Age of Acquisition Effect: Evidence From Single-Word Reading and Neural Networks
Journal Title: Basic and Clinical Neuroscience - Year 2019, Vol 10, Issue 2
Abstract
Introduction: Many studies show that words learned early in life are read more easily than the ones learned later and are less vulnerable to brain damage. Methods: the first part of the current study, 25 primary school students in the 5th grade read the word groups learned initially during a previous grade. The words used in the experiments were 327 Farsi monosyllable words matched on the other factors involved in Farsi word naming. Results: The analysis of covariance (the consistency and frequency as covariates) showed that words learned in earlier grades were read more easily than the ones learned later, showing the known effect of the Age of Acquisition (AoA). In the second part of the study, it was tried to simulate AoA in word naming by a neural network model developed earlier based on connectionist approach. While previous studies used random patterns, in the current study words from primary school books were used. Likewise, words learned early by the model were read better than words learned later. However, there was a failure in replicating previous simulation of AoA in English reading by an algorithm called Quick prop for Farsi. In addition, the model was lesioned by removing some hidden units to see its effect on word reading. As a result, words learned earlier were less vulnerable to damage compared with the ones learned later. Conclusion: The findings showed that words learned earlier, compared to those learned later, were read better and were less vulnerable to damage. These effects are explained by considering the nature of learning in neural networks trained by error back-propagation.
Authors and Affiliations
Ahmad Sohrabi
Keywords
Related Articles
- EP ID EP478172
- DOI 10.32598/bcn.9.10.120
- Views 112
- Downloads 0
Environmental Enrichment Attenuates Morphine-Induced Conditioned Place Preference and Locomotor Sensitization in Maternally Separated Rat Pups
Introduction: This study investigated the effect of the environmental enrichment during adolescence on morphine-induced Conditioned Place Preference (CPP) and locomotor sensitization in maternally separated male and fema...
The Effect of Orally Administered Probiotics on the Behavioral, Cellular, and Molecular Aspects of Adjuvant-Induced Arthritis
Introduction: Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) is a chronic autoimmune disease, which is accompanied with pain, hyperalgesia, and edema. Overproduction of pro-inflammatory cytokines and activation of intracellular signaling pat...
Erythropoietin Pretreatment Effect on Blood Glucose and Its Relationship With Inflammatory Factors After Brain Ischemic-Reperfusion Injury in Rats
Introduction: Brain Ichemic-Reperfusion Injury (IRI) activates different pathophysiological processes. It also changes physiological parameters such as Blood Glucose (BG) level. An increase in BG after stroke is associat...
Changes in Effective Connectivity Network Patterns in Drug Abusers, Treated With Different Methods
Introduction: Various treatment methods for drug abusers will result in different success rates. This is partly due to different neural assumptions and partly due to various rate of relapse in abusers because of differen...
Effects of the Extremely Low Frequency Electromagnetic Fields on NMDA-Receptor Gene Expression and Visual Working Memory in Male Rhesus Macaques
Introduction: The present research aimed to examine Visual Working Memory (VWM) test scores, as well as hormonal, genomic, and brain anatomic changes in the male rhesus macaques exposed to Extremely Low Frequency Magneti...