Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 29, 2025
04:30
An Experimental Paradigm for Measuring the Effects of Ageing on Sentence Processing
Published on: October 25, 2019
5.7K
Language in Healthy Ageing: A Comparison across Language Domains
Michal Biran1,2,3, Aviah Gvion4,5, Shira Shmuely-Samuel2,6
1Ariel University, Ariel, Israel.
Summary
Healthy aging affects language skills differently across domains. Some language abilities decline in older adults, while others remain stable, indicating varied vulnerability in aging.
Area of Science:
- Cognitive Science
- Neuroscience
- Linguistics
Background:
- Increasing life expectancy necessitates understanding functional changes during healthy aging.
- Previous research often focused on single linguistic domains, limiting a comprehensive view of aging effects.
- Investigating domain-specific changes in language performance during aging is crucial.
Purpose of the Study:
- To examine whether language performance changes differently across various linguistic domains in healthy older adults.
- To compare language and cognitive functioning in older adults versus younger adults.
- To explore correlations between phonological short-term memory and other linguistic abilities in aging.
Main Methods:
- Assessed 23 healthy, cognitively unimpaired older Hebrew speakers on lexical retrieval, complementation, syntax, theory of mind, and short-term memory.
- Compared performance between older adults and young adult controls.
- Analyzed group and individual performance variations across linguistic domains.
Main Results:
- Observed declines in some linguistic domains but not others among older adults.
- Found significant variance in performance, preventing a universally unequivocal decline.
- Identified differential impacts of aging across language and cognitive functions.
Conclusions:
- Linguistic domains exhibit varying vulnerability to the aging process.
- Individual differences in aging effects on language are substantial.
- Findings have implications for clinical interventions and theoretical models of cognitive aging.
Keywords:
Complementation informationHealthy ageingLexical retrievalOlder adultsPhonological short-term memorySyntaxTheory of mindMore Related Videos
06:48Lexical Decision Task for Studying Written Word Recognition in Adults with and without Dementia or Mild Cognitive Impairment
Published on: June 25, 2019
9.3K
10:13Assessment of Age-related Changes in Cognitive Functions Using EmoCogMeter, a Novel Tablet-computer Based Approach
Published on: February 14, 2014
13.8K
Related Concept Videos
01:27Language and Cognition
416
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.
416
01:10Higher Mental Functions of the Brain: Language
995
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...
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...
995
01:30Cognitive Development During Adulthood
219
Cognitive development continues throughout adulthood, undergoing significant shifts across early, middle, and late stages. Individual transition occurs from adolescent idealism to pragmatic and adaptable thinking in early adulthood. During this period, individuals learn to integrate personal beliefs with the recognition that other perspectives are equally valid. Exposure to the complexities of modern society, diverse experiences, and higher education contribute to this adaptive thought process,...
219
01:22Language Development
437
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...
437
01:24Components of Language
370
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.
370
01:16Language
405
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.
Corballis and Suddendorf (2007) and Tomasello and Rakoczy (2003) highlight the role of language in...
Corballis and Suddendorf (2007) and Tomasello and Rakoczy (2003) highlight the role of language in...
405