pages = {2200--2207}, publisher = {Psychonomic Bulletin & Review}, abstract = {The Hidden Markov Modeling approach for eye-movement data analysis is able to quantitatively assess differences and similarities among individual patterns. Here we applied this approach to examine the relationships between eye-movement patterns in face recognition and age-related cognitive decline. We found that significantly more older than young adults adopted "holistic" patterns, in which most eye fixations landed around the face center, as opposed to "analytic" patterns, in which eye movements switched among the two eyes and the face center. Participants showing analytic patterns had better performance than those with holistic patterns regardless ofage. Interestingly, older adults with lower cognitive status (as assessed by the Montreal Cognitive Assessment), particularly in executive and visual attention functioning (as assessed by Tower of London and Trail Making Tests) were associated with a higher likelihood of holistic patterns. This result suggests the possibility of using eye movements as an easily deployable screening assessment for cognitive decline in older adults.}, keywords = {}, pubstate = {published}, tppubtype = {article} } The Hidden Markov Modeling approach for eye-movement data analysis is able to quantitatively assess differences and similarities among individual patterns. Here we applied this approach to examine the relationships between eye-movement patterns in face recognition and age-related cognitive decline. We found that significantly more older than young adults adopted "holistic" patterns, in which most eye fixations landed around the face center, as opposed to "analytic" patterns, in which eye movements switched among the two eyes and the face center. Participants showing analytic patterns had better performance than those with holistic patterns regardless ofage. Interestingly, older adults with lower cognitive status (as assessed by the Montreal Cognitive Assessment), particularly in executive and visual attention functioning (as assessed by Tower of London and Trail Making Tests) were associated with a higher likelihood of holistic patterns. This result suggests the possibility of using eye movements as an easily deployable screening assessment for cognitive decline in older adults. |
Yong-Qi Cong; Caroline Jungeb; Evin Aktarc; Maartje Raijmakersc; Anna Frankline; Disa Sautera Pre-verbal infants perceive emotional facial expressions categorically Journal Article Cognition and Emotion, pp. 1–13, 2018. @article{Cong2018, title = {Pre-verbal infants perceive emotional facial expressions categorically}, author = {Yong-Qi Cong and Caroline Jungeb and Evin Aktarc and Maartje Raijmakersc and Anna Frankline and Disa Sautera}, doi = {10.1080/02699931.2018.1455640}, year = {2018}, date = {2018-01-01}, journal = {Cognition and Emotion}, pages = {1--13}, publisher = {Taylor & Francis}, abstract = {Adults perceive emotional expressions categorically, with discrimination being faster and more accurate between expressions from different emotion categories (i.e. blends with two different predominant emotions) than between two stimuli from the same category (i.e. blends with the same predominant emotion). The current study sought to test whether facial expressions of happiness and fear are perceived categorically by pre-verbal infants, using a new stimulus set that was shown to yield categorical perception in adult observers (Experiments 1 and 2). These stimuli were then used with 7-month-old infants (N = 34) using a habituation and visual preference paradigm (Experiment 3). Infants were first habituated to an expression of one emotion, then presented with the same expression paired with a novel expression either from the same emotion category or from a different emotion category. After habituation to fear, infants displayed a novelty preference for pairs of between-category expressions, but not within-category ones, showing categorical perception. However, infants showed no novelty preference when they were habituated to happiness. Our findings provide evidence for categorical perception of emotional expressions in pre-verbal infants, while the asymmetrical effect challenges the notion of a bias towards negative information in this age group.}, keywords = {}, pubstate = {published}, tppubtype = {article} } Adults perceive emotional expressions categorically, with discrimination being faster and more accurate between expressions from different emotion categories (i.e. blends with two different predominant emotions) than between two stimuli from the same category (i.e. blends with the same predominant emotion). The current study sought to test whether facial expressions of happiness and fear are perceived categorically by pre-verbal infants, using a new stimulus set that was shown to yield categorical perception in adult observers (Experiments 1 and 2). These stimuli were then used with 7-month-old infants (N = 34) using a habituation and visual preference paradigm (Experiment 3). Infants were first habituated to an expression of one emotion, then presented with the same expression paired with a novel expression either from the same emotion category or from a different emotion category. After habituation to fear, infants displayed a novelty preference for pairs of between-category expressions, but not within-category ones, showing categorical perception. However, infants showed no novelty preference when they were habituated to happiness. Our findings provide evidence for categorical perception of emotional expressions in pre-verbal infants, while the asymmetrical effect challenges the notion of a bias towards negative information in this age group. |
Benjamin Denkinger; Madeline Kinn Own-age bias and positivity effects in facial recognition Journal Article Experimental Aging Research, 44 (5), pp. 411–426, 2018. @article{Denkinger2018, title = {Own-age bias and positivity effects in facial recognition}, author = {Benjamin Denkinger and Madeline Kinn}, doi = {10.1080/0361073X.2018.1521493}, year = {2018}, date = {2018-01-01}, journal = {Experimental Aging Research}, volume = {44}, number = {5}, pages = {411--426}, abstract = {Background/Study Context - In the current study, we evaluated two age-related differences in recognition memory: the own-age bias, wherein older and younger adults best recognize those of their own age group, and an age-related positivity effect, wherein older adults recall positive emotional information better than negative information relative to younger adults. We sought to extend previous research that jointly investigated these variables in recognition memory. Methods - Younger (age 18 – 27) and older (age 62 – 80) adults completed an incidental encoding task on a sequence of 50 positive, negative, or neutrally valenced images of older and younger adult faces. After a distractor task, participants made forced-choice recog- nition judgments and rated their decision confidence for images that were repeated with the same or a different emotional expression, and for novel, previously unseen faces. Results – Older and younger adults' recognition discriminability did not differ significantly between age groups. Notably, the data indi- cated an own-age bias in young adults, but not in older adults, and both age groups' recognition accuracy was greatest for faces that had originally been shown with a positive emotional expression. Conclusion - To our knowledge, this research is the first to demonstrate an own-age recognition bias in younger adults for emotional faces. Although our predictions of a differential impact by emotional faces on recognition of same and other-age faces were not supported, we identify a number of factors that contextualize these findings in the recent literature.}, keywords = {}, pubstate = {published}, tppubtype = {article} } Background/Study Context - In the current study, we evaluated two age-related differences in recognition memory: the own-age bias, wherein older and younger adults best recognize those of their own age group, and an age-related positivity effect, wherein older adults recall positive emotional information better than negative information relative to younger adults. We sought to extend previous research that jointly investigated these variables in recognition memory. Methods - Younger (age 18 – 27) and older (age 62 – 80) adults completed an incidental encoding task on a sequence of 50 positive, negative, or neutrally valenced images of older and younger adult faces. After a distractor task, participants made forced-choice recog- nition judgments and rated their decision confidence for images that were repeated with the same or a different emotional expression, and for novel, previously unseen faces. Results – Older and younger adults' recognition discriminability did not differ significantly between age groups. Notably, the data indi- cated an own-age bias in young adults, but not in older adults, and both age groups' recognition accuracy was greatest for faces that had originally been shown with a positive emotional expression. Conclusion - To our knowledge, this research is the first to demonstrate an own-age recognition bias in younger adults for emotional faces. Although our predictions of a differential impact by emotional faces on recognition of same and other-age faces were not supported, we identify a number of factors that contextualize these findings in the recent literature. |
Moussa Diarra; Benjamin Rich Zendel; Jessica Benady‑Chorney; Caroll‑Ann Blanchette; Franco Lepore; Isabelle Peretz; Sylvie Belleville; Greg L West Playing Super Mario increases oculomotor inhibition and frontal eye field grey matter in older adults Journal Article Experimental Brain Research, pp. 1–11, 2018. @article{Diarra2018, title = {Playing Super Mario increases oculomotor inhibition and frontal eye field grey matter in older adults}, author = {Moussa Diarra and Benjamin Rich Zendel and Jessica Benady‑Chorney and Caroll‑Ann Blanchette and Franco Lepore and Isabelle Peretz and Sylvie Belleville and Greg L West}, doi = {10.1007/s00221-018-5453-6}, year = {2018}, date = {2018-01-01}, journal = {Experimental Brain Research}, pages = {1--11}, publisher = {Springer Berlin Heidelberg}, abstract = {Aging is associated with cognitive decline and decreased capacity to inhibit distracting information. Video game training holds promise to increase inhibitory mechanisms in older adults. In the current study, we tested the impact of 3D-platform video game training on performance in an antisaccade task and on related changes in grey matter within the frontal eye fields (FEFs) of older adults. An experimental group (VID group) engaged in 3D-platform video game training over a period of 6 months, while an active control group was trained on piano lessons (MUS group), and a no-contact control group did not participate in any intervention (CON group). Increased performance in oculomotor inhibition, as measured by the antisaccade task, and increased grey matter in the right FEF was observed uniquely in the VID group. These results demonstrate that 3D-platform video game training can improve inhibitory control known to decline with age.}, keywords = {}, pubstate = {published}, tppubtype = {article} } Aging is associated with cognitive decline and decreased capacity to inhibit distracting information. Video game training holds promise to increase inhibitory mechanisms in older adults. In the current study, we tested the impact of 3D-platform video game training on performance in an antisaccade task and on related changes in grey matter within the frontal eye fields (FEFs) of older adults. An experimental group (VID group) engaged in 3D-platform video game training over a period of 6 months, while an active control group was trained on piano lessons (MUS group), and a no-contact control group did not participate in any intervention (CON group). Increased performance in oculomotor inhibition, as measured by the antisaccade task, and increased grey matter in the right FEF was observed uniquely in the VID group. These results demonstrate that 3D-platform video game training can improve inhibitory control known to decline with age. |
Sarah Eilers; Simon P Tiffin-Richards; Sascha Schroeder Journal of Experimental Child Psychology, 173 , pp. 250–267, 2018. @article{Eilers2018a, title = {Individual differences in children's pronoun processing during reading: Detection of incongruence is associated with higher reading fluency and more regressions}, author = {Sarah Eilers and Simon P Tiffin-Richards and Sascha Schroeder}, doi = {10.1016/j.jecp.2018.04.005}, year = {2018}, date = {2018-01-01}, journal = {Journal of Experimental Child Psychology}, volume = {173}, pages = {250--267}, publisher = {Elsevier Inc.}, abstract = {In two eye tracking experiments, we tested fourth graders' and adults' sensitivity to gender feature mismatches during reading of pronouns and their susceptibility to interference of feature-matching entities in the sentence. In Experiment 1, we showed children and adults two-phrase sentences such as “Leonm/Lisaf shooed away the sparrowm/the seagullf and then hem ate the tasty sandwich.” Eye tracking measures showed no qualitative differences between children's and adults' processing of the pronouns. Both age groups showed longer gaze durations on subject mismatching than on matching pronouns, and there was no evidence of interference of a gender-matching object. Strikingly, in contrast to the adults, not all fourth graders reported detection of the subject gender mismatch. In Experiment 2, we replicated earlier results with a larger sample of children (N = 75) and found that only half of the fourth graders detected the gender mismatch during reading. The detectors' reading pattern at the pronoun differed from that of the non-detectors. Children who reported detection of the mismatch showed a reading pattern more similar to the adults. Children who did not report detection of the mismatch had comparably slower gaze durations and were less likely to make regressions directly at the pronoun. We conclude that children who read more fluently use their available processing resources to immediately repair grammatical inconsistencies encountered in a text.}, keywords = {}, pubstate = {published}, tppubtype = {article} } In two eye tracking experiments, we tested fourth graders' and adults' sensitivity to gender feature mismatches during reading of pronouns and their susceptibility to interference of feature-matching entities in the sentence. In Experiment 1, we showed children and adults two-phrase sentences such as “Leonm/Lisaf shooed away the sparrowm/the seagullf and then hem ate the tasty sandwich.” Eye tracking measures showed no qualitative differences between children's and adults' processing of the pronouns. Both age groups showed longer gaze durations on subject mismatching than on matching pronouns, and there was no evidence of interference of a gender-matching object. Strikingly, in contrast to the adults, not all fourth graders reported detection of the subject gender mismatch. In Experiment 2, we replicated earlier results with a larger sample of children (N = 75) and found that only half of the fourth graders detected the gender mismatch during reading. The detectors' reading pattern at the pronoun differed from that of the non-detectors. Children who reported detection of the mismatch showed a reading pattern more similar to the adults. Children who did not report detection of the mismatch had comparably slower gaze durations and were less likely to make regressions directly at the pronoun. We conclude that children who read more fluently use their available processing resources to immediately repair grammatical inconsistencies encountered in a text. |
Kris Evers; Goedele Van Belle; Jean Steyaert; Ilse Noens; Johan Wagemans Gaze-contingent display changes as new window on analytical and holistic face perception in children with Autism Spectrum Disorder Journal Article Child Development, 89 (2), pp. 430–445, 2018. @article{Evers2018, title = {Gaze-contingent display changes as new window on analytical and holistic face perception in children with Autism Spectrum Disorder}, author = {Kris Evers and Goedele {Van Belle} and Jean Steyaert and Ilse Noens and Johan Wagemans}, doi = {10.1111/cdev.12776}, year = {2018}, date = {2018-01-01}, journal = {Child Development}, volume = {89}, number = {2}, pages = {430--445}, abstract = {The strength of holistic face perception in children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) was evaluated byapplying the gaze-contingent mask and window technique to a face matching and discrimination task in 6- to14-year-old children with (n = 36) and without ASD (n = 47), and by examining fixation patterns. Behavioralresults suggested a slower and less efficient face processing in the ASD sample compared with the matchedcontrol group. Comparing the moving mask and window conditions revealed a reduced holistic face process-ing bias in the younger age group but not in the older sample. Preferential viewing patterns revealed bothsimilarities and differences between both participant groups.}, keywords = {}, pubstate = {published}, tppubtype = {article} } The strength of holistic face perception in children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) was evaluated byapplying the gaze-contingent mask and window technique to a face matching and discrimination task in 6- to14-year-old children with (n = 36) and without ASD (n = 47), and by examining fixation patterns. Behavioralresults suggested a slower and less efficient face processing in the ASD sample compared with the matchedcontrol group. Comparing the moving mask and window conditions revealed a reduced holistic face process-ing bias in the younger age group but not in the older sample. Preferential viewing patterns revealed bothsimilarities and differences between both participant groups. |
Paula Fischer; Letizia Camba; Seok Hui Ooi; Nicolas Chevalier Supporting cognitive control through competition and cooperation in childhood Journal Article Journal of Experimental Child Psychology, 173 , pp. 28–40, 2018. @article{Fischer2018, title = {Supporting cognitive control through competition and cooperation in childhood}, author = {Paula Fischer and Letizia Camba and Seok Hui Ooi and Nicolas Chevalier}, doi = {10.1016/j.jecp.2018.03.011}, year = {2018}, date = {2018-01-01}, journal = {Journal of Experimental Child Psychology}, volume = {173}, pages = {28--40}, publisher = {Elsevier Inc.}, abstract = {Cognitive control is often engaged in social contexts where actions are socially relevant. Yet, little is known about the immediate influence of the social context on childhood cognitive control. To examine whether competition or cooperation can enhance cognitive control, preschool and school-age children completed the AX Continuous Performance Task (AX-CPT) in competitive, cooperative, and neutral contexts. Children made fewer errors, responded faster, and engaged more cognitive effort, as shown by greater pupil dilation, in the competitive and cooperative social contexts relative to the neutral context. Competition and cooperation yielded greater cognitive control engagement but did not change how control was engaged (reactively or proactively). Manipulating the social context can be a powerful tool to support cognitive control in childhood.}, keywords = {}, pubstate = {published}, tppubtype = {article} } Cognitive control is often engaged in social contexts where actions are socially relevant. Yet, little is known about the immediate influence of the social context on childhood cognitive control. To examine whether competition or cooperation can enhance cognitive control, preschool and school-age children completed the AX Continuous Performance Task (AX-CPT) in competitive, cooperative, and neutral contexts. Children made fewer errors, responded faster, and engaged more cognitive effort, as shown by greater pupil dilation, in the competitive and cooperative social contexts relative to the neutral context. Competition and cooperation yielded greater cognitive control engagement but did not change how control was engaged (reactively or proactively). Manipulating the social context can be a powerful tool to support cognitive control in childhood. |
Tori E Foster; Scott P Ardoin; Katherine S Binder Reliability and validity of eye movement measures of children's reading Journal Article Reading Research Quarterly, 53 (1), pp. 71–89, 2018. @article{Foster2018, title = {Reliability and validity of eye movement measures of children's reading}, author = {Tori E Foster and Scott P Ardoin and Katherine S Binder}, doi = {10.1002/rrq.182}, year = {2018}, date = {2018-01-01}, journal = {Reading Research Quarterly}, volume = {53}, number = {1}, pages = {71--89}, abstract = {Although strong claims have been made regarding the educational utility of eye tracking, such statements seem somewhat unfounded in the absence of clear evidence regarding the technical adequacy of eye movement (EM) data. Past studies have yielded direct and indirect evidence concerning the utility of EMs as measures of reading, but recent research explicitly investigating their reliability and validity has been lacking. The current study updates and extends past research by investigating the reliability and validity of recently used EM measures of children's reading. Participants were 175 second- grade students whose EMs were monitored during silent reading of narrative text(s) at two timepoints. Participants were also individually administered measures of reading achievement. Results indicate adequate reliability and validity for passage- level measures of fixation duration but suggest that elementary stu- dents' reading behaviors relative to specific words are weakly associated with their normative levels of reading achievement.}, keywords = {}, pubstate = {published}, tppubtype = {article} } Although strong claims have been made regarding the educational utility of eye tracking, such statements seem somewhat unfounded in the absence of clear evidence regarding the technical adequacy of eye movement (EM) data. Past studies have yielded direct and indirect evidence concerning the utility of EMs as measures of reading, but recent research explicitly investigating their reliability and validity has been lacking. The current study updates and extends past research by investigating the reliability and validity of recently used EM measures of children's reading. Participants were 175 second- grade students whose EMs were monitored during silent reading of narrative text(s) at two timepoints. Participants were also individually administered measures of reading achievement. Results indicate adequate reliability and validity for passage- level measures of fixation duration but suggest that elementary stu- dents' reading behaviors relative to specific words are weakly associated with their normative levels of reading achievement. |
Melanie Gangl; Kristina Moll; Chiara Banfi; Stefan Huber; Gerd Schulte-Körne; Karin Landerl Reading strategies of good and poor readers of German with different spelling abilities Journal Article Journal of Experimental Child Psychology, 174 , pp. 150–169, 2018. @article{Gangl2018, title = {Reading strategies of good and poor readers of German with different spelling abilities}, author = {Melanie Gangl and Kristina Moll and Chiara Banfi and Stefan Huber and Gerd Schulte-Körne and Karin Landerl}, doi = {10.1016/j.jecp.2018.05.012}, year = {2018}, date = {2018-01-01}, journal = {Journal of Experimental Child Psychology}, volume = {174}, pages = {150--169}, publisher = {The Authors}, abstract = {Reading and spelling abilities are thought to be highly correlated during development, and orthographic knowledge is assumed to underpin both literacy skills. Interestingly, recent studies showed that reading and spelling skills can also dissociate. The current study investigated whether spelling skills (indicating orthographic knowledge) are associated with the application of orthographic strategies during reading. We examined eye movements of 137 third- and fourth-graders who were either good or poor readers with or without a spelling deficit: 43 children with typical reading and spelling skills, 28 with isolated spelling deficits, 28 with isolated reading deficits, and 38 with combined reading and spelling deficits. Although we expected to find reduced reliance on orthographic reading processes among poor spellers, this was evident for the group with combined deficits only. Both isolated deficit groups applied sublexical and lexical processes in a similar amount to typically developing children. Our findings suggest that reading rests on orthographic strategies even if lexical representations are poor as indicated by a deficit in spelling skills. Findings also show that dysfluent reading does not result only from overreliance on decoding.}, keywords = {}, pubstate = {published}, tppubtype = {article} } Reading and spelling abilities are thought to be highly correlated during development, and orthographic knowledge is assumed to underpin both literacy skills. Interestingly, recent studies showed that reading and spelling skills can also dissociate. The current study investigated whether spelling skills (indicating orthographic knowledge) are associated with the application of orthographic strategies during reading. We examined eye movements of 137 third- and fourth-graders who were either good or poor readers with or without a spelling deficit: 43 children with typical reading and spelling skills, 28 with isolated spelling deficits, 28 with isolated reading deficits, and 38 with combined reading and spelling deficits. Although we expected to find reduced reliance on orthographic reading processes among poor spellers, this was evident for the group with combined deficits only. Both isolated deficit groups applied sublexical and lexical processes in a similar amount to typically developing children. Our findings suggest that reading rests on orthographic strategies even if lexical representations are poor as indicated by a deficit in spelling skills. Findings also show that dysfluent reading does not result only from overreliance on decoding. |