Visual statistical learning is related to natural language ability in adults: An ERP study

Jerome Daltrozzo; Samantha N. Emerson; Joanne Deocampo; Sonia Singh; Marjorie Freggens; Lee Branum-Martin; Christopher M. Conway

doi:10.1016/j.bandl.2016.12.005

Visual statistical learning is related to natural language ability in adults: An ERP study

Jerome Daltrozzo, Samantha N. Emerson, Joanne Deocampo, Sonia Singh, Marjorie Freggens, Lee Branum-Martin, Christopher M. Conway

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

33 Scopus citations

Abstract

Statistical learning (SL) is believed to enable language acquisition by allowing individuals to learn regularities within linguistic input. However, neural evidence supporting a direct relationship between SL and language ability is scarce. We investigated whether there are associations between event-related potential (ERP) correlates of SL and language abilities while controlling for the general level of selective attention. Seventeen adults completed tests of visual SL, receptive vocabulary, grammatical ability, and sentence completion. Response times and ERPs showed that SL is related to receptive vocabulary and grammatical ability. ERPs indicated that the relationship between SL and grammatical ability was independent of attention while the association between SL and receptive vocabulary depended on attention. The implications of these dissociative relationships in terms of underlying mechanisms of SL and language are discussed. These results further elucidate the cognitive nature of the links between SL mechanisms and language abilities.

Original language	English (US)
Pages (from-to)	40-51
Number of pages	12
Journal	Brain and Language
Volume	166
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bandl.2016.12.005
State	Published - Mar 1 2017
Externally published	Yes

Keywords

Implicit learning
P300
P600
Sequential learning
Statistical learning

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Experimental and Cognitive Psychology
Language and Linguistics
Linguistics and Language
Cognitive Neuroscience
Speech and Hearing

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10.1016/j.bandl.2016.12.005

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title = "Visual statistical learning is related to natural language ability in adults: An ERP study",

abstract = "Statistical learning (SL) is believed to enable language acquisition by allowing individuals to learn regularities within linguistic input. However, neural evidence supporting a direct relationship between SL and language ability is scarce. We investigated whether there are associations between event-related potential (ERP) correlates of SL and language abilities while controlling for the general level of selective attention. Seventeen adults completed tests of visual SL, receptive vocabulary, grammatical ability, and sentence completion. Response times and ERPs showed that SL is related to receptive vocabulary and grammatical ability. ERPs indicated that the relationship between SL and grammatical ability was independent of attention while the association between SL and receptive vocabulary depended on attention. The implications of these dissociative relationships in terms of underlying mechanisms of SL and language are discussed. These results further elucidate the cognitive nature of the links between SL mechanisms and language abilities.",

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T2 - An ERP study

AU - Daltrozzo, Jerome

AU - Emerson, Samantha N.

AU - Deocampo, Joanne

AU - Singh, Sonia

AU - Freggens, Marjorie

AU - Branum-Martin, Lee

AU - Conway, Christopher M.

PY - 2017/3/1

Y1 - 2017/3/1

N2 - Statistical learning (SL) is believed to enable language acquisition by allowing individuals to learn regularities within linguistic input. However, neural evidence supporting a direct relationship between SL and language ability is scarce. We investigated whether there are associations between event-related potential (ERP) correlates of SL and language abilities while controlling for the general level of selective attention. Seventeen adults completed tests of visual SL, receptive vocabulary, grammatical ability, and sentence completion. Response times and ERPs showed that SL is related to receptive vocabulary and grammatical ability. ERPs indicated that the relationship between SL and grammatical ability was independent of attention while the association between SL and receptive vocabulary depended on attention. The implications of these dissociative relationships in terms of underlying mechanisms of SL and language are discussed. These results further elucidate the cognitive nature of the links between SL mechanisms and language abilities.

AB - Statistical learning (SL) is believed to enable language acquisition by allowing individuals to learn regularities within linguistic input. However, neural evidence supporting a direct relationship between SL and language ability is scarce. We investigated whether there are associations between event-related potential (ERP) correlates of SL and language abilities while controlling for the general level of selective attention. Seventeen adults completed tests of visual SL, receptive vocabulary, grammatical ability, and sentence completion. Response times and ERPs showed that SL is related to receptive vocabulary and grammatical ability. ERPs indicated that the relationship between SL and grammatical ability was independent of attention while the association between SL and receptive vocabulary depended on attention. The implications of these dissociative relationships in terms of underlying mechanisms of SL and language are discussed. These results further elucidate the cognitive nature of the links between SL mechanisms and language abilities.

KW - Implicit learning

KW - P300

KW - P600

KW - Sequential learning

KW - Statistical learning

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JF - Brain and Language

ER -

Visual statistical learning is related to natural language ability in adults: An ERP study

Abstract

Keywords

ASJC Scopus subject areas

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