Related Experiment Video
Updated: Mar 10, 2026
08:05
Measuring Statistical Learning Across Modalities and Domains in School-Aged Children Via an Online Platform and Neuroimaging Techniques
Published on: June 30, 2020
8.2K
Second Language Experience Facilitates Statistical Learning of Novel Linguistic Materials
Christine E Potter1, Tianlin Wang1, Jenny R Saffran1
1Department of Psychology and Waisman Center, University of Wisconsin.
Cognitive Science
|December 19, 2016
Summary
Learning a new language, like Mandarin, can enhance your ability to detect patterns in new linguistic systems. This suggests domain-specific experiences shape statistical learning capabilities.
Area of Science:
- Cognitive Science
- Psycholinguistics
- Neuroscience
Background:
- Individual differences in statistical learning (SL) are linked to cognitive abilities, especially language acquisition.
- This study investigates if learning a new language influences SL by altering sensitivity to novel regularities.
Purpose of the Study:
- To examine how learning Mandarin affects statistical learning abilities.
- To determine if language learning specifically impacts linguistic statistical learning compared to general visual statistical learning.
Main Methods:
- Two groups (Mandarin Learners, Naïve Controls) were tested at baseline and 6 months later.
- Participants completed artificial tonal language and visual statistical learning tasks.
Main Results:
- The Mandarin Learners group significantly improved on the linguistic SL task.
- Both groups showed equal improvement on the visual SL task, indicating domain-specific effects.
Conclusions:
- Language learning can enhance statistical learning, particularly for linguistic stimuli.
- Domain-relevant experience plays a crucial role in shaping an individual's ability to detect novel patterns.
Related Concept Videos
01:22Language Development
1.0K
Children master language quickly and with relative ease, supported by both biological predisposition and reinforcement. B. F. Skinner (1957) proposed that language is learned through reinforcement, while Noam Chomsky (1965) argued that language acquisition mechanisms are biologically determined.
The critical period for language acquisition suggests that the ability to acquire language is at its peak early in life. As people age, this proficiency decreases. Language development begins very...
The critical period for language acquisition suggests that the ability to acquire language is at its peak early in life. As people age, this proficiency decreases. Language development begins very...
1.0K
01:27Language and Cognition
912
Language serves as a bridge between ideas and communication, influencing how individuals perceive and interact with the world. Psychologists have long debated whether language shapes thought or vice versa. This discussion gained grip with Edward Sapir and Benjamin Lee Whorf in the 1940s, who proposed that language determines thought, a concept known as linguistic determinism. They suggested that the vocabulary and structure of a language influence how its speakers think and perceive reality.
912
01:27Associative Learning
1.7K
Associative learning is a fundamental concept in behavioral psychology, wherein a connection is established between two stimuli or events, leading to a learned response. This process is critical in understanding how behaviors are acquired and modified. Conditioning, the mechanism through which associations are formed, can be divided into two main types: classical conditioning and operant conditioning, each elucidating different aspects of associative learning.
Classical conditioning, also known...
Classical conditioning, also known...
1.7K
01:50Statistical Significance
23.2K
Once data is collected from both the experimental and the control groups, a statistical analysis is conducted to find out if there are meaningful differences between the two groups. A statistical analysis determines how likely any difference found is due to chance (and thus not meaningful). In psychology, group differences are considered meaningful, or significant, if the odds that these differences occurred by chance alone are 5 percent or less. Stated another way, if we repeated this...
23.2K
01:28Lateralization
1.2K
Brain lateralization refers to the division of mental processes and functions between the two hemispheres of the brain, a phenomenon that optimizes neural efficiency and underpins complex abilities in humans. This specialization allows each hemisphere to perform tasks where it has a comparative advantage, facilitating more refined cognitive capabilities across different domains.
1.2K
01:22Purposive Learning
558
E. C. Tolman emphasized the purposiveness of behavior — the idea that much of our behavior is goal-directed. For instance, employees who aim for a promotion work diligently to meet their targets. Tolman argued that when classical conditioning and operant conditioning occur, the organism acquires certain expectations. In classical conditioning, a child might fear a dog because they expect it to bite. In operant conditioning, a person might consistently work overtime because they expect a...
558