Iconicity, Frequency, and Sign length effects in TSL lexical processing

1. Iconicity, Frequency, and Sign length effects in TSL lexical processing Yi-Hsuan Chiu Cognitive Neuropsychology Laboratory, National Yang-Ming University, Taipei, Taiwan Institute of Neuroscience, School of Life Science, National Yang-Ming University, Taipei, Taiwan

2. An animal or a tool? DOG KEY

3. Iconicity of sign language • The components of • Location • Handshape • Movement constrain the meaning of the objects! Language ---------- Thought

4. Iconicity of sign language • The components of • Location • Handshape • Movement constrain the meaning of the objects! iconicity Language ---------- Thought

5. Iconicity of sign language • The components of • Location • Handshape • Movement constrain the meaning of the objects! iconicity Language --- Thought

6. The usage of Sign languages in Taiwan • Sign language in Taiwan • Nature sign language (Taiwan Sign Language) • Arbitrary • Iconicity • Vision-based • Manipulation-based {the spatial information (location, handshape, movement) is meaningful} • Chinese Character Sign Language

7. Iconicity in Sign Language

9. Sign lexical access • Task: Picture signing, picture delay signing, picture naming, picture delay naming • Subjects: deaf signer, interpreter (hear signer), and normal (hear non-singer) • Independent variables • Iconicity: manipulation, vision • Frequency: high, low • Sign length: short, long • Dependent variable: reaction time + &$ Release button to sign/ name out RT

10. Picture signing / picture naming + &$ Release button to sign/ name out RT Picture delay signing / picture delay naming Release button to sign/ name out + &$ * RT 1s 1s

11. Behavior study

12. Picture naming/ signing

13. Picture naming/ signing RT

14. Picture delay naming/ signing Language modality RT

15. Subjects Dif.: Hearing loss Dif.: Language experience However, what is the interpreter’s mother tongue?

16. Deaf signing (n=24) • All subjects learned TSL before their puberty, and took TSL as their daily language. • M=14, F=10 • Mean age= 37.04 years-old (19-57ys)

17. Deaf and normal (N=24)

18. Deaf and normal (N=24) Iconicity ** ** ** Articulation

20. ERP study

21. Picture naming/ signing • Iconicity: (verb < noun)~ (manipulation < vision) N400 • Frequency: 225-250ms (High < Low) 350-450ms (High < Low) N400 • Sign length: 60-120ms (Short < Long)

22. Time window

23. Location (channel)

24. Deaf Signing (N=8) andNormal naming (N=12)

25. Nouns and verbs • Federmeier et al. 2000 Noun Verb N400: N>V

26. Deaf signing (Iconicity: M/V) (N=8)

27. Frequency (H<L) • 225-250: H<L • 350-450: H<L • Muente et al. 2001

28. Deaf signing (Fre.: H/L) (N=8) 225-250ms:H<L

29. Sign length (S< L) • 60-120ms: S<L Assadollahi et al. 2003 MEG Short word Long word

30. Deaf signing (Leng.: S/L) (N=8) 60-120ms:S<L

31. ERP data summary

32. Summary • Frequency, sign length effects in TSL lexicon~ Chinese lexicon (spoken language lexicon) • Sign language Iconicity ~ semantic • RT: signing< naming, delay signing~ delay naming • ERP: 100-200, 200-300ms , signing< naming • Normal gesture: RT: M<V • Iconicity: • ERP: Manipulation/Vision~ Verbs/Nouns