Better Phonological Short-Term Memory Is Linked to Improved Cortical Memory Representations for Word Forms and Better Word Learning
Language learning relies on both short-term and long-term memory. Phonological short-term memory (pSTM) is thought to play an important role in the learning of novel word forms. However, language learners may differ in their ability to maintain word representations in pSTM during interfering auditor...
| Main Authors: | , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2020-06-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Human Neuroscience |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/article/10.3389/fnhum.2020.00209/full |
| _version_ | 1819021843199164416 |
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| author | Sari Ylinen Sari Ylinen Sari Ylinen Anni Nora Elisabet Service |
| author_facet | Sari Ylinen Sari Ylinen Sari Ylinen Anni Nora Elisabet Service |
| author_sort | Sari Ylinen |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Language learning relies on both short-term and long-term memory. Phonological short-term memory (pSTM) is thought to play an important role in the learning of novel word forms. However, language learners may differ in their ability to maintain word representations in pSTM during interfering auditory input. We used magnetoencephalography (MEG) to investigate how pSTM capacity in better and poorer pSTM groups is linked to language learning and the maintenance of pseudowords in pSTM. In particular, MEG was recorded while participants maintained pseudowords in pSTM by covert speech rehearsal, and while these brain representations were probed by presenting auditory pseudowords with first or third syllables matching or mismatching the rehearsed item. A control condition included identical stimuli but no rehearsal. Differences in response strength between matching and mismatching syllables were interpreted as the phonological mapping negativity (PMN). While PMN for the first syllable was found in both groups, it was observed for the third syllable only in the group with better pSTM. This suggests that individuals with better pSTM maintained representations of trisyllabic pseudowords more accurately during interference than individuals with poorer pSTM. Importantly, the group with better pSTM learned words faster in a paired-associate word learning task, linking the PMN findings to language learning. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-21T04:13:32Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-8c4c94654c4e45099448b7bcc0486da4 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1662-5161 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-21T04:13:32Z |
| publishDate | 2020-06-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Human Neuroscience |
| spelling | doaj.art-8c4c94654c4e45099448b7bcc0486da42022-12-21T19:16:23ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Human Neuroscience1662-51612020-06-011410.3389/fnhum.2020.00209516084Better Phonological Short-Term Memory Is Linked to Improved Cortical Memory Representations for Word Forms and Better Word LearningSari Ylinen0Sari Ylinen1Sari Ylinen2Anni Nora3Elisabet Service4CICERO Learning, Faculty of Educational Sciences, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, FinlandCognitive Brain Research Unit, Department of Psychology and Logopedics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, FinlandBioMag Laboratory, Helsinki University Central Hospital, Helsinki, FinlandDepartment on Neuroscience and Biomedical Engineering, Aalto University, Espoo, FinlandARiEAL Research Centre, Department of Linguistics and Languages, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, CanadaLanguage learning relies on both short-term and long-term memory. Phonological short-term memory (pSTM) is thought to play an important role in the learning of novel word forms. However, language learners may differ in their ability to maintain word representations in pSTM during interfering auditory input. We used magnetoencephalography (MEG) to investigate how pSTM capacity in better and poorer pSTM groups is linked to language learning and the maintenance of pseudowords in pSTM. In particular, MEG was recorded while participants maintained pseudowords in pSTM by covert speech rehearsal, and while these brain representations were probed by presenting auditory pseudowords with first or third syllables matching or mismatching the rehearsed item. A control condition included identical stimuli but no rehearsal. Differences in response strength between matching and mismatching syllables were interpreted as the phonological mapping negativity (PMN). While PMN for the first syllable was found in both groups, it was observed for the third syllable only in the group with better pSTM. This suggests that individuals with better pSTM maintained representations of trisyllabic pseudowords more accurately during interference than individuals with poorer pSTM. Importantly, the group with better pSTM learned words faster in a paired-associate word learning task, linking the PMN findings to language learning.https://www.frontiersin.org/article/10.3389/fnhum.2020.00209/fullmagnetoencephalographyphonological short-term memorylanguage learningpaired-associate word learningphonological mapping negativity |
| spellingShingle | Sari Ylinen Sari Ylinen Sari Ylinen Anni Nora Elisabet Service Better Phonological Short-Term Memory Is Linked to Improved Cortical Memory Representations for Word Forms and Better Word Learning Frontiers in Human Neuroscience magnetoencephalography phonological short-term memory language learning paired-associate word learning phonological mapping negativity |
| title | Better Phonological Short-Term Memory Is Linked to Improved Cortical Memory Representations for Word Forms and Better Word Learning |
| title_full | Better Phonological Short-Term Memory Is Linked to Improved Cortical Memory Representations for Word Forms and Better Word Learning |
| title_fullStr | Better Phonological Short-Term Memory Is Linked to Improved Cortical Memory Representations for Word Forms and Better Word Learning |
| title_full_unstemmed | Better Phonological Short-Term Memory Is Linked to Improved Cortical Memory Representations for Word Forms and Better Word Learning |
| title_short | Better Phonological Short-Term Memory Is Linked to Improved Cortical Memory Representations for Word Forms and Better Word Learning |
| title_sort | better phonological short term memory is linked to improved cortical memory representations for word forms and better word learning |
| topic | magnetoencephalography phonological short-term memory language learning paired-associate word learning phonological mapping negativity |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/article/10.3389/fnhum.2020.00209/full |
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