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An Experimental Paradigm for Measuring the Effects of Ageing on Sentence Processing
Published on: October 25, 2019
Speech planning during multiple-object naming: effects of ageing.
Linda Mortensen1, Antje S Meyer, Glyn W Humphreys
1Rice University, Houston, TX, USA. linda.mortensen@psy.ku.dk
Quarterly Journal of Experimental Psychology (2006)
|October 22, 2008
Summary
Older adults show age-related declines in speech production efficiency. While both younger and older speakers plan object names sequentially, older adults are less efficient in this process, impacting fluency.
Area of Science:
- Cognitive Psychology
- Linguistics
- Neuroscience
Background:
- Speech production involves complex planning processes.
- Age can impact cognitive functions, including language processing and production.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate age-related differences in sequential object name planning.
- To examine how visual object degradation and phonological distractors affect naming in younger and older adults.
Main Methods:
- Two experiments were conducted with younger and older participants.
- Participants named single objects or object triplets under conditions of visual degradation and phonological distraction.
- Naming latencies and gaze durations were recorded.
Main Results:
- Both age groups showed faster naming for intact objects and with phonologically related distractors.
- Older adults exhibited slower naming for single objects compared to younger adults.
- Older adults demonstrated reduced fluency when naming object triplets, particularly for subsequent objects.
Conclusions:
- Both younger and older speakers employ sequential object name planning.
- Older adults are less efficient in their sequential speech planning, leading to observable fluency deficits.
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