engleski

Frequency of occurrence facilitates phonological structures learning

The aim of this research is to examine the neuropsychological correlates of processing events with different phonotactic probabilities by using statistical learning paradigm. Distributional frequencies of phonemes in words are typically referred to as phonotactic probabilities and acquisition of these regularities is achieved through their structured presentation. This form of learning is called statistical learning. This study was carried out within the project Interdisciplinary approach to the development of language and cognitive model of dyslexia in adults (HR.3.2.01-0247). Ten graduated students participated in this study. Stimuli were comprised of disyllabic pseudowords CCV-CV structure. In the exposition phase participants were presented with high and low phonotactically probable stimuli. The first syllables in each group of pseudowords were equiprobable, while the second syllables occurred with either low (20%) or high (80%) probability. Compared to high frequency of occurrence, high phonotactic probability 62 pseudowords with low frequency of occurrence elicited an early anterior negativity that had onset on the second syllable of pseudowords. Participants had longer reaction times and more errors for low frequency stimuli and "ungrammatical" stimuli in condition where syllables were in combinations that participants did not hear before. Both behavioral and electrophysiological results suggest high impact of frequency of occurrence and its relevance in phonological structures learning.

statistical learning ; phonotactic probability ; MMN

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