Word Recognition Research Articles

A Recognition System for Devanagari Handwritten Digits Using CNN

A Recognition System for Devanagari Handwritten Digits using CNN, a novel approach to recognizing transcribed digits in the Devanagari script using Convolutional Neural Networks (CNN). This framework represents a significant contribution to the field of pattern recognition and language processing objective of the research project is to perform a literature review, identify an algorithm for a digits recognition system implement the Devanagari digits recognition system for educational activities. In the first phase, a dataset of 150 transcribed digit images is curated, allocating 75% for training (113 images) and 25% for validation (37 images). A Convolutional Neural Network (CNN) is designed with five convolutional layers, each utilizing 3 × 3 filters with 16, 32, 64, 128, and 128 feature maps, respectively. The experiments conducted involve varying the number of epochs, with results captured at 5, 10, 20, and 100 epochs. This comprehensive evaluation aims to understand the model's convergence and performance over different training durations. The outcomes of this phase contribute to the fine-tuning and optimization of the model for subsequent phases. In the second phase, the dataset is expanded to 100*10 (1000) images, each resized to 28 × 28 pixels through cropping. The CNN architecture remains consistent, with the previously determined layer configuration. Similar experiments are conducted, assessing the model's performance over 5, 10, 20, and 100 epochs. This model with a data size of 1000 demonstrates superior accuracy (100% on mini-batches) compared to the 150 model, with consistently high validation accuracy, while both models exhibit decreasing trends in mini-batch and validation losses, favoring the larger dataset, and maintaining a constant learning rate at 0.0100, albeit with a slightly longer time elapsed for each epoch due to the increased data size. 98.37398 accuracy in the phase 2 experiment in 100 epochs. Similar research and contributions and Devanagari’s character and word recognition system.

How large are root and affix priming effects in visual word recognition? Estimation from original data and a Bayesian meta-analysis

ABSTRACT Priming effects for morphological roots support theories that grant them a unique representational status in visual word recognition. However, effects for other morphemes, including inflectional affixes, have been inconsistent. In a large-N experiment, we test the reliability of inflectional affix priming and add a meta-analysis to quantify priming effect size for roots and affixes. Study 1 probes priming for the English past tense suffix –ed at short (34 ms) and long (150 ms) stimulus-onset asynchrony; pure morphological priming is not obtained that is statistically distinguishable from form-based priming effects. A Bayesian meta-analysis (Study 2) demonstrates priming for roots and prefixes, but not suffixes, that are statistically larger than form-based priming effects. Taken together the absence of suffix priming contrasts with robust root and prefix effects, which may reflect the left-to-right nature of visual word recognition in the languages studied in this work.

Sensitive periods in language development: Do children outperform adults on auditory word-form segmentation?

Children are more successful language learners than adults, yet the nature and cause of this phenomenon are still not well understood. Auditory statistical learning from speech has been a prominent focus of research in the field of language development because it is regarded as a fundamental learning mechanism underlying word segmentation in early language acquisition. However, a handful of studies that investigated developmental trajectories for auditory statistical learning found no clear child advantages. The degree to which the learning task measures explicit rather than implicit mechanisms might obscure a potential advantage for younger learners, as suggested by recent findings. In the present study, we compared children aged 7–12 years and young adults on an adapted version of the task that disentangles explicit and implicit contributions to learning. They were exposed to a continuous stream of speech sounds comprising four repeating trisyllabic pseudowords. Learning of the hidden words was tested (a) online through a target-detection task and (b) offline via a forced-choice word recognition test that included a memory judgement procedure. Both measures revealed comparable learning abilities. However, children's performance on the recognition task showed evidence for both explicit and implicit word knowledge while adults appeared primarily sensitive to explicit memory. Since implicit memory is more stable in time than explicit memory, we suggest that future work should focus more on developmental differences in the nature of the memory that is formed, rather than the strength of learning, when trying to understand child advantages in language acquisition.

Bonebridge implants versus atresiaplasty in children with unilateral congenital aural atresia: A comparison study of audiological outcomes

ObjectivesTo evaluate and compare audiological outcomes of atresiaplasty and Bonebridge (BB) implantation in patients with unilateral congenital aural atresia (UCAA), to guide clinical decision-making. MethodsTwenty-seven subjects diagnosed with UCAA were included in the study. Thirteen were implanted with the BB, while 14 undergone atresiaplasty. All patients underwent pre-and post-surgery examinations, including pure-tone audiometry, sound field threshold (SFT), speech reception threshold (SRT), word recognition score (WRS), and horizontal sound source localization tests. Results(1) Postoperatively, the average SFT decreased by 11.79 ± 5.93 dB HL in the atresiaplasty group and by 24.46 ± 9.36 dB HL in the BB group, with a significantly greater decrease in the BB group compared to the atresiaplasty group (P < 0.05). (2) Both groups demonstrated a significant improvement in average disyllabic WRS postoperatively under normal ear-masking conditions, with the BB group showing a significantly higher improvement than the atresiaplasty group. (3) When the speech signal was presented from the CAA side with noise from the normal hearing side, both surgical groups exhibited a significant decrease in postoperative signal-to-noise ratio compared to preoperative levels, with improvements of 2.14 ± 2.95 dB SNR in the atresiaplasty group and 4.92 ± 5.83 dB SNR in the BB group (P < 0.05). (4) The average minimum audible angle preoperative in the atresiaplasty group was 29.71 ± 18.42°, which decreased to 18.1 ± 10.07° at 6 months postoperatively, showing a statistically significant improvement (P < 0.05). ConclusionWe concluded that both atresiaplasty and Bonebridge implantation can significantly improve speech perception under both quiet and noisy conditions in children with UCAA. BoneBridge implantation appears to provide better audiological outcomes than atresiaplasty. Atresiaplasty can significantly improve the accuracy of sound localization. No significant improvement in sound localization accuracy was observed in the short period after Bonebridge implantation. Further research should be conducted with a larger sample size and longer follow-up time.

Hebrew–Russian Bilingual Children's Early Literacy Skills: The Roles of the Home Literacy Environment and Mothers' Writing Support

AbstractToday, many children worldwide grow up in bilingual or multilingual families. This study explores early literacy development in Russian–Hebrew bilingual families in Israel. It studies the contribution of the home literacy environment (HLE), the language of communication, and the nature of the maternal writing support in Hebrew and Russian, to children's early literacy skills in the two languages. Participants were 61 Israeli children (4–6 years old) and their mothers. The mothers completed questionnaires about home literacy activities in both languages and were videotaped while supporting their child in writing a list of eight words in Hebrew and Russian. Children's early literacy skills (phonological awareness, letter knowledge, and word recognition) were assessed in both languages. Results showed that mothers adjusted their writing support not only to the child's skills but also to the particular orthography. The HLE and aspects of mothers' writing support predicted their children's early literacy skills, not only within each language but also in cross‐language models. The literacy activities provided at home and the nature of mothers' support seem to link to the children's literacy outcomes. The results stress the importance of parents' explicit efforts to support children's early literacy skills in both heritage and societal languages.

Body-object interaction ratings for 3600 French nouns.

Body-object interaction (BOI) measures the ease with which the human body can interact with the concept represented by a word. This research focuses on two main objectives: first, to establish French norms for the psycholinguistic variable BOI, and second, to investigate the contribution of BOI to language processing in French. We collected BOI ratings for 3600 French nouns from participants through an online platform. The inter- and intrastudy reliability of these new ratings indicate that the ratings are robust. We then aimed to determine the role of BOI in word recognition. A hierarchical regression analysis was conducted using lexical decision reaction times (RTs) as the dependent variable. BOI was found to be a significant predictor of lexical decision latencies, beyond the contribution of word length, frequency, orthographic distinctiveness, and imageability. Contrary to previous findings in English, higher BOI values were associated with longer RTs in French, indicating an inhibitory effect of BOI on French word processing. Methodological differences may account for this divergent result. Taken together, the results of this study show the independent contribution of BOI to word recognition in French. This supports the notion that sensorimotor information is a crucial component of language processing. By providing a reliable and sizable BOI database for French nouns, we offer a valuable resource for psycholinguistic and language processing research. This research underscores the complex relationship between language, cognition, and sensorimotor experiences, advancing our comprehension of language processing mechanisms.

The Effectiveness of Using Webtoon Platform in Teaching Reading Comprehension Among Second Semester Students at Universitas Bhinneka PGRI in Academic Year 2023/2024

English, a crucial global language, is essential in education and communication. In Indonesia, mastering English is vital, with the 2013 curriculum emphasizing the four skills: speaking, writing, listening, and reading. Reading comprehension, which integrates written content with prior knowledge, is particularly important. Various internal and external factors, such as word recognition, parental support, and educational media, impact students' reading comprehension. Digital media like Webtoon offer advantages such as accessibility and interactivity, making them valuable educational tools. This study examined how well the Webtoon platform taught reading comprehension to second-semester students at Bhinneka PGRI University's English Education Department in the academic year 2023–2024. Twenty-two individuals were chosen at random from the student body to make up the sample. This study employed a quantitative research approach with a pre-experimental design that included a one-group pretest, treatment, and post-test to determine the impact of Webtoon on reading comprehension skills. Using this strategy, the effectiveness of the intervention may be evaluated by contrasting pre- and post-test results. Students' reading comprehension scores increased dramatically after using Webtoon; on average, their scores went from 69.00 to 81.81. The data distribution was validated by normality tests, and a significant difference was found using a paired t-test (t(15) = -12.854, p &lt; 0.001). These results showed how Webtoon improves reading comprehension and makes a good contribution to education by demonstrating creative uses of digital media in the classroom.Using this strategy, the effectiveness of the intervention may be evaluated by comparing pre- and post-test results.

Development of Trisyllabic Word Recognition in Noise Test for Marathi-Speaking Children

Abstract Background Language and culture-specific speech perception tests help in the assessment of children's linguistic proficiency and comprehension. Recognizing difficulties in speech perception and implementing interventions in challenging auditory conditions are pivotal for their holistic development. Objective The aim of this study was to develop a speech perception in noise test in Marathi using trisyllabic words for children between the age ranges of 3 and 6 years. Method The study was conducted in two phases. The first phase comprised the development of trisyllabic word recognition in noise test in Marathi and the second phase comprised administration of the test on 90 typically developing normal hearing children aged 3 to 6 years. These children were divided into three groups (group A: &gt;3–4 years; group B: &gt;4–5 years; and group C: &gt;5–6 years), with 30 participants in each group. Results As the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) increases, children across different age range show an improvement in their speech perception scores. Also, young children require a more favorable SNR compared with older children to effectively comprehend speech in noisy conditions. Conclusion The Trisyllabic word recognition in noise test will help in optimizing classroom acoustics for typical developing and hearing-impaired children. An SNR-based evaluation can provide guidance regarding interventions, amplification decisions, and auditory training, ensuring effective education and communication for children with hearing impairment.

Grammatical gender in spoken word recognition in school-age Spanish monolingual and Spanish-English bilingual children.

This study examined grammatical gender processing in school-aged children with varying levels of cumulative English exposure. Children participated in a visual world paradigm with a four-picture display where they heard a gendered article followed by a target noun and were in the context where all images were the same gender (same gender), where all of the distractor images were the opposite gender than the target noun (different gender), and where all of the distractor images were the opposite gender, but there was a mismatch in the gendered article and target noun pair. We investigated 51 children (aged 5;0-10;0) who were exposed to Spanish since infancy but varied in their amount of cumulative English exposure. In addition to the visual word paradigm, all children completed an article-noun naming task, a grammaticality judgment task, and standardized vocabulary tests. Parents reported on their child's cumulative English language exposure and current English language use. To investigate the time course of lexical facilitation effects, looks to the target were analyzed with a cluster-based permutation test. The results revealed that all children used gender in a facilitatory way (during the noun region), and comprehension was significantly inhibited when the article-noun pairing was ungrammatical rather than grammatical. Compared to children with less cumulative English exposure, children with more cumulative English exposure looked at the target noun significantly less often overall, and compared to younger children, older children looked at the target noun significantly more often overall. Additionally, children with lower cumulative English exposure looked at target nouns more in the different-gender condition than the same-gender condition for masculine items more than feminine items.

Word recognition thresholds in novice readers: exploring when reading and listening comprehension are comparable

AbstractThis study proposes and identifies two levels of word reading at which good comprehenders can obtain a similar understanding of written and spoken narrative texts: The oral-written matching functional and efficient thresholds. These thresholds are compared with the level of word reading over which a relationship between listening comprehension and reading comprehension is evident (a basic word recognition threshold) and with the level after which better word recognition does not result in improvements in reading comprehension (an upper word recognition threshold). The three first thresholds were calculated in a sample of 344 first to third-grade Spanish students who read and listened to two narrative texts of different difficulty and who were assessed on measures of comprehension and word recognition. Listening and reading comprehension were related when participants accurately read more than 73% of pseudowords in a list (basic word recognition threshold). For participants with good listening comprehension, reading comprehension performance matched listening comprehension once a moderate reading speed of ~ 66 decontextualized words per minute was achieved (oral-written matching functional threshold) or when the rate of reading the text was ~ 140 words per minute (oral-written matching efficient threshold). The value of the oral-written matching efficient threshold was, in this study, similar to the upper word recognition threshold identified by prior research. The thresholds calculated in this study delineate a sequence of increasingly challenges to the developing reader, allowing a nuanced description of the initial stages of reading development.

Health-related word recognition and pronunciation by patients in Gauteng, South Africa in English and native languages.

Low health literacy has been found to affect people's ability to take care of their own health and follow the principles of disease prevention. Incomprehension of health education and healthcare instructions may lead to poor health outcomes. The aim of the study was to describe and compare a sample of primary healthcare patient's ability to recognise and pronounce health-related words in English and in his or her native language. The study was conducted in 12 primary healthcare (PHC) clinics in Gauteng, South Africa. A prospective, quantitative, comparative research design using a survey method was used to assess the ability to recognise and pronounce health-related words of 401 respondents using the REALM-R (SA) tool. Most respondents were 18-29 years (32%) and 30-49 years (53%) old. More than half (54%) of the respondents have completed grade 12 schooling. Adequate English health-related word recognition and pronunciation levels were at 19.5%, while native health-related word recognition and pronunciation levels were far better, ranging between 55.6% and 97.0%. Respondents showed better word recognition and pronunciation of the health-related words in their native language than in English. Providing health information in the patient's native language and on their level of understanding may therefore improve patient health outcomes.Contribution:The study is the first of its kind to determine word recognition and pronunciation of health-related words in English and a native language of South African PHC patients. Knowing this may assist healthcare professionals to give health education and instructions on the patient's level of understanding.

Phase I/II Study of a Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Receptor Vaccine in Patients With NF2-Related Schwannomatosis.

The humanized antivascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) antibody bevacizumab (Bev) is efficacious for the treatment of NF2-related schwannomatosis (NF2), previously known as neurofibromatosis type 2. This study evaluated the safety and efficacy of a VEGF receptor (VEGFR) vaccine containing VEGFR1 and VEGFR2 peptides in patients with NF2 with progressive schwannomas (jRCTs031180184). VEGFR1 and VEGFR2 peptides were injected subcutaneously into infra-axillary and inguinal regions, once a week for 4 weeks and then once a month for 4 months. The primary end point was safety. Secondary end points included tolerability, hearing response, imaging response, and immunologic response. Sixteen patients with NF2 with progressive schwannomas completed treatment and were assessed. No severe vaccine-related adverse events occurred. Among the 13 patients with assessable hearing, word recognition score improved in five patients at 6 months and two at 12 months. Progression of average hearing level of pure tone was 0.168 dB/mo during the year of treatment period, whereas long-term progression was 0.364 dB/mo. Among all 16 patients, a partial response was observed in more than one schwannoma in four (including one in which Bev had not been effective), minor response in 5, and stable disease in 4. Both VEGFR1-specific and VEGFR2-specific cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTLs) were induced in 11 patients. Two years after vaccination, a radiologic response was achieved in nine of 20 assessable schwannomas. This study demonstrated the safety and preliminary efficacy of VEGFR peptide vaccination in patients with NF2. Memory-induced CTLs after VEGFR vaccination may persistently suppress tumor progression.

Endogenous estrogens and brain activation during verbal memory encoding and recognition in the postmenopause.

Determine associations of endogenous estrogens with memory systems in the postmenopausal brain and evaluate clinical significance. In the MsBrain cohort (n=199, mean age 59.3+3.9 years, 83.9% white), we examined the cross-sectional association of serum estradiol and estrone, measured using liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS), during a functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) task of word encoding and recognition. To characterize the clinical significance of those associations, we examined the magnitude of activation in relation to a neuropsychological measures of memory and affect. Endogenous estradiol was positively associated with activation in temporal and frontal cortices during encoding and negatively associated with one prefrontal region during recognition (p<.05). Activation in the left inferior frontal gyrus was associated with memory performance (β(SE)= 0.004(0.002), p<.05), and anxiety (β(SE)= -0.100(0.050), p<.05). The left middle frontal gyrus was associated with memory performance (β(SE)= 0.006(0.002), p<.01), depression, and anxiety. The left superior temporal gyrus (STG) was associated with depression (β(SE)= -0.083(0.036), p<.05) and anxiety (β(SE)= -0.134(0.058), p<.05). Estrone was positively associated with activation in a range of brain areas including bilateral STG and right superior frontal gyrus during encoding (p<.05). Activation of the left insula an precental gyrus were associated with symptoms of depression and anxiety. None related to memory. The function of brain areas critical to memory performance varies with estrogen levels in the postmenopause, even though those levels are low. Higher levels of estradiol may facilitate memory performance through enhanced function of temporal and frontal cortices during encoding of verbal material.

Open-fitting hearing aids: a comparative analysis between open behind-the-ear and open completely-in-the-canal instant-fit devices.

Our study aims to assess the open-fitting capabilities and vent properties of traditional open-fitting behind-the-ear (open BTE) hearing aids to instant-fit open-fitting completely-in-the-canal (open CIC) systems. The study analysed data from 40 patients grouped in two groups based on the used hearing aids. Free field pure tone and speech audiometry were performed to obtain the free-field pure tone average and free-field word recognition score (WRS). The matrix sentence test was employed to evaluate the auditory performance and functional outcomes of patients. The Satisfaction with Amplification in Daily Life (SADL) and the Abbreviated Profile of Hearing Aid Benefit (APHAB) questionnaire were used to assess the personal satisfaction and benefit provided by the hearing aid. Real ear measurements were conducted to objectively evaluate the Real-Ear Unaided Gain (REUG) and Real-Ear Occluded Gain (REOG) of the two groups. For this purpose, six frequency bands (band 1 from 125 to 200Hz, band 2 from 250 to 400Hz, band 3 from 500 to 800Hz, band 4 from 1000 to 1600Hz, band 5 from 2000 to 3150Hz, and band 6 from 4000 to 6300Hz) were defined and compared. Free-field WRS exhibited a significant difference (p-value = 0.004) between open BTE and open CIC, with better results for the open BTE. Matrix test speech reception threshold scores did not differ significantly between groups. No statistical significant difference were observed between APHAB and SADL total scores. Correlation tests revealed a negative correlation between SRT and APHAB scores in the open BTE group, not seen in the open CIC. No statistically significant difference was observed for all bands of REUG values, demonstrating comparability in terms of acoustic resonance of the external auditory canal. Comparing the REOG recorded in the two groups a significant difference was observed for bands 2 through 6. While the average REOG values for bands 5 and 6 were higher in patients with traditional open BTE aids, in contrast, for bands 2, 3, and 4, the REOG values for the open CIC group were higher and statistically significant compared to patients wearing traditional open-fitting BTE hearing aids. Patients with open CIC seem to perform worse in quiet environments compared to noisy ones, as indicated by the free field WRS score. However, the absence of differences in functional performance assessed with the matrix sentence test, and in the psychosocial aspects, makes these devices a good solution for individuals who reject hearing aids due to aesthetic concerns. The differences in terms of real ear measurements, while statistically significant, do not negatively impact overall performance.

Novel Wearable System to Recognize Sign Language in Real Time.

The aim of this study is to develop a practical software solution for real-time recognition of sign language words using two arms. This will facilitate communication between hearing-impaired individuals and those who can hear. We are aware of several sign language recognition systems developed using different technologies, including cameras, armbands, and gloves. However, the system we propose in this study stands out for its practicality, utilizing surface electromyography (muscle activity) and inertial measurement unit (motion dynamics) data from both arms. We address the drawbacks of other methods, such as high costs, low accuracy due to ambient light and obstacles, and complex hardware requirements, which have limited their practical application. Our software can run on different operating systems using digital signal processing and machine learning methods specific to this study. For the test, we created a dataset of 80 words based on their frequency of use in daily life and performed a thorough feature extraction process. We tested the recognition performance using various classifiers and parameters and compared the results. The random forest algorithm emerged as the most successful, achieving a remarkable 99.875% accuracy, while the naïve Bayes algorithm had the lowest success rate with 87.625% accuracy. The new system promises to significantly improve communication for people with hearing disabilities and ensures seamless integration into daily life without compromising user comfort or lifestyle quality.

Factors Affecting Speech Discrimination After Vestibular Schwannoma Resection.

Investigate the relationship between word recognition score (WRS) and pure tone average (PTA) after hearing preservation surgery for vestibular schwannomas (VS) as well as evaluate the consistency of hearing classification systems. A retrospective chart review was performed. This study included patients from a single academic tertiary referral hospital. Patients with VS and serviceable hearing who underwent hearing preservation surgery 2014-2023. Patients excluded for neurofibromatosis 2 and lacking pre/postop audiograms. All patients underwent resection of vestibular schwannoma. Pre/postop WRS, PTA, and AAO-HNS, Gardner-Robertson (GR), and WRS Class (WRSC) hearing classifications. Seventy-five patients were included. Average preop and postop PTA and WRS were 26 ± 12 dB, 79 ± 39 dB, 92 ± 12%, and 33 ± 43%, respectively. Postop PTAs were distributed along the complete testable decibel range, while the postop WRS displayed a bimodal distribution, with WRS >50% or <20%. Worsening intraop ABR changes were significantly associated with poorer hearing outcomes ( p = 0.005). With increasing Koos grades, intraop ABRs were significantly more likely to exhibit changes ( p = 0.005). AAO-HNS and GR classified patients nearly identically, while the WRSC resulted in more class I and fewer class II. The cutoff of serviceable hearing was comparable across all classification systems. Effects on the brainstem component of Koos 3-4 tumors may particularly disturb speech processing. This effect seems amplified by surgical dissection. AAO-HNS, GR, and WRSC hearing classifications are comparable in describing serviceable hearing in vestibular schwannoma patients.

Prestin in Human Perilymph, Cerebrospinal Fluid, and Blood as a Biomarker for Hearing Loss.

Determining the concentration of prestin in human blood, cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), and perilymph (PL), and evaluating its suitability as a clinical biomarker for sensori-neural hearing loss (SNHL). Human blood, CSF, and PL samples were intraoperatively collected from 42 patients with tumors of the internal auditory canal or with intracochlear tumors undergoing translabyrinthine or middle fossa tumor removal. Prestin concentration was measured using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and linear regression analyses were performed to investigate its associations with audiological as well as vestibular test results. Tertiary referral center. The median prestin concentration in blood samples of the 42 study participants (26 women, mean ± standard deviation age, 52.7 ± 12.5 years) was 1.32 (interquartile range, IQR, 0.71-1.99) ng/mL. CSF prestin levels were significantly higher with 4.73 (IQR, 2.45-14.03) ng/mL (P = .005). With 84.74 (IQR, 38.95-122.00) ng/mL, PL prestin concentration was significantly higher compared to blood (P = .01) and CSF (P = .03) levels. Linear regression analyses showed significant associations of CSF prestin concentration with preoperative hearing levels (pure-tone average and word recognition; P = .008, R2 = 0.1894; P = .03, R2 = 0.1857), but no correlations with blood or PL levels. This study's findings highlight the volatile nature of prestin levels and provide the first insights into this potential biomarker's concentrations in body fluids apart from blood. Future investigations should comprehensively assess human prestin levels with different etiologies of SNHL, prestin's natural homeostasis and systemic circulation, and its temporal dynamics after cochlear trauma. Finally, clinically approved detection kits for prestin are urgently required prior to considering a potential translational implementation of this diagnostic technique.

The time course of semantic ambiguity in visual word recognition: behavioral and ERP evidence for the lexical-semantic effect.

Homonyms are words with multiple, unrelated meanings that share a single form and pronunciation. These words provide valuable insights into how semantic representation is retrieved and selected independently of orthography and phonology. This study aims to investigate the temporal dynamics of lexical and semantic processing in the visual recognition of Korean words. Specifically, we examine how homonyms and unambiguous words are processed differently during a lexical decision task (LDT) with EEG recording, considering the effects of word frequency and the number of meanings (NOMs). Participants performed a lexical decision task where they were required to determine if a visually presented stimulus was a valid Korean word. We compared the behavioral responses and event-related potentials (ERPs) evoked by homonyms and unambiguous words, each possessing either high or low word frequency. Both subjective and objective NOMs were measured and manipulated, while controlling for the subjective balance of individual frequencies of meanings to control for confounding from the relatedness of meaning (ROM). For ERP analysis, a non-parametric cluster-based permutation test was employed in addition to the two time windows of interest (i.e., N400 and P600). Behavioral results indicated a marginally significant interaction between word frequency and semantic ambiguity along with a main effect of word frequency, showing faster and more accurate responses for high-frequency words. An ambiguity advantage was observed only for low-frequency words, with no significant effect found for high-frequency words. ERP results revealed that lexical-semantic interactions were reflected in the modulations of the N400 and P600 components. High-frequency homonyms elicited an enhanced N400 amplitude, while low-frequency homonyms showed a reduced P600 amplitude. The findings suggest that the activation of semantic information occurs simultaneously with lexical processing, rather than during post-lexical or decision-making processes. Furthermore, considering balanced homonyms were employed in this study, inhibitory competition may arise from the high-frequency individual meanings of high-frequency words. In contrast, in low-frequency words, a facilitative effect may arise from gains in global semantic activation or semantic feedback to the orthographic level.

Isolated word recognition based on a hyper-tuned cross-validated CNN-BiLSTM from Mel Frequency Cepstral Coefficients

Isolated word recognition based on a hyper-tuned cross-validated CNN-BiLSTM from Mel Frequency Cepstral Coefficients

Implementing discourse-gating tasks to study the timing of speech act recognition

This paper presents the development of two novel discourse-gating tasks to investigate the processing of pragmatic information, namely, the timing of the recognition of genuine (sincere) and ostensible (transparently insincere) refusals in Chinese and provides preliminary validity evidence for the tasks. Gating tasks were introduced to investigate spoken word recognition and have been successfully extended to spoken language processing, most notably sentences. Following Grosjean's (1996) observation that gating tasks could be used to investigate a variety of linguistic features, we extended the gating tasks to spoken discourse using turns as gates. The open-prediction gating task allows participants to make a single prediction about the outcome of each of 12 recorded conversations as soon as they can. The fixed-prediction gating task asks participants to make predictions at regular intervals while listening to a second set of 12 conversations. One hundred and seven participants (60 L1 speakers and 47 third- and fourth-year learners of Chinese) were recruited to test the tasks. The tasks reveal a lag in speech-act identification not found when retrospective speech-act identification tasks are used. The fixed-prediction task additionally reveals alternatives that are considered during processing. The paper discusses the benefits of the discourse gating tasks and the merits of each, the quantitative and qualitative evidence for the tasks, and future directions for discourse gating tasks.