PSYC 382 LEC 3 LANGUAGE

who invented information theory

claude shannon

who invented theory of computation

alan turing

whos idea was computational (artificial) brain

alan turing

describe the mathematical theory of communication

information source → sent to a transmitter through a medium (has some noise) → picked up by a receiver → sent to destination

entropy (H)

average uncertainty of all possible messages or outcomes (more noise = higher entropy)

low vs high entropy

low = low range of options

high = high range of options

entropy measured in

bits (0,1)

T/F entropy models of human language capture the information transmitted between 2 people

F. entropy models consistently fail to fully capture info transmission in humans b/c:

• context important to understanding

• 2 identical messages can have different meanings

• message can be intentionally distinct based on audience member

shibboleth

a words that marks u as a member or nonmember of a group

Noam Chomsky’s hierarchy

hierarchy of the range of grammar complexity of human language compared to other communication systems

crucial component of noam chomsky’s hierarchy

syntactic recursion: can embed sentences/clauses within sentences/clauses

also called discrete infinity - infinity of sentences, words, but never 6.7 words.

computational capabilities depend on

transformation rules that require dedicated memory

human language is __ sensitive

context/grammar sensitive.

transformation rules use memory systems that can hold multiple clauses and modify grammar.

ex u know what the clause they and them refer to

2 reasons why human language stands out from behaviourism’s verbal behaviour

1. other species can learn human language fluently

2. children can learn any human language fluently without teaching or exposure

human language is __ based. why

rule-based.

it is generative (make new sentences) and transformational

humans must have __ to learn any human language

a deep neurocognitive architecture

language is instinct

how many human languages

7000

what part of language follows power law dist

number of speakers per language

language capacity

capacity to use language

language capacity evolved how many times

once

T/F languages dont change

F. languages change over time

how do linguists reconstruct unwritten languages

use comparative methods like genomics

ex: proto - indo europeans

what is known about the evolution of language capacity

none. could have emerged as result of cognitiev complexity or accident, or for general communication to organize thoughts

we start life with ___ connections

corticolaryngeal motor connections.

connections from prefrontal cortex to cranial nerve nuclei that control voice box.

describe the corticolaryngeal connections

indirect (medial PFC) - involuntary vocalizations (laugh, cry)

direct (lateral PFC) - voluntary vocalizations (babbling in animals)

T/F corticolaryngeal connections exist forever

pathway deminishes if not used

example of ancient observations of language deficits after brain injuries

galen’s gladiators

describe 2 modern observations of language deficits in the brain via paul broca

1. patients w aphasia had damage to left prefrontal cortex

2. deeper white matter damage (grey matter damage more common in temporary/transient language deficits)

list the 5 components of language

1. phonetics

2. phonology

3. morphology

4. syntax

5. semantics

phonetics

speech sounds

phonology

language specific rules for using speech sounds

morphology

combinatorial rules for putting meaning units together

syntax

recursive transformational rules for putting sentences together

recursive = adding setences within sentences

semantics

meaning of words and sentences

pragmatics

use of utterances (language, laugh, scoffs)

context based

near side pragmatic

background info needed to understand the utterance

far side pragmatic

other info communicated/accomplished besides the utterances’ meaning

conversational implicatures

meanings or intentions (from utterances) that can be inferred based on the context of the conversation

ex: its cold in here said towards person near heater.

relevance theory

assumes that speakers make more utterances when they believe its worth the audience’s effort to process it

linguistic relativity or sapir warf’s hypothesis

2 versions:

strong: thoughts determined by language structure

weak: content and structure of thoughts influenced by ones language structure

most evidence rules out and supports which aspect of linguistic relativity

rule out: strong - thoughts determined by language structure

support: content and structure of thoughts influenced by one’s language structure

frequency illusion / baader meinhof phenomenon

after you see a term for the first time, start to see it more often, making us believe it occurs more often than it actually does.

alexihmiya

lack of words to describe emotion

aphasia

language deficit (DAMAGE TO A BRain area)

describe the 4 main aphasia

1. broca’s aphasia

2. wernicke’s aphasia

3. conduction alphasia

4. global aphasia

broca’s aphasia

loss of speech production (nonfluent)

damage in left prefrontal lobe

wernicke’s alphasia

loss of speech comprehension (fluent)

damage in left temporoparietal lobe

conduction aphasia

fluent (good speech production) - conduction of axons to language areas affected

damage in left arcuate fasciculus

a type of disconnection syndrome

global aphasia

nonfluent (loss of speech production)

damage in multiple language regions

all 4 types of aphasia mentioned have poor __

poor repetition and naming

whats the 2 white matter tracts in blue called

most frontal - uncinate fasciculus

most posterior - arcuate fasciculus

where does the cortical pathway for understanding spoken language start

primary auditory cortex or superior temporal gyrus (STG)

describe the 2 paths of cortical pathway for understanding spoken language

1. dorsal streams (upward)

2. ventral streams (downward)

list the dorsal streams and what they do

1. auditory to premotor connection

   → sound perception-production loop

2. wernicke to broca connection

   → complex syntactic processing (recursive syntax)

list the ventral streams and what they do

1. STG + anterior temporal cortex to broca’s loop (uncinate fasciculus)

   → link sounds with meaning (comprehension)

2. anterior to inferior temporal cortex

   → simple syntactic concatenation (forming sentences) with meaning integration. (aka integrate sentences/phrases with meaning)

T/F language is modular

true. Language is a small part of the brain

within a signal brain area there are functional ___

functionals segregations or subregions

describe where and how a TMS applied to a specific subregion of brocas affects language

TMS applied to rostral (anterior) subregion - impair synonym/semantic judgements (ex: gift vs present)

TMS applied to caudal (posterior) subregion - impair homophony judgements (ex: manner vs manor)

ethical way to map brain function

EEGs, ERPs (event related potentials; measure changes in brain activity associated with an event)

anterior (brocas) and posterior (wernickes) language regions mapped with ERP

a P600 (positivity) difference to syntactic violations (grammar)

ex: child throw pig.

a posterior (wernickes) only language region mapped with ERP

a N400 (negativity) difference in semantic violations (meaning)

ex: girl dropped sky on table

we detect _ violations faster than _ violations

semantic violations (meaning) faster than syntactic violations (grammar)

what 3 concepts frame the new view of language on the brain

1. language networks extend beyond the classical areas that are dedicated to just language (ex: inferior temporal cortex)

2. language subsystems not functionally distinct (all integrated), and semantics precedes syntax

3. language emerges through relational connections and coordination of multiple subsystems (ex: working memory)

can sign language (ASL) express same range of thought as spoken language

yes

how is context-sensitive grammars expressed in sign language compared to spoken

syntax and semantics expressed spatially instead of sequentially.

use of loci = an area of space in environment where something (noun) can be placed and accessed later for grammar retrieval

schizophrenia often accompanied by voice hallucinations. do people with this disorder who are born deaf still hear voices?

they can visually hallucinate hands signing at them

spoken and ASL lateralized to

left hemisphere

anterior damage leads to __ signing

nonfluent (loss of speech production)

aka broca

posterior damage leads to __ signing

fluent signing

often nonsense signing

are erp responses to semantic and syntactic violations also same to signing?

yes

p600 - syntactic violation

n400 - semantic violation

T/F no overlap in brain activity for spoken vs sign language

F. many but not complete overlaps.

what brain activations of signing occur thats different from spoken language

activity in parietal areas, perhaps reflecting proprioception (location of limbs) and symbolic gesturing.

larger activity in right hemisphere (increased cross-modal integration)

hearing “speakers” of ASL activates this area

right hemisphere

T/F brain activation areas vary depending on type of sign language learned

F. same brain activity regardless of which sign language learned (LSQ vs ASL)

what brain area activated for signing non words (words not in english language). what does it suggest

superior temporal cortex, suggests area activated for general sequencing

what percent of people monolingual

40% (speak only one language)

what 2 ways are nonprimary languages represented in brain

if language learned concurrently with primary language, neural overlap. → simultaneous bilinguals

if language learned later in life, more dissociation . → sequential bilinguals

multilinguals also called

polyglots

T/F second language L2 has less brain activations for sequential bilinguals

F. FMRI shows that L2 is more cognitively demanding because greater L2 fMRI activations, in addition to other brain areas activated.

T/F language learning and reading require explicit teaching

F. Language doesnt require explicit teaching, but reading does.

oldest writing is __ years old

5,000

language capacity is how old

over 50,00 years old

alexia/dyslexia

impaired reading

agraphia/dysgraphia

impaired writing

T/F dyslexia and agraphia are different and dont co-occur

F. dyslexia and agraphia often co-occur, but not always (double dissociation)

the 2 distinct pathways for reading and writing that can manifest dylexia and agraphia if impaired.

1. phonological route

2. orthographic route

describe phonological route

processes grapheme (words) to phonemes (speech sounds), then extract meaning

describe orthographic route

direct symbol (word) to meaning (no sound)

the 2 pathways both include what brain area

visual word form area

visual word form area adjacent to __

left fusiform face area (facial recognition)

name 3 writing systems

alphabet, abjad, pictorial

double dissociation

one route impaired, other intact

describe the japanese writing systems

1. Kana (syllabary)

   → uses the phonological route

   → activates left angular gyrus and TPJ

2. Kanji (logographic)

   → uses orthographic route

   → activates inferior posterior temporal cortex

music capacity is lateralized to what

lateralized to right hemisphere

amusia

impairments in music that doesnt affect language

does music have context-specific grammar

no; context free grammar

is music symbol system as complex as language

no

list 3 reasons why music reading different from language reading

1. activity in left occipitoparietal junction

2. lateral/posterior to word form area

3. experience w reading music can reorganize areas for reading words

what are the right hemisphere contributions to language

prosody: timing and sound when speaking words

→ can be syntactic, semantic, or pragmatic

ex: what do u see

semantics: retains multiple meanings of homophones

ex: ‘bank” - a river or a place to deposit money

also holds broader and context-free interpretations of words

aprosodic speech

a result of damage to the anterior regions of right hemisphere