An Investigation Into the Processing of Polysemes by Subjects With Anterior Aphasia, Posterior Aphasia, Non-Aphasic Brain-Damage and Normal Language Function
Lowery, Scott Davis
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https://hdl.handle.net/2142/70673
Description
Title
An Investigation Into the Processing of Polysemes by Subjects With Anterior Aphasia, Posterior Aphasia, Non-Aphasic Brain-Damage and Normal Language Function
Author(s)
Lowery, Scott Davis
Issue Date
1982
Department of Study
Speech and Hearing Science
Discipline
Speech and Hearing Science
Degree Granting Institution
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Degree Name
Ph.D.
Degree Level
Dissertation
Keyword(s)
Health Sciences, Speech Pathology
Abstract
Although many researchers have investigated the language disorder of aphasia, there have been few studies investigating the semantic organization of language with regard to aphasia. Part of the semantic nature of language involves the divergent behavior necessary to generate logical alternatives from given information. Existing diagnostic instruments and therapy techniques have both evaluated and emphasized the convergent aspect of our language but have not been concerned with the divergent component The ability to recognize and generate the differing meanings of polysemes is a divergent language task.
The purpose of this study was to investigate the ability of subjects with anterior aphasia, posterior aphasia, brain-damage without aphasia and subjects with normal language function to understand and generate the multiple meanings of polysemes. Sixteen aphasic subjects, divided into anterior and posterior types, were matched in age and educational background to 16 brain-damaged non-aphasic subjects and 16 normal subjects.
All subjects were tested by a polyseme interpretation test in which they were required to generate various meanings of common words, and a polyseme recognition test in which they were to select the various meanings of these same words illustrated graphically.
There were significant differences between the three groups in their ability to recognize and explicate polysemes. There was no difference between the anterior and posterior groups of aphasic subjects on these tasks. The results of these tests correlated significantly with the results of the Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test and portions of the Boston Diagnostic Aphasia Examination. Although aphasic subjects demonstrated a depressed pattern of response similar to control subjects on the polyseme interpretation test, they did not perform in a manner similar to the control subjects on the polyseme recognition test.
The results of this study demonstrate the need to further investigate the divergent language skills as well as the convergent skills measured by existing diagnostic tests.
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