On-line individual differences in statistical learning predict language processing

Jennifer Misyak

doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2010.00031

Abstract

Considerable individual differences in language ability exist among normally developing children and adults. Whereas past research have attributed such differences to variations in verbal working memory or experience with language, we test the hypothesis that individual differences in statistical learning may be associated with differential language performance. We employ a novel paradigm for studying statistical learning on-line, combining a serial-reaction time task with artificial grammar learning. This task offers insights into both the timecourse of and individual differences in statistical learning. Experiment 1 charts the micro-level trajectory for statistical learning of nonadjacent dependencies and provides an on-line index of individual differences therein. In Experiment 2, these differences are then shown to predict variations in participants’ on-line processing of long-distance dependencies involving center-embedded relative clauses. The findings suggest that individual differences in the ability to learn from experience through statistical learning may contribute to variations in linguistic performance.

Highlights

Individual differences are ubiquitous and substantial across language development and use, prompting much debate regarding the underlying sources for this variation
This criterion is quite conservative, as standard serial reaction time (SRT) designs typically consider accuracy with respect to single-selection responses defining one “trial,” rather than for all three string-elements composing a string-trial in our design
A program error resulted in four participants viewing a small number (8, 4, 2, and 1, respectively) of the experimental/ filler items before restarting with a new, complete randomization of their lists’ items

Summary

Introduction

Individual differences are ubiquitous and substantial across language development and use, prompting much debate regarding the underlying sources for this variation (see Bates et al, 1995; MacDonald and Christiansen, 2002, for reviews). Experiment 2 links learning performance on this new task to variations in the same individuals’ on-line processing of long-distance dependencies in natural language sentences with embedded relative clauses.

Results

Conclusion