University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

Efficient language processing: the role of memory and visuo-spatial context

Ryskin, Rachel A

Content Files
RYSKIN-DISSERTATION-2016.pdf

Permalink

https://hdl.handle.net/2142/92997

Description

Title
Efficient language processing: the role of memory and visuo-spatial context
Author(s)
Ryskin, Rachel A
Issue Date
2016-06-02
Director of Research (if dissertation) or Advisor (if thesis)
Brown-Schmidt, Sarah
Doctoral Committee Chair(s)
Brown-Schmidt, Sarah
Committee Member(s)
  • Benjamin, Aaron
  • Dell, Gary
  • Federmeier, Kara
  • Wang, Ranxiao Frances
Department of Study
Psychology
Discipline
Psychology
Degree Granting Institution
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Degree Name
Ph.D.
Degree Level
Dissertation
Date of Ingest
2016-11-10T18:39:03Z
Keyword(s)
  • language processing
  • language comprehension
  • memory
  • eye-tracking
Abstract
A hallmark of adult language processing is the efficiency with which it unfolds despite the massive amount of ambiguity present in the linguistic signal. Prior work has shown that visuo-spatial (e.g., Heller et al., 2008; Ryskin et al., 2014) and pragmatic (Sedivy et al., 1999) contextual information can be rapidly integrated during the comprehension process. In this dissertation, I explored the use of this information during on-line language processing and how it is supported by learning and memory mechanisms. In Chapter 2, I examined whether individual differences in working memory, basic recall, and memory cue generation predict the ability to make use of information about visual perspective differences during comprehension. A targeted re-analysis of these data (Experiment 2), examined how perspective-taking evolves within a conversational pair, over the course of the conversation. In Chapter 3, I explored the use of spatial perspective-taking during comprehension. In two experiments (Experiments 3 and 4), I examine how listeners encode spatial perspectives in a speaker-specific fashion and use this information during interpretation of spatial language. In Chapter 4, I examined whether listeners can learn high-level, pragmatic information about a speaker through exposure and integrate it with the visual context on-line, during sentence processing. I examined the ability of listeners to learn and transfer this information across contexts (Experiments 5a and 5b), as well as the ability to use this information within a context (Experiment 6). The results of the work reported in this dissertation point to an important role for context-specific learning in the ability of the language processing system to rapidly and efficiently integrate visual, spatial, and pragmatic information during on-line comprehension.
Graduation Semester
2016-08
Type of Resource
text
Permalink
http://hdl.handle.net/2142/92997
Copyright and License Information
Copyright 2016 Rachel Ryskin

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