Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 13, 2026
Interaction between Phonological and Semantic Processes in Visual Word Recognition using Electrophysiology
Published on: June 29, 2021
The role of commonality, distinctiveness and importance of semantic features in persons with aphasia
Mary Beth Mason-Baughman1, Sarah E Wallace
1Communication Sciences and Disorders Department, Clarion University , Clarion, PA 16214, USA. mmasonbaughm@clarion.edu
Objective:
Semantic feature approaches are frequently included in treatment for people with aphasia. The present study investigated the role of distinctiveness and importance in the semantic feature knowledge of people with aphasia. The relationships between feature knowledge and the ability to choose among semantically-related foils, comprehension and naming abilities were examined.
Methods:
Participants distinguished target nouns from related foils and completed a sorting task involving mid-importance common (MIC), mid-importance distinctive (MID), low-importance common (LIC) and low-importance distinctive (LID) features. Participants also completed sub-tests from the short version of the Boston Diagnostic Aphasia Examination-Third Edition (BDAE-3) and Boston Naming Test-Second Edition (BNT-2). Participants were divided into two groups based on ability to accurately select target nouns from semantically-related foils.
Results:
Group 1, participants with intact ability to choose among related foils, was significantly less impaired with the identification of distinctive features than Group 2, those with difficulty choosing among related foils. Importance was not a significant factor when comparing mid-importance to low-importance features.
Conclusions:
These results suggest that distinctive feature knowledge contributes in a significant way to the integrity of semantic representations in people with aphasia which can influence their performance of language tasks.
More Related Videos
08:17A Semantic Priming Event-related Potential (ERP) Task to Study Lexico-semantic and Visuo-semantic Processing in Autism Spectrum Disorder
Published on: April 12, 2018
13:12Translational Brain Mapping at the University of Rochester Medical Center: Preserving the Mind Through Personalized Brain Mapping
Published on: August 12, 2019
Related Concept Videos
01:27Language and Cognition
01:10Higher Mental Functions of the Brain: Language
Language formation and comprehension take place in the dominant hemisphere. The dominant hemisphere is responsible for understanding the meaning of spoken, written, or sign language, as well as the ability to communicate. For most people, the left hemisphere is the dominant one. The right hemisphere, then, gives tone and emotional context to the...
01:26Causes of Similarity-Dissimilarity Effect
01:21Barriers to Effective Communication II
Cultural barriers:
Differences in values, beliefs, religion, knowledge, and tradition can significantly impact communication. Awareness of nonverbal cues is critical, especially when conversing with a patient from a different culture. What appears appropriate in one culture may be inappropriate in another.
Semantic barriers:
As a result of their tendency to use...
01:21Association Areas of the Cortex
Prefrontal Association Area: This area is located in the frontal lobe and is involved in planning, decision-making, and moderating social behavior. It connects with primary motor areas,...
01:19Role of Hippocampus in Memory