Final Word Research Articles

Neurophysiological measures of covert semantic processing in neurotypical adolescents actively ignoring spoken sentence inputs: A high-density event-related potential (ERP) study

Language comprehension requires semantic processing of individual words and their context within a sentence. Well-characterized event-related potential (ERP) components (the N400 and late positivity component (LPC/P600)) provide neuromarkers of semantic processing, and are robustly evoked when semantic errors are introduced into sentences. These measures are useful for evaluating semantic processing in clinical populations, but it is not known whether they can be evoked in more severe neurodevelopmental disorders where explicit attention to the sentence inputs cannot be objectively assessed (i.e., when sentences are passively listened to). We evaluated whether N400 and LPC/P600 could be detected in adolescents who were explicitly ignoring sentence inputs. Specifically, it was asked whether explicit attention to spoken inputs was required for semantic processing, or if a degree of automatic processing occurs when the focus of attention is directed elsewhere? High-density ERPs were acquired from twenty-two adolescents (12–17 years), under two experimental conditions: 1. individuals actively determined whether the final word in a sentence was congruent or incongruent with sentence context, or 2. passively listened to background sentences while watching a video. When sentences were ignored, N400 and LPC/P600 were robustly evoked to semantic errors, albeit with reduced amplitudes and protracted/delayed latencies. Statistically distinct topographic distributions during passive versus active paradigms pointed to distinct generator configurations for semantic processing as a function of attention. Covert semantic processing continues in neurotypical adolescents when explicit attention is withdrawn from sentence inputs. As such, this approach could be used to objectively investigate semantic processing in populations with communication deficits.

Playing the Publish or Perish Game: Guidance for Doctoral Students and Early Career Faculty

“Publish or perish,” or the idea that one must consistently publish to succeed in an academic career is a well-known adage within higher education (Schaberg, 2016). Specifically, Bond (2023) shares that publications are promoted as a path to career success. The scholarly output of professors simultaneously affects the reputations of the professors and their institutions. Similarly, doctoral programs often require students to publish before they graduate. When applying for academic positions, having publications beyond the dissertation is seen as a strength by prospective employers. Although publications are viewed as a strength, Huang (2021) discusses some challenges doctoral students have with publishing, including a lack of understanding of the publication process. Many students who are in master’s degree programs may complete a thesis. However, the thesis process diverges from journal articles because the publication procedures differ. Huang (2021) further notes that the pressure to publish in high-quality, well-known journals is another challenge. These journals are identified as the best because of the rigor involved in their peer review process, and they typically accept fewer papers per year. Finally, journal publications are a competitive process, and the inability to complete a publication on time can cause anxiety among students. Researchers have called for an evaluation of publishing practices in academia. For example, Saxena, Godfrey, and Yannessa (2023) explain that publishing expectations can lead to the production of low-quality publications and an increase in unethical behaviors such as plagiarism. Moreover, inexperienced writers may seek to validate their research by relying on the willing acceptance of predatory journals (Mertkan, Aliusta, & Bayrakli, 2022). These journals flood the internet with low-quality papers that do not adhere to rigorous peer-review standards. Consequently, inferior research that has not been vetted is often repetitively cited. Since navigating the publication process is a skill that must be gained, Dyke (2019) suggests that it is necessary to teach early-career academics how to manage the rigors of publication expectations. Dyke asserts that learning to manage stress and time is essential for successfully publishing. Also, new scholars must be taught how to explain their research’s benefits and potential impact. Dyke further argues that publishers can play a crucial role in teaching publication skills. Instead of relying solely on universities, publishers can develop courses to clarify the process of writing publications. These courses can include content about basic writing and editing skills and submitting revisions. The panel recognizes that publishing is indeed not a game. However, it is a necessary component of career progression at many universities. Therefore, in response to library and information science doctoral and early career professionals’ scholarly publishing professional development needs, this panel seeks to advise about strengthening writing skills and clarifying the peer review publishing process. This panel will include expert editors and editorial board members with over a century of combined scholarly publishing experience. Attendees will participate in a discussion of the peer review process and receive suggestions for efficiently writing and submitting journal articles. The panelists are Drs. John Budd and Denice Adkins (co-editors of JELIS), Yunfei Du (editorial board member of JELIS), Maria Cahill (co-editor of School Library Research), and Vanessa Reyes (co-editor of The International Journal of Information, Diversity, & Inclusion). The moderator will be Dr. Daniella Smith (editorial board member of Public Library Quarterly). Program Format This interactive program will include polls to increase audience engagement and an online whiteboard to collect questions for the discussion after the presentation. The program format will be as follows: Session introduction: The moderator will introduce the session by sharing the presentation objectives and research about publishing in academia.. Panel introduction: Each panelist will introduce themselves and their experience with scholarly publications. Topic Discussion: The panelists will answer questions related to the following topics. Understanding the peer review process: The presenters will share the peer-reviewed process used by the journals and the pros and cons of the peer-review process. Implementing strategies for publishing quicker: Panelists will provide suggestions for streamlining the publication process. Submitting revisions and options for addressing comments: Our experts will discuss their expectations for article revisions and the do’s and don’ts of getting an article published after revisions have been requested. Preparing content for peer-reviewed journals: There is a difference between casual and scholarly writing. The panelists will discuss the differences and provide examples of their expectations regarding the content of peer-reviewed publications. Identifying appropriate journals: The panel will suggest how to determine the best journals for their research areas and how to avoid predatory journals. Identifying publication tools and resources: Authors curate tools and acquire skills that help them navigate the publication process. The presenters will share their favorite tools and resources. Making writing enjoyable: The panelists will discuss embracing writing and making publishing fun. Final words of advice and questions: The session will conclude with audience questions and final panelist thoughts.

Hawking Radiation Experimentally Verified? Can the Information Paradox be resolved?

The Information Paradox should definitively be solved if the equivalence between mass, energy and information were proven through the experimentation proposed by M. Vopson at the IPI. However, the concrete ways in which this information is preserved are not yet exactly known, especially in case of a universe that may theoretically end its existence with heat death and the evaporation of black holes through Hawking radiation; which now seems to have been experimentally proven. Assuming by hypothesis that such a scenario may really occur, this article aims to suggest a possible speculative conjecture to deepen and develop this topic of interest also to the Science, Theology and the Ontological Quest (STOQ) disciplines. But the final word is left to an electron-positron annihilation experiment already designed and proposed by M.Vopson at the IPI and not yet carried out. Such an experiment aims to test whether with the annihilation of matter the information that could be encoded in photons of a specific expected frequency also disappears.

The creation, implementation, and harmonisation of medical standard operating procedures and checklists of Finnish Helicopter Emergency Medical Service units

IntroductionThe purpose of this study was to investigate the creation, implementation, and harmonisation of medical Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) in Finnish Helicopter Emergency Medical Services (HEMS). The research questions are: (1) What factors influence the creation and implementation of medical SOPs for Finnish HEMS units? and (2) What can be done to harmonise the medical SOPs of Finnish HEMS units?MethodsThe research was conducted as a qualitative interview study with HEMS physicians who worked full-time in Finnish HEMS units or had worked in HEMS for more than five years. Three HEMS physicians from each of the six HEMS units in Finland participated in the study (n = 18). The thematic interviews (average duration 32 min) were transcribed (70,176 words in Finnish) and analysed using inductive content analysis.ResultsThe results of the first research question formed three main categories: (1) Background to developing medical SOPs and checklists (CLs), (2) Creation of medical SOPs in Finnish HEMS units, and (3) Implementation of medical SOPs and CLs. The main categories were divided into eight upper categories and twelve subcategories. The results of the second research question formed four main categories: (1) Prerequisites for harmonising procedures, (2) System-level changes needed, (3) Integrating common medical SOPs into HEMS, and (4) Cultural change. The main categories were divided into nine upper categories and nine subcategories.ConclusionsMedical SOPs and CLs are an integral part of Finnish HEMS. Each unit creates its own SOPs and CLs; their development, implementation, and follow-up are relatively unstructured. Harmonising existing SOPs would be possible, but developing common SOPs would require structural changes in HEMS and a stronger sense of community belonging among HEMS physicians.

“You have answered me?”: Situational Shift (or Not) in Psalm 22

Abstract Psalm 22 receives most of its notoriety from its reception history—from the numerous citations and allusions thereof in the NT and early Christianity, particularly in the Synoptic passion accounts. This article wrestles not with the insertion of this psalm into later stories but with the story of the psalm itself. The shift from lament to praise in Ps 22:23 (MT; v. 22 in ET) is quite drastic and in need of explanation, and that explanation has come for many in the final word of the previous verse: עניתני. This verb is taken to indicate a sudden divine intervention such that God has now acted on behalf of the psalmist, thus bringing about the exultation of vv. 23–32.This article disputes that reading and argues that for literary and form-critical reasons, עניתני, or whatever the original form of that word may have been, should be read as part of the lament rather than a transition statement to explain the movement from lament to praise. Thus, no divine intervention is indicated by that word, for indeed no such intervention has taken place. Rather, the psalmist has recognized from within their suffering that there will come a moment when redemption will have taken place, and at that time the psalmist will lead the whole people of God in uttering his praises.

The Myth of Stalin and the Death of Hitler: André Bazin and The Fall of Berlin’s Transnational Travels

This essay explores aspects of the transnational and transhistorical impact of The Fall of Berlin (Padenie Berlina, Mikheil Chiaureli, 1949). Although the film is late Stalinist propaganda, and an outstanding manifestation of the Stalin personality cult, it cannot be reduced to those descriptors. It has had an ongoing impact upon viewers within different cultural contexts who do not necessarily subscribe to its politics. André Bazin’s seminal, frequently translated and reprinted essay ‘The Myth of Stalin in the Soviet Cinema’ (‘Le cinéma soviétique et le mythe de Staline’, 1950), is the most famous and frequently quoted piece of writing on Stalin personality cult films, but it is not the final word on them. It needs to be understood within the specific context of French film culture during the immediate postwar period. This essay therefore highlights the cultural specificity of ‘The Myth of Stalin in the Soviet Cinema’ by contrasting the debates within which Bazin’s essay was enmeshed with the equally culturally specific British reception of The Fall of Berlin in the early 1950s, exemplified by leading film critics and historians such as Dilys Powell, Fred Madjalany and Hugh Trevor-Roper.

The Perception of Eponym in Modern Linguistics: Dynamics of Concepts and Definitions

Key words: eponymization, onimization, transonimization, signified, signifier, anthroponym, toponym, semanticization, desemanticization In the article, the perception of the linguistic reality of eponym in modern linguistics has been studied. On the basis of it the term eponym and the process of eponymization have been characterized and clarified. The study was conducted by comparative analysis. In the work, due to the need to solve the set problems, an examination and analysis of the linguistic observations of the concept of eponym has been performed. As a result, the proposed views have been grouped into three main groups: 1. the starting unit of the eponymization process is considered an eponym, 2. the word generated in the end result of the eponymization process is considered an eponym, 3. both sides of the eponymization process are considered eponyms – both the starting unit and the final word. It has been considered acceptable to use the term eponym only for the linguistic unit resulting from the process of eponymization, since theoretically all proper names can become eponyms. In the work, an attempt has been made to clarify the characteristics of the concept of eponym. Thus, it has been defined as a proper or common name, which emerged as a result of the semanticization or polyfunctionalization of the homonymous proper name. It has been noted that an eponym is a word created as a result of the process of eponymization, which has the primary function for a linguistic sign unit, i. e., to name the phenomenon by reflecting it in the system of linguistic sign units. For the process of eponymization, which has been considered beyond the limits of the change of lexical meaning, two main ways have been put forward: semanticization and polyfunctionalization of the proper name. The process of eponymization, which is related to the development of various social spheres that determine human activity, has been evaluated as an important means of enriching the vocabulary of the language, examination of which leads to the necessity for intercultural, sociolinguistic and interdisciplinary studies.

Introducing Indigenist Critical Policy Analysis: A rights‐based approach to analysing public policies and processes

AbstractInstitutional racism within Australia, grounded in the country's settler‐colonial structure, has sidelined Indigenous interests in public policymaking since federation. In an attempt to redress this, the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP) was endorsed by the Australian government in 2009. UNDRIP is an authoritative international standard that could inform the ways that governments engage with Indigenous peoples and protect their rights. This paper introduces Indigenist Critical Policy Analysis (ICPA). While mainstream policy evaluation assesses whether policies and processes have met the governments stated objectives, ICPA assesses whether they uphold or violate Indigenous rights. ICPA involves reviewing policy documents against the key principles and specific Articles of UNDRIP. Presenting a worked example of ICPA, the NSW Regional Health Strategic Plan 2022–2032 is assessed against the five phases: (1) Orientation; (2) Close examination; (3) Determination; (4) Strengthening practice; and (5) Indigenous final word. This analysis finds that the Strategic Plan is poorly aligned with UNDRIP. Specifically, there is little evidence that Indigenous values influenced or held any authority in the process. ICPA offers a practical approach to analysing policy for compatibility with Indigenous rights under international law that could be used by Indigenous organisations and policymakers.

Inhibition in the emotional Hayling task: can hypnotic suggestion enhance cognitive control on a prepotent negative word?

ABSTRACT Recent studies suggest that instrumental hypnosis is a useful experimental tool to investigate emotional and language processing effects. However, the capacity of hypnotic suggestions to intervene during the response inhibition of emotional words remains elusive. This study investigated whether hypnotic suggestion can improve the inhibition of prepotent negative word responses in an emotional Hayling sentence completion task. High-suggestible participants performed a computerised emotional Hayling task. They were first asked to select the appropriate words ending highly predictable sentences among two propositions (initiation part), and then to select the filler words that did not end the sentences correctly (inhibition part). Half of the expected final words had a negative emotional valence, while the other half was neutral. The task was performed in a control condition (without suggestion) and with a hypnotic suggestion to decrease emotional reactivity. The results revealed that hypnotic suggestion (compared to the control condition) hastened response times on negative final words in the inhibition part, showing that hypnotic suggestion can enhance cognitive control over prepotent negative word responses in a sentence completion task. We suggest that this modulation stems from a reduction in the emotional relevance of the final words caused by the hypnotic suggestion.

An ERP study on the late stage of Chinese metaphor processing.

Psycholinguistic models of metaphor processing remain a subject of debate. A prime-probe design using Chinese materials with a specific time span (300 ms) was applied to test the mechanisms of metaphor processing. Conventional and familiarized metaphors were designed as primes, followed by a probe word semantically related to the prime metaphor (MT), a probe word related to the literal meaning of the final word of the prime metaphor (LT), control/unrelated probe word (UT), or non-word. Event-related potentials (ERPs) elicited by the probes were recorded to examine metaphor processing. In N400, results revealed that UT and LT elicited significantly more negative waveforms than MT in both primes. MTs and LTs showed no difference between conventional and familiarized metaphors, suggesting that metaphorical meaning may be accessed directly, regardless of whether conventional or familiarized metaphors. The results were generally compatible with the direct processing model.

Modelling the developmental path in the acquisition of /l/-final irregular plurals by Portuguese children

ABSTRACT Previous empirical research has shown that Portuguese children aged 4;0 to 6;0 are sensitive to the quality of stem-final vowels when acquiring the irregular plural forms of /l/-final words (acquisition order: plurals of /al, ɛl, ɔl, ul/ > plurals of /il/). This study presents a formal account of this emergent pattern. We first construct an initial-state grammar that arguably instantiates Portuguese children’s grammatical knowledge at the onset of morpho-phonological acquisition. We then simulate morpho-phonological learning using two constraint-based models (Stochastic Optimality Theory and Noisy Harmonic Grammar) and their associated Gradual Learning Algorithm. The results of our learning simulations corroborate the experimental data, showing that the plural form of /il/-final words takes longer to master than that of other /l/-final words. In addition to replicating the empirical results, the learning simulation reveals two important implications. First, the raw frequency of individual forms cannot account for the attested patterns, suggesting that the input frequency is mediated by some principles of grammatical learning. Second, Harmonic Grammar outperforms Optimality Theory in simulating real acquisition data. Through the additive constraint interaction, Harmonic-Grammar learning is more restrictive, avoiding the generation of unobserved data in the course of morpho-phonological acquisition.

Their final words: An analysis of suicide notes from the United States

The present study sought to explore motivations (affective, relationships, life events, injury/medical diagnosis) in suicide notes (N = 49) from the U.S. Authors ranged in age from 18 to 74 years and were majority male (73.5%). Four raters analyzed the notes and, through a series of meetings, came to a consensus on the motives behind each note writers’ suicide in terms of the broader motivational themes and the narrower second-level themes. All notes were primarily affectional in nature, with some gender and age differences. For example, suicide notes from males frequently refer to financial hardships whereas suicide notes from females were more focused on lowered self-worth and notes written by younger persons focused more on affect and relationships, while notes written by older adults focused on life events and marriage difficulties and separation. Findings illuminate the varied nature of suicide motivations but also highlight important patterns across groups.

Heteronormativity in Canadian Healthcare: Revisioning a Queer-Focused Realm.

Kia et al.'s (2024) article, "Beyond the Rainbow: Advancing 2S/LGBTQ+ Health Equity at a Time of Political Volatility," illustrates the health discrepancies that the Two-Spirit, lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersex, asexual and other sexual and gender minority (2SLGBTQIA+) community withstand and the Canadian healthcare system's legacy of heteronormativity. This commentary focuses on the straight-centred approach of the Canadian medical system that neglects, harms and fails the 2SLGBTQIA+ population, resulting in a decline in their mental and physical well-being and increased rates of morbidity for queer individuals. The 2SLGBTQIA+ community must be placed in the front and centre of integral decision making and have the final word in policy changes within Canadian regulatory bodies.

Resurrection Preaching in the Gospel of John

The Gospel of John, without having its own liturgical year, is typically assumed to have a supplemental homiletical role in the Revised Common Lectionary, and yet the Fourth Gospel is the designated Gospel reading for the festival Sundays of Christmas, Easter, Pentecost, and Easter season. As a result, the theological themes of the Fourth Gospel anchor the church’s Trinitarian confessions and doctrinal imagination when it comes to preaching. In particular, as the assigned Gospel for the Sundays of Easter, the Gospel of John shapes resurrection proclamation. Resurrection proclamation, therefore, is animated by Jesus’ final words to his disciples found in the Farewell Discourse (John 14–17), where Jesus interprets his own ministry, commissions his disciples, testifies to the Paraclete, and prays for his followers. This essay will explore how the viewpoint of Jesus’ departing declarations makes a difference for preaching the resurrection. Through the lens of the Farewell Discourse, the promise of the resurrection takes on thematic issues that give important meaning to Jesus’ own revelation, “I am the resurrection and the life”.

RANQUE-HILSCH VORTEX TUBE AS AN EDUCATIONAL TOOL FOR CLASSICAL THERMODYNAMICS TEACHING

A vortex or Ranque-Hilsch tube is a moving parts-free device that splits a compressed air stream into a cold and a hot stream at its two extremities. Although there exist some theoretical approaches based on internal shock and expansion waves as well as Maxwell velocity distribution, a final word on the phenomenon to explain the thermal energy splitting has not been reached yet. Nevertheless, from the classical Thermodynamics point-of-view, the conservation laws of mass and energy along with the Second Law validation applied to a control volume enveloping the vortex must be fulfilled. Consequently, such a simple device may be an outstanding tool for hands-on laboratory teaching of engineering Thermodynamics. In accordance with that, an educational laboratory test rig was conceived to carry out experiments to demonstrate the fundamental laws: mass and energy conservations, and the Second Law constraint. As a secondary goal, students can be acquainted with flow, pressure, and temperature measuring techniques, along with obtaining thermodynamic properties, computing, and data-reducing procedure as part of the testing as well. In addition, the coefficient of performance in refrigeration and heat pump operation modes can be obtained and a proper discussion of the vortex tube working principle can be fostered.

Enchanting encounters in ordinary writing for children

AbstractWe invite you to explore with us the enchanting affects that move us, through ordinary moments in writing for children. Enchantment shows how we are entangled with the world, that which surprises us and builds a sense of wonder. A wind in the trees, a gentle smile, a look of horror. The smell of fresh coffee and the final words of a manuscript. We explore enchantment as mundane but gendered experiences which entail a promise and a potentiality, one that is part of power relations, and where an ethical possibility to engage in the world differently emerges. This paper shows how enchantment is not a detachment from, but a connection to the world. Through interviews with children's writers, we ask how enchanting affect can help us to see work through a different ethical lens.

The Relationship between Supply Chain Resilience and Digital Supply Chain and the Impact on Sustainability: Supply Chain Dynamism as a Moderator

This research aims to explore the complex interplay between supply chain resilience (SCR), digital supply chain (DSC), and sustainability, focusing on the moderating influence of supply chain dynamism. The goal is to understand how these elements interact within the framework of contemporary supply chain management and how they collectively contribute to enhancing sustainability outcomes. The sample size is 300 CEOs and managers. The study approach integrates quantitative research methods. Structural equation modeling (SEM) is utilized to quantitatively analyze the direct and indirect effects of SCR and DSC on sustainability. The numerous surveys we conduct among supply chain ecosystem stakeholders provide a rich picture of practical implications and contextual nuances. In sum, our early findings generally support a positive relationship between SCR and sustainability in and of itself, declaring the need for more resilient supply networks for sustainability. We further find the beneficial impact of digital technologies in promoting sustainability via enhancing environmental control and controlling for efficiency in supply chains. We also offer evidence to show that supply chain dynamism compounds the positive logic between SCR and DSC and sustainability. As a final word, it must be noted that our work speaks to the burgeoning literature on supply chain dynamism as a moderator by examining the direct and contingent effects of SCR and DSC not only on performance but sustainability. By shedding light on the moderating role of dynamism, the study provides fresh insights into the multifaceted nature of supply chain management and sustainability practices. The study’s findings enhance theoretical understanding by elucidating the synergistic effects of SCR, DSC, and sustainability in dynamic supply chain settings. The study augments the existing theoretical frameworks by integrating the concepts of resilience, digitalization, and sustainability into a comprehensive model. Practical and economical, the research offers actionable guidance for organizations aiming to improve sustainability performance through resilient and digitally advanced supply chains. By acknowledging the role of supply chain dynamism, managers can tailor strategies to manage disruptions effectively and leverage digital innovations. Economically, adopting sustainable practices can result in cost savings and competitive advantages. The research emphasizes the importance of aligning supply chain strategies with sustainability goals to drive long-term value and societal impact.

Impaired Cortical Tracking of Speech in Children with Developmental Language Disorder.

In developmental language disorder (DLD), learning to comprehend and express oneself with spoken language is impaired, but the reason for this remains unknown. Using millisecond-scale magnetoencephalography recordings combined with machine learning models, we investigated whether the possible neural basis of this disruption lies in poor cortical tracking of speech. The stimuli were common spoken Finnish words (e.g., dog, car, hammer) and sounds with corresponding meanings (e.g., dog bark, car engine, hammering). In both children with DLD (10 boys and 7 girls) and typically developing (TD) control children (14 boys and 3 girls), aged 10-15 years, the cortical activation to spoken words was best modeled as time-locked to the unfolding speech input at ∼100 ms latency between sound and cortical activation. Amplitude envelope (amplitude changes) and spectrogram (detailed time-varying spectral content) of the spoken words, but not other sounds, were very successfully decoded based on time-locked brain responses in bilateral temporal areas; based on the cortical responses, the models could tell at ∼75-85% accuracy which of the two sounds had been presented to the participant. However, the cortical representation of the amplitude envelope information was poorer in children with DLD compared with TD children at longer latencies (at ∼200-300 ms lag). We interpret this effect as reflecting poorer retention of acoustic-phonetic information in short-term memory. This impaired tracking could potentially affect the processing and learning of words as well as continuous speech. The present results offer an explanation for the problems in language comprehension and acquisition in DLD.

Used to Be a Dime, Now It's a Dollar: Revised Speech Perception in Noise Key Word Predictability Revisited 40 Years On.

Almost 40 years after its development, in this article, we reexamine the relevance and validity of the ubiquitously used Revised Speech Perception in Noise (R-SPiN) sentence corpus. The R-SPiN corpus includes "high-context" and "low-context" sentences and has been widely used in the field of hearing research to examine the benefit derived from semantic context across English-speaking listeners, but research investigating age differences has yielded somewhat inconsistent findings. We assess the appropriateness of the corpus for use today in different English-language cultures (i.e., British and American) as well as for older and younger adults. Two hundred forty participants, including older (60-80 years) and younger (19-31 years) adult groups in the the United Kingdom and United States, completed a cloze task consisting of R-SPiN sentences with the final word removed. Cloze, as a measure of predictability, and entropy, as a measure of response uncertainty, were compared between culture and age groups. Most critically, of the 200 "high-context" stimuli, only around half were assessed as highly predictable for older adults (United Kingdom: 109; United States: 107); and fewer still, for younger adults (United Kingdom: 75; United States: 81). We also found dominant responses to these "high-context" stimuli varied between cultures, with U.S. responses being more likely to match the original R-SPiN target. Our findings highlight the issue of incomplete transferability of corpus items across English-language cultures as well as diminished equivalency for older and younger adults. By identifying relevant items for each population, this work could facilitate the interpretation of inconsistent findings in the literature, particularly relating to age effects.

Polifonia de vozes não guiadas: uma leitura bakhtiniana de O caçador de pipas de Hosseini

ABSTRACT The Russian philosopher Mikhail Bakhtin had given a variety of concepts to appreciate and analyze a novel. In this study, there is an attempt to apply the Bakhtinian intellectual tool of polyphony to unearth the deeper layers of Khaled Hosseini’s novel The Kite Runner. We argue that the novel is polyphonic through and through since it reverberates with multiple voices of various characters, and the novel’s narrative structure also supports this multiplicity of viewpoints. The novel defies the traditional path of having the final word from the author or the narrator. In many situations, the narrator’s voice struggles and fumbles with confusion, but the voices of some of the characters come up clearly and remain firm on certain aspects. This paper will provide a systematic exposition and an analysis of the novel The Kite Runner from the Bakhtinian lens to appreciate the anti-authorial mode where pluralism (polyphony) is celebrated.