Word List Research Articles

Far transfer of retrieval-practice benefits: rule-based learning as the underlying mechanism.

Benefits of self-testing for learning have been consistently shown for simple materials such as word lists learned by rote memorization. Considerably less evidence for such benefits exists for complex, more educationally relevant materials and its application to new situations. The present study explores the mechanisms underlying this transfer. To this end, a typical retrieval-practice-effect paradigm was applied to foster the learning of an artificial language. Participants either repeatedly studied grammatically correct exemplar sentences of the artificial language or engaged in a cloze test as the interim testafter learning. To assess far transfer, participants in both groups of restudy and retrieval practice engaged in a grammaticality judgment test after a delay of 5min and 1week. In addition, participants in both groups completed a final memory test (i.e., a cloze test identical to the initial test) 1week after learning. In addition to a long-term memory benefit of retrieval practice,results revealed alsoa retrieval-practicebenefit in the far-transfer test after the 1-week delay. The findings further support the view that far transfer is supported by learning the underlying grammatical rules as opposed to memorizing the material. Thus, retrieval practice is also effective for fostering learning of complex materials and, even more importantly, for promoting transfer of learning-a crucial goal in modern educational practices.

Employee Ratings and Reviews Data from Glassdoor

ABSTRACT This paper presents the employee ratings and reviews data from Glassdoor and the R codes used to collect, clean, and organize the data. We collect three types of information for each Glassdoor review: review metrics, content, and reviewer information. We also calculate some commonly used textual metrics, such as sentiment, readability, the number of uncertainty words, etc. The datasets include necessary identifiers that can connect to other financial data sources. All the variables and metrics are provided at the review level, which enables researchers to aggregate the data from different levels and angles. As a demonstrative example, we use a simple word list to measure how often employees mention COVID-19 in review comments. The R codes provided as an RStudio project are self-contained and can also be modified and applied to other data sources of interest.

Academic Word List and Cefr Levels: Profiling Academic Vocabulary in a Technical University Learner Corpus

Academic Word List and Cefr Levels: Profiling Academic Vocabulary in a Technical University Learner Corpus

An embedded computational framework of memory: Accounting for the influence of semantic information in verbal short-term memory

We introduce the Embedded Computational Framework of Memory (eCFM), a model that integrates structured semantic word representations with an instance-based memory model to account for the influence of semantic information in verbal short-term memory. The eCFM combines principles from the episodic MINERVA 2 model and the semantic Latent Semantic Analysis model. After reviewing how semantic information impacts verbal short-term memory performance, we demonstrate eCFM’s ability to reconcile various phenomena within a common computational framework. Our model captures key findings, such as the influence of semantic information in serial recall, its reduction in serial reconstruction, and the impact of task difficulty on semantic information. In five experiments, we tested predictions derived from the eCFM. Experiments 1 and 2 manipulated list organization, with Experiment 1 using alternating lists of related or unrelated words and Experiment 2 using blocked lists. Experiment 3 varied presentation rates, Experiment 4 revisited the detrimental effect of semantic information on order information, and Experiment 5 explored false recall. We found that semantic information interacts with list composition, presentation rate affects the magnitude of its influence, and semantic information impacts order information contrary to the dominant view. Additionally, increasing the number of related study words to a non-studied semantic lure boosts false recall. The eCFM captured these findings as well as memory at the item level. Our demonstration provides insight into the cognitive mechanisms underlying verbal short-term memory and the interplay of semantic and episodic memory processes in recall.

Development of a Children’s Educational Dictionary for a Low-Resource Language Using AI Tools

Today, various interactive tools or partially available artificial intelligence applications are actively used in educational processes to solve multiple problems for resource-rich languages, such as English, Spanish, French, etc. Unfortunately, the situation is different and more complex for low-resource languages, like Kazakh, Uzbek, Mongolian, and others, due to the lack of qualitative and accessible resources, morphological complexity, and the semantics of agglutinative languages. This article presents research on early childhood learning resources for the low-resource Kazakh language. Generally, a dictionary for children differs from classical educational dictionaries. The difference between dictionaries for children and adults lies in their purpose and methods of presenting information. A themed dictionary will make learning and remembering new words easier for children because they will be presented in a specific context. This article discusses developing an approach to creating a thematic children’s dictionary of the low-resource Kazakh language using artificial intelligence. The proposed approach is based on several important stages: the initial formation of a list of English words with the use of ChatGPT; identification of their semantic weights; generation of phrases and sentences with the use of the list of semantically related words; translation of obtained phrases and sentences from English to Kazakh, dividing them into bigrams and trigrams; and processing with Kazakh language POS pattern tag templates to adapt them for children. When the dictionary was formed, the semantic proximity of words and phrases to the given theme and age restrictions for children were taken into account. The formed dictionary phrases were evaluated using the cosine similarity, Euclidean similarity, and Manhattan distance metrics. Moreover, the dictionary was extended with video and audio data by implementing models like DALL-E 3, Midjourney, and Stable Diffusion to illustrate the dictionary data and TTS (Text to Speech) technology for the Kazakh language for voice synthesis. The developed thematic dictionary approach was tested, and a SUS (System Usability Scale) assessment of the application was conducted. The experimental results demonstrate the proposed approach’s high efficiency and its potential for wide use in educational purposes.

Reliability and Construct Validity of Three Self-report Questionnaires Assessing Dual-Task Difficulties in People With Multiple Sclerosis: An International Study

ObjectiveTo evaluate the reliability and validity of the dual-tasking questionnaire (DTQ), dual-task screening list (DTSL), and dual-task impact on daily life activities questionnaire (DIDA-Q). DesignMulticenter, cross-sectional study SettingPersons with multiple sclerosis (pwMS) were recruited from 7 multiple sclerosis centers across 6 countries (Belgium, Chile, Italy, Israel, Spain, and Turkey). ParticipantsA total of 356 pwMS (mean age 47.5±11.5y, expanded disability status scale, 3.79±1.83) were enrolled. InterventionsNot applicable Main Outcome MeasuresThe reliability (internal consistency, test-retest, and measurement error) and construct validity (structural and convergent) were assessed. ResultsThe DTQ, DTSL, and DIDA-Q demonstrated excellent test-retest reliability (intraclass correlation coefficients [95% CI], 0.84 [0.80-0.87] to 0.90 [0.87-0.92]) and internal consistency (Cronbach α: 0.86-0.96). As hypothesized, the 3 questionnaires showed a strong correlation with each other, moderate-to-strong correlations with other self-report questionnaires (perceived walking difficulties, fatigue, and fear of falling), and low-to-moderate correlations with cognitive information processing speed, manual dexterity, and dual-task walking performance (walking with word list generation task), showing convergent validity. The DIDA-Q exhibited systematically superior properties. These results were also verified in subsets from 6 different countries. In the structural validity analysis, all questionnaires displayed 2 main factors, allocated as “motor-driven” and “cognitive-driven” subscales. ConclusionsThe DTQ, DTSL, and DIDA-Q have good-to-excellent measurement properties, with the highest properties observed in DIDA-Q. The use of these self-reported questionnaires can be used in research and clinical practice to assess the effect of dual-task difficulties on the daily life of ambulatory pwMS.

Suspected Pseudobulbar Affect in Neurodegenerative Disease.

To investigate the association between suspected pseudobulbar affect (PBA), clinical diagnosis, cognitive testing, and self-reported mood in older adults presenting for evaluation of dementia. Patients presenting to an outpatient memory disorders clinic (N=311). We used traditional and novel network modeling approaches to examine associations between neuropsychological (NP) tests, patient and clinician rating scales, and the Center for Neurological Study-Lability Scale (CNS-LS) among patients with suspected AD (n=133) and other neurocognitive diagnosis (n=178). We then examined differences in test performance between patients with and without suspected PBA (CNS-LS cut-off of ≥ 13), while accounting for demographic and psychiatric covariates with propensity score matching. Group differences were assessed with Bayesian models. Prevalence of suspected PBA in AD was slightly less than half (44.4%) and at a similar rate in other dementias (e.g., 46.9% in CVD and 45.5% in LBD). In network models, the CNS-LS was associated with higher anxiety and better word list recall. After accounting for covariates, AD patients with suspected PBA performed better on word list recall βM=0.40, 95% CI [0.15, 0.66], and committed fewer false positive errors on recognition βM=-1.51, 95% CI [-2.34, -0.59] than AD patients without suspected PBA. There were no differences in patients with any other diagnostic impression, nor group differences on other NP measures. Patients with suspected PBA and AD diagnosis had better memory recall and recognition than those without suspected PBA, suggesting that impaired emotional regulation may be an early sign of AD in patients with less prominent memory decline. Better understanding PBA in neurodegenerative diseases, including prevalence and comorbidity with psychiatric conditions, could help with early identification, education, and initiation of treatment.

Academic vocabulary for L2 argumentative writing: Perspectives from Chinese university EFL learners

Academic vocabulary plays a critical role in L2 argumentative writing. Recent studies have specifically examined the importance of academic vocabulary and academic word lists for EAP and ESP learning and research. However, it is unclear how English as a Foreign Language (EFL) learners perceive academic vocabulary and the challenges they face using this vocabulary in university argumentative essays. The present study adopted a case study approach to investigate Chinese university EFL learners’ perceptions of, and problems with, academic vocabulary in an argumentative writing task. Five fourth-year advanced EFL learners were assigned to write an IELTS essay before participating in a one-on-one interview. The results indicated that while participants had a heightened awareness of the importance of academic vocabulary, they lacked a comprehensive understanding of this construct. More specifically, they knew little about the academic register, and their academic vocabulary size was small. Consequently, various problems arose in relation to the use of academic words in their argumentative writing, including word choice and the over-reliance on Chinese word meaning and word spelling knowledge. The EFL learners also reported that the biggest challenge to their academic writing was the lack of academic collocation knowledge. These findings have pedagogical implications for understanding the academic lexical problems facing Chinese EFL learners in their academic writing.

The Semantics of Happiness and Joy in the Italian Language

Abstract A number of contemporary researchers have proposed considering happiness and joy as distinct phenomena and theoretical constructs. However, there is as yet insufficient information regarding whether the theoretical and empirical arguments for distinguishing happiness from joy also apply to folk representations of these concepts. This work presents two studies in which Italian speakers performed a free-listing task asking them to list words semantically equivalent to the Italian words felicità (happiness) (Study 1) and gioia (joy) (Study 2). A comparison between the two studies revealed that the Italian concepts of happiness and joy had 49 lexical items in common, 32 of which related to emotions. Interestingly, 11 of the latter ranked in the top 10 cognitive salience indexes obtained from both Study 1 and Study 2. It is argued that the semantic similarities between the two words examined – felicità and gioia – should not overshadow the meaning nuances distinguishing them.

Interpersonal, Community, and Societal Stressors Mediate Black-White Memory Disparities.

Structural racism creates contextual stressors that disproportionately affect Black, relative to White, older adults in the U.S. and may contribute to worse cognitive health. We examined the extent to which interpersonal, community, and societal stressors uniquely explain Black-White disparities in initial memory and memory change. The sample included 14,199 non-Latino Black and White older adults (Mage=68.32, 19.8% Black) from the U.S. Health and Retirement Study who completed psychosocial questionnaires at baseline and a word list memory task every two years over an eight-year period. Interpersonal, community, and societal stressors were operationalized as self-reported everyday discrimination, neighborhood physical disorder, and subjective societal status, respectively. Latent growth curves modeled longitudinal memory performance. Stressors were modeled simultaneously and allowed to correlate. Covariates included age, sex, education, wealth, parental education, and Southern residence. Compared to White participants, Black participants experienced more discrimination (β=-.004, SE=.001, p<.001), more neighborhood physical disorder (β=-.009, SE=.002, p<.001), and lower perceived societal status (β =-.002, SE=.001, p=.001), each of which uniquely mediated the racial disparity in initial memory. Sensitivity analyses utilizing proxy-imputed memory scores revealed an additional racial disparity in memory change, wherein Black participants evidenced faster decline than White participants. This disparity in memory change was only uniquely mediated by more everyday discrimination among Black participants. Elements of structural racism may contribute to cognitive disparities via disproportionate stress experiences at multiple contextual levels among Black older adults. Future research should consider multilevel protective factors that buffer against negative impacts of racism on health.

The impact of threat of shock on memory for threat-irrelevant information: Evidence for a role of reduced semantic organization

Research into the effects of acute anxiety on episodic memory has produced inconsistent findings, particularly for threat-neutral information. In two experiments, we tested the hypothesis that anxiety induced by threat of shock can interfere with the use of semantic-organizational processes that benefit memory. In Experiment 1, participants viewed and freely recalled two lists of semantically unrelated neutral words, one encoded in a threatening context (threat blocks) and one encoded without threat (safe blocks). As predicted, significantly fewer words were recalled during threat than safe blocks. Moreover, free recall patterns following threat blocks showed lower levels of semantic organization as assessed using a “path length” measurement that considers the semantic distance between pairs of consecutively recalled words. Both effects unexpectedly interacted with block order, such that they primarily reflected improved recall and increased semantic organization from the first to the second block in participants who received the threat block first. Experiment 2 used semantically related word lists to reduce potential impacts of task experience on semantic organization. Free recall was again less accurate and showed longer (less organized) path lengths for threat than safe blocks, and the path length effect no longer interacted with block order. Moreover, threat-induced changes to path lengths emerged as a mediator of the relation between physiological effects of threat (increased skin conductance) and reduced subsequent memory. These data point to semantic control processes as an understudied determinant of when and how acute anxiety impacts episodic memory.

Unraveling the time-of-day influences on motor consolidation through the motor-declarative memory conflict.

Competition between motor and declarative memory systems, both involved simultaneously in motor learning, has been shown to reduce motor consolidation. Here, we investigated this conflict during the learning of a sequential finger-tapping task (SFTT) scheduled for either the morning or the afternoon. Sixty participants, divided into four groups, trained on SFTT at either 10 a.m. or 3 p.m., and retested five hours later. To disrupt the conflict between the two memories, two groups underwent declarative learning immediately after SFTT training, involving word list training (G10DL and G3DL), while the two other groups (G10CTR and G3CTR) experienced no additional learning. The results revealed that after morning training without additional learning (C10CTR), skill consolidation deteriorated, while the addition of declarative learning (G10DL) significantly attenuated this decay, stabilizing consolidation. Afternoon training showed skill stabilization for both groups (G3CTR and G3DL). These results suggest that weaker consolidation after morning training may be due to an important competition between motor and declarative memories within the same motor task.

Phrasebook in Text Typology: a Type of Textbook or an Independent Type of Text?

Introduction. A phrasebook as a type of text is aimed at providing the basics of communication in situations when the knowledge of a foreign language is absent. It can not be classified as a type of a dictionary, textbook or manual for the development of speaking skills. The article examines the problem of determining the status of a phrasebook in the typology of text types. The study is aimed at a diachronic analysis of the texts and structure of phrasebooks to identify features that unite a phrasebook with a textbook, as well as to determine the properties inherent only to a phrasebook, allowing it to be distinguished as an independent type of text. The lack of works that consider the problem of determining the status of a phrasebook determines the relevance of the study.Methodology and sources. The research material – the texts of German-Russian and Russian-German phrasebooks of the XVIII–XXI centuries, covering the time period from 1795 to 2011, which were created both for teaching the German or Russian language, and for practical use during travel. The general (educational and tourist) phrasebooks were chosen because of the fact that they reflect different aspects of interaction between representatives of language communities in predetermined situations.Results and discussion. The comparison has shown that a phrasebook is an independent type of text, at different stages of its historical development having more or less similar features with a textbook, dictionary and a manual for the development of oral speech skills, but differing significantly from them. In the course of its historical development, the cohesive connections between the linguistic units of the phrasebook weaken: from a book containing coherent and logical dialogues on various topics (XVIII–XIX centuries), the phrasebook turns into a manual with a set of thematically organized template phrases and lists of words (late XX–XXI centuries).Conclusion. The phrasebook, thus, is a type of text that is closely related to the era of creation, which is reflected not only in the theme and structure, but also in the strength of the cohesive connections of the linguistic units that make up the phrasebook.

Neural Evidence for Syntactic Unification in Second Language Sentence Comprehension: A Time‐Frequency Analysis

AbstractThis study investigates whether syntactic unification occurs during online L2 sentence comprehension using time‐frequency analysis. We measured the oscillatory power changes in native English speakers and L1‐Cantonese L2‐English speakers while they were reading well‐formed English sentences, syntactically intact nonsense sentences, and random word lists. Additionally, we conducted traditional ERP analyses to test L2 speakers’ sensitivity to NP‐internal number (dis)agreement. The results show that low‐beta power significantly increased in the L2 group when reading not only well‐formed sentences but also nonsense sentences, replicating the pattern found in the L1 group. This suggests that syntactic unification occurs in L2 comprehension as reliably as in L1 comprehension. However, L2 speakers did not show increased positivity for NP‐internal number disagreement, indicating that they have not developed native‐like sensitivity to this syntactic error. The implications of these time‐frequency and ERP data for L2 sentence processing and syntactic development are discussed.

ANALISIS VERBA ‘PUKUL’ DALAM KORPUS BAHASA INDONESIA: STUDI LINGUISTIK KORPUS

This research compares the derivatives of the word "ajar" in data in the Corpus Query Processor: LCC Indonesia 2023 and the latest edition of the Indonesian Dictionary (KBBI). The derivatives of the word "teach" that are identified are the differences and similarities in sentence patterns, sentiments and types of sentences. Corpus Query Processor: LCC Indonesia is a collection of digital texts that represent a particular language. This study is included in corpus linguistics studies, namely empirical studies of language using features such as concordance, collocations, N-grams, and word lists. The method used is a descriptive qualitative approach with in-depth analysis of lingual corpus data. The research results found 13 derivatives of the word "teach" in the verb class in the corpus, with 5 of them found in KBBI Edition VI. This difference in derivatives of the word "teach" indicates the possibility that some commonly used derivatives of the word have not been included in the KBBI. Another finding is that the sentence pattern of each derivative of the word "teach" has been clearly identified, indicating the subject, predicate, object, as well as any additional information that may be present. Actor and patient sentiments vary depending on the context of the sentence. However, generally, there is a positive sentiment towards the derivative of the word "teach", which indicates the act of learning or teaching that is considered good or useful.

Developing a Word Family-Based Depth of Academic Word Knowledge Test

&lt;p style="text-align:justify"&gt;Despite the continued widespread use of the academic word list, there is a paucity of comprehensive and easily replicable tests which measure learners’ depth of knowledge of academic word list items. This paper outlines the development and initial validation of a test which measures multiple aspects of learners’ knowledge of academic vocabulary. The test comprises four sections – one productive knowledge section (sentence writing), and three receptive knowledge sections (collocations, synonyms, and L1 meaning). Each section includes 30 items selected from the academic word list, 10 of which are derived forms containing one or more affixes. The test was administered to 193 Japanese students studying at a public medical university in Japan. All four sections of the test showed a high level of internal consistency. In addition, the inter-rater reliability between the two different markers for the productive use (sentence writing) section was also moderately high. Furthermore, Rasch item analysis showed that the test items were well fitted to comprehensively measure learners’ knowledge of academic vocabulary. These encouraging initial results suggest that there may be merit in the test being used, evaluated, and possibly adapted in other EAP teaching and learning contexts.&lt;/p&gt;

Investigating a Metrical Hebb Effect for lists of words.

In four experiments, we describe the first finding of a Metrical Hebb Effect. Participants are shown to exhibit a Hebb Repetition Effect for repeating list-wide stress patterns across sequences of familiar words, even though the lexical items within the "repeating" lists do not themselves repeat. Experiment 1 established the presence of a Hebb effect for metrical patterns, demonstrating significant learning of list-wide metrical patterns over successive presentations. Experiment 2 investigated the effect's longevity, showing the persistence of learned metrical information after a spacing of three non-repeating lists. Experiment 3 revealed that the effect did not persist over a longer spacing of eight intervening lists. Experiment 4 investigated the learning mechanism, suggesting that chunking, rather than item-position binding, might account for the observed learning of metrical patterns. The authors propose that metrical-pattern learning represents a process of gradual integration of sequences of weak and strong stress accents into higher-level units representing the stress patterns within, and across, words. We briefly discuss some implications of the Metrical Hebb Effect for phonological word-form learning and for speech perception and production.

The role of articulatory rehearsal in short-term false memories during ageing.

Recent studies have shown that articulatory rehearsal prevents false memories in working memory tasks in young adults. During ageing, a substantial increase in false memories has been documented in numerous studies. The aim of this study was to investigate the role of rehearsal in the increase of false memories with age. In two experiments, we manipulated the opportunity to use rehearsal in a Brown-Peterson task in which younger (n = 80) and older (n = 70) adults maintained semantically related word lists and reported their maintenance strategies. Both experiments showed that reducing the opportunity to use rehearsal increased false memories and decreased correct recall in both groups. Furthermore, older adults made more false memories and less correct recall than younger adults, and these effects were partially mediated by the number of times participants reported using rehearsal (Experiment 2). These findings suggest that age-related differences in rehearsal use explain differences in working memory task performance.

A - 15 Convergent Validity between Standard Neuropsychological Assessment and Web-Based Voice-Recognition Neuropsychological Assessment (Intraneuron)

Abstract Objective The prevalence of mild cognitive impairment (MCI) remains high, and often cases may go undetected. The gold standard for detection of cognitive decline is neuropsychological assessment. However, access to neuropsychological assessment can be impacted by geographic and financial limitations. Prior research has determined that electronic-based testing is effective in detecting cognitive change. This study aimed to investigate a convergent validity between standard neuropsychological assessment (SNA) and a web-based, voice-recognition neuropsychological assessment tool (Intraneuron). Method 75 participants from a community-based neurology practice completed SNA and Intraneuron. Intraneuron is comprised of an auditory list learning/recall test and verbal fluency tests (F/A/S, animals). Pearson correlations were conducted to examine the convergent validity between SNA and Intraneuron. A McNemar cross tabulation analysis was utilized to compare the proportions of detected “normal” and “abnormal” screening for SNA (based on clinical diagnosis) and Intraneuron (utilizing 1SD and 1.5SD below the mean as cutoffs). Results There were moderate, positive correlations between the SNA and Intraneuron: animals (r = 0.43, p &amp;lt; 0.001), F/A/S (r = 0.67, p &amp;lt; 0.001), delayed word list recall (r = 0.49, p &amp;lt; 0.001). The McNemar test showed that the classification between SNA and Intraneuron were similar at 1SD and 1.5SD. Conclusions The study demonstrated convergent validity SNA and Intraneuron. Results suggest that the Intraneuron is equivalent in the detection of early cognitive decline compared to SNA. This data provides support for the value of a web-based screening tool and the potential to maximize utilization across multiple settings and improve early detection of cognitive decline.

A - 141 The Relationship of Tumor Location and Treatment on Cognition in Long-Term IDH-Mutant Glioma Survivors

Abstract Objective Isocitrate dehydrogenase 1 mutation (IDH-M) denotes a distinct subtype of glioma which has a relatively favorable prognosis but nevertheless requires treatment including surgery, radiation and/or chemotherapy and the tumors inevitably recur. Factors influencing cognition in long-term survivors (LTS) of IDH-M have not been well characterized. We investigated factors affecting cognition in a cohort of well characterized of IDH-M LTS. Method Patients (N = 65; 98.5% Caucasian; 47.7% female; Mage = 47.51; Medu = 16.06) who were at least 3 years post-IDH-M diagnosis who completed neuropsychological assessment in the Neuro-oncology division at Massachusetts General Hospital were included. Tests of processing speed, working memory, episodic memory, and executive function were analyzed along with tumor, treatment, and individual difference factors relevant to cognition. Exploratory analyses were conducted to generate hypotheses regarding factors of interest. Results Tumor hemisphere affected delayed recall of word list learning Z-score (F = 4.00; p = 0.024; left = −1.41; right = −0.59). Tumor lobe affected visual learning (F = 3.11; p = 0.054; frontal = −0.594; temporal = −0.807; parietal = −1.983). There were no effects of treatment type (photon vs proton radiation; single vs multi-agent chemotherapy), presence of seizures, psychiatric diagnosis, tumor subtype (oligodendroglioma/astrocytoma), grade (2,3,4) or disease duration (Mean = 9.5y; min = 3y; max = 28.8y) on cognition. Conclusions In this heavily treated group of IDH-M glioma LTS referred for neuropsychological evaluation, typical lateralizing/localizing cognitive deficits were revealed. However, simple dichotomies may fail to capture relevant contributors to cognitive impairment. Integration with individual factors including premorbid cognition, radiation dosimetry and brain network connectivity may be necessary to predict cognitive trajectories and outcomes.