The basics of reading: How are letter-strings identified as words? In order for people to read effectively, the mental representation of each letter-string must be found in long-term memory. The aim of this project is to more fully understand the nature of proficient visual word recognition with a particular focus on the way in which the form of the word is mentally stored and retrieved during the act of reading. A range of issues will be examined from letter position coding through to how words ....The basics of reading: How are letter-strings identified as words? In order for people to read effectively, the mental representation of each letter-string must be found in long-term memory. The aim of this project is to more fully understand the nature of proficient visual word recognition with a particular focus on the way in which the form of the word is mentally stored and retrieved during the act of reading. A range of issues will be examined from letter position coding through to how words with a complex internal structure are processed, all framed within a unified model of word recognition. An understanding of the mechanisms underlying proficient adult reading is significant and beneficial in that it is expected to provide a framework for guiding both reading acquisition and reading improvement programs.Read moreRead less
When reading takes off: Children's word learning during independent reading. This project aims to address the major unsolved problem of how children build their knowledge about printed words through their reading. This is important since, once children have been taught the basics of reading, the primary means by which they learn new words is through reading experience. The project will use innovative technology to monitor children’s eye movements as they encounter new words during reading, exami ....When reading takes off: Children's word learning during independent reading. This project aims to address the major unsolved problem of how children build their knowledge about printed words through their reading. This is important since, once children have been taught the basics of reading, the primary means by which they learn new words is through reading experience. The project will use innovative technology to monitor children’s eye movements as they encounter new words during reading, examining factors influencing real-time cognitive processing and ongoing learning. Expected outcomes will be new insights into how to optimise children’s word learning when reading, and the refinement of a new computational model. These will inform policy and practice in reading instruction, to the benefit of Australia's children.Read moreRead less
Investigation of the component distributions of pause duration in spontaneous speech: Constraints for models of language production. We have discovered that the distribution of pause durations in spontaneous speech of individual speakers can be decomposed into at least two log-normal distributions. Our project will investigate this finding and provide a foundation for new research relevant to language production models. This will be achieved by determining the semantic, lexical, psycholinguistic ....Investigation of the component distributions of pause duration in spontaneous speech: Constraints for models of language production. We have discovered that the distribution of pause durations in spontaneous speech of individual speakers can be decomposed into at least two log-normal distributions. Our project will investigate this finding and provide a foundation for new research relevant to language production models. This will be achieved by determining the semantic, lexical, psycholinguistic, physiological, and acoustic concomitants of each component distribution and by investigating the impact of selected variables on the shape and location of each. The project has important implications for models of language production and applied problems involving automatic speech recognition, forensic speaker identification, and human communication disorders.Read moreRead less
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE130100868
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$336,284.00
Summary
Neural mechanisms of inhibitory control of human speech in stutterers and non-stutterers. Stopping oneself from speaking is a crucial communication function. In people who stutter, a disorder of this function causes their debilitating speech problem. This project will use cutting edge neuroimaging techniques to reveal how the brain stops speech in stutterers and in fluent speakers.
Cracking the orthographic code: investigating early perceptual processes in reading. Current understanding of how human readers decode a string of letters into known words is inadequate. This project advances understanding of this early reading process, by combining computational modelling, behavioural and brain imaging approaches.
The flipside of noise: Does it benefit listening and learning? People with low attention capacity can experience improvements in cognitive function (eg memory) in the presence of external white noise. This project aims to determine the brain mechanisms for this improvement and how it affects oral language comprehension and verbal learning. In doing so, the research would change the prevailing view that noise is always detrimental to mental processes, and provide a theoretical framework for predi ....The flipside of noise: Does it benefit listening and learning? People with low attention capacity can experience improvements in cognitive function (eg memory) in the presence of external white noise. This project aims to determine the brain mechanisms for this improvement and how it affects oral language comprehension and verbal learning. In doing so, the research would change the prevailing view that noise is always detrimental to mental processes, and provide a theoretical framework for predicting how an individual’s cognitive capacity is affected by the presence of noise. It may support the development of methods to improve educational participation and outcomes for children, particularly those with lower attention, and for older adults.Read moreRead less
How does electrical stimulation affect brain networks? This project aims to generate fundamental knowledge about links between neural mechanisms, electrical brain stimulation and brain function. The project aims to improve knowledge about transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) and its effects on complex human brain networks. Such knowledge is necessary to enhance the effectiveness of current stimulation protocols. Using the innovative and interdisciplinary approach, this project will pr ....How does electrical stimulation affect brain networks? This project aims to generate fundamental knowledge about links between neural mechanisms, electrical brain stimulation and brain function. The project aims to improve knowledge about transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) and its effects on complex human brain networks. Such knowledge is necessary to enhance the effectiveness of current stimulation protocols. Using the innovative and interdisciplinary approach, this project will provide significant benefits such as crucial mechanistic information about how tDCS modulates healthy brain function which has broad implications for research and clinical use of this technique.Read moreRead less
Beyond Speech: Towards better communication for children with hearing loss. Despite the benefits of early newborn hearing screening and early intervention programs for children with hearing loss, most still experience academic and social challenges at school. This is partly due to ongoing listening effort, leading to communicative breakdown. This project aims to identify the locus of the communicative challenges these children face during daily discourse interactions. The outcomes will identify ....Beyond Speech: Towards better communication for children with hearing loss. Despite the benefits of early newborn hearing screening and early intervention programs for children with hearing loss, most still experience academic and social challenges at school. This is partly due to ongoing listening effort, leading to communicative breakdown. This project aims to identify the locus of the communicative challenges these children face during daily discourse interactions. The outcomes will identify which levels of language are most compromised and will inform future interventions to reduce children’s listening effort. This will be undertaken by bringing together researchers in basic science with hearing service providers, parents and industry, providing an innovative model for solving multidisciplinary challenges.Read moreRead less
The perception/production link in child language. Children with hearing loss experience continuing language difficulties, with major knock-on effects on educational and social outcomes. This project aims to uncover the connected perception and production processes that underpin these language challenges for children with hearing loss, focussing on a speech patterns also found in younger normal-hearing toddlers, and using innovative technologies that can generalize to the clinical practice. The p ....The perception/production link in child language. Children with hearing loss experience continuing language difficulties, with major knock-on effects on educational and social outcomes. This project aims to uncover the connected perception and production processes that underpin these language challenges for children with hearing loss, focussing on a speech patterns also found in younger normal-hearing toddlers, and using innovative technologies that can generalize to the clinical practice. The project outcomes will significantly advance theories of child language development, and promise to inform more accurate and better-targeted intervention for children with hearing loss, providing social benefit by improving their listening and speaking skills.Read moreRead less