Investigating short-term and long-term memory influences on language processing

点击翻译按钮获取中文摘要

The ability to communicate using a complex linguistic code is a uniquely human trait, and a cognitively demanding one. A central question in the science of language is to understand how domain-general cognitive systems implicated in learning interact with possible domain-specific mechanisms specialized in processing language-related stimuli. The long-term goal of my research program addresses this theme by investigating the cognitive mechanisms supporting language learning and, in particular, the role of working memory and long-term memory. Working memory is the cognitive workspace, the capacity to store and manipulate information within the current focus of attention. This immediate memory system is important for rapid encoding of presented stimuli, explicit retention and processing of information, and focusing attention on relevant material. Although important to learning generally, working memory may be especially crucial to processing language because spoken messages are delivered using a brief and vanishing acoustic code that places high demands on immediate memory. Nevertheless, the common and unique links between working memory mechanisms and learning generally, or language acquisition more specifically, remains poorly understood. Long-term memory, on the other hand, stores information for long periods, perhaps indefinitely. Long-term memory retains language knowledge related to words, rules, and verbal conventions through unconscious or implicit mechanisms, although language knowledge is stored explicitly as well. As the knowledge base in long-term memory grows, associations between stored and new information may facilitate acquisition reducing the demands on immediate working memory processes. The mechanisms and time course of such learning effects, however, have yet to be investigated systematically. It is clear that a thorough investigation of the role of working memory and long-term memory in supporting language processing is necessary. My research program addresses this knowledge gap by proposing a comprehensive evaluation of the stimulus properties, progression, and cognitive processes that link these memory systems and language outcomes. Specifically, the short-term goals of my proposed research program are as follows: First, my research will investigate the working memory and long-term memory processes supporting learning generally or language more specifically by exploring the relationships between memory-related cognitive processes and learning outcomes in language and other areas in an epidemiological sample of young children. My second and third goals will be to examine the role of working memory and long-term memory in the processing of sound- or meaning-based linguistic information, and explicit and implicit learning in both adult and child groups. My fourth short-term goal will assess the developmental changes in the relationships under study by comparing the performance of the different age groups including children whose language systems are still developing, and adults who have developed sophisticated language systems already. The results of this research program will make an important contribution to fields of language acquisition and language processing by providing key insights into the unique contributions of fundamental memory-related processes important to language learning. The findings will suggest important theoretical advancements in the areas of working memory, long-term memory, language processing, and learning placing Canada at the forefront of thinking in these areas.