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Related Concept Videos

Language Development01:22

Language Development

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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.
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Language and Cognition01:27

Language and Cognition

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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.
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Higher Mental Functions of the Brain: Language01:10

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Language is a system of communication that allows the expression of thoughts, ideas, and feelings. The brain processes language in both hemispheres.
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...
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Information Processing Approach01:30

Information Processing Approach

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The information-processing theory of cognitive development centers on fundamental mental processes, including attention, memory, and problem-solving skills. Researchers in this field examine how cognitive abilities, such as working memory, evolve and influence children's overall development. Studies indicate that children with stronger working memory tend to excel in reading comprehension, math, and problem-solving compared to peers with less efficient memory skills. Low working memory is...
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Components of Language01:24

Components of Language

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Language, whether spoken, signed, or written, consists of specific components: lexicon and grammar. The lexicon is the vocabulary of a language, comprising its words. Grammar is the set of rules used to convey meaning through the lexicon. For example, English grammar adds “-ed” to most verbs to indicate past tense. Words are formed by combining phonemes, which are the basic sound units of a language. Different languages have different sets of phonemes (e.g., “ah” vs.
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Language01:16

Language

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Language is a unique communication system that uses words and systematic rules to organize and transmit information. Unlike other forms of communication, which may involve postures, movements, odors, or vocalizations, language relies on symbols and grammar. This makes human communication distinct from that of other species, who also communicate but do not use language in the same way humans do.
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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Nov 29, 2025

Portable Intermodal Preferential Looking IPL: Investigating Language Comprehension in Typically Developing Toddlers and Young Children with Autism
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Nonliteral language processing across the lifespan.

Kathrin Rothermich1, Cristal Giorio2, Sharon Falkins3

  • 1Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, East Carolina University, Greenville, NC, United States of America.

Acta Psychologica
|November 21, 2020
PubMed
Summary

Older adults struggle with understanding nonliteral language like sarcasm and teasing in videos. This study highlights age-related differences in social communication perception, impacting how intentions are interpreted.

Keywords:
AgingIronyNonliteral languagePragmaticsSocial cognition

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An Experimental Paradigm for Measuring the Effects of Ageing on Sentence Processing
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Area of Science:

  • Psycholinguistics
  • Cognitive Neuroscience
  • Gerontology

Background:

  • Nonliteral language processing is crucial for social communication.
  • Previous research on aging and nonliteral language primarily used text-based stimuli.
  • The impact of healthy aging on perceiving nuanced social cues remains under-explored.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate how healthy aging affects the perception of nonliteral language in social communication.
  • To evaluate the effectiveness of a video-based approach and the RISC database for lifespan research.

Main Methods:

  • Utilized a video-based task with the novel Relation Inference in Social Communication (RISC) database.
  • Recruited 100 participants aged 18–76, divided into young, middle-aged, and older adult groups.
  • Participants evaluated videos of actors using literal and nonliteral language, inferring speaker belief and intention.

Main Results:

  • Older adults showed lower accuracy in distinguishing nonliteral from literal communication compared to younger groups.
  • Older adults perceived sarcasm as friendlier than literal negative statements.
  • Increased age correlated with greater difficulty in identifying teasing as insincere.

Conclusions:

  • Healthy aging impacts the ability to accurately interpret nonliteral language and speaker intentions.
  • Video-based assessments are practical for studying nonliteral language across different age groups.
  • Findings contribute to understanding age-related changes in social communication perception.