Cognitive Science Speaker Series

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Speaker: Duane Watson, Ph.D.

Title: Language experience drives language understanding: Understanding the effect of digital media consumption on language comprehension

Short Bio: Duane Watson is the Vice Provost for Special Initiatives and the Frank W. Mayborn Chair of Psychology and Human Development in Peabody College at Vanderbilt University.  He received his doctorate in Cognitive Science from M.I.T.  Watson began his faculty career at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in 2005 and moved to the Department of Psychology and Human Development at Vanderbilt University in 2016.   Dr. Watson's research focuses on the cognitive processes that underlie human language.  His research has been funded by both the National Institute of Health and the National Science Foundation.  Watson is a co-founder of the SPARK Society, a scholarly organization that supports historically marginalized groups in the brain and cognitive sciences.  Watson is currently leading efforts to stand up Vanderbilt's new College of Connected Computing.

Abstract: The language we experience every day is critical for language learning and vocabulary growth in children, as well as language use in adults.  However, psycholinguists have traditionally measured language experience by aggregating over populations. In this talk, I will share experimental evidence suggesting that an individual’s specific experience with language is linked to their preferences for different constructions. By using Natural Language Processing tools to analyze the linguistic properties of participants’ favorite websites, we compare effects of internet reading habits to effects of cognitive factors such as working memory and inhibitory control on reading difficulty.  Consistent with statistical models of language comprehension, we find that everyday adult experience with language is an important predictor of language use.

ASL-English interpreters have been requested. Light refreshments will be provided.

Contact
Matthew Dye
mwddls@rit.edu
Event Snapshot
When and Where
April 25, 2025
12:00 pm - 1:00 pm
Room/Location: GAN-2070
Who

Open to the Public

Interpreter Requested?

Yes

Topics
imaging science
research
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