Models of Language

Language and Cognition

Colombo 2011

Principals of Cognitive
Models
A means of conceptualising the stages
involved in a mental activity
Examines components involved in processing
information and the interconnections between
them (box and arrow) or how information
flows between centres via pathways
The boxes and arrows represent a function
which can be independently impaired
Not yet able to link aphasic symptoms to
discrete anatomical structures

Principals of Cognitive
Models
Provide a framework for assessment and
treatment
Different models consider different aspects
e.g. single words (Ellis and Young 1988) and
sentence processing (Garrett 1984).
Different models share common features,
e.g. all have distinct semantic and
phonological levels
We will be focusing on one lexical model
widely applied in SLT

Assumptions
Using this modelling make several
assumptions:
Functional modularity modules/boxes can operate
independently of other components
Anatomical modularity modules represent
different parts of the brain. Lesions can affect
selected modules only, leaving others unimpaired
Universality all people have the same
fundamental language system (though we might
not agree on the system)
Subtractivity - brain damage can only remove
elements from the system, not add them

 N.B:
Lesions in the brain vary from person to person
dependent on:
The precise location of the damage
Which white matter fibre tracts are damaged

Therefore identical patterns of deficit in any two people

unlikely.
Helpful to look at which boxes/arrows are
damaged/intact to help explain pattern of performance.
Still attempting to relate to brain structures (Hillis
2001)

PALPA
Psycholinguistic Assessments of
Language Processing in Aphasia
Introduction

print

Mouse
mouse

Abstract yes, these are letters

Letter
Identification

s
o

Visual Input
yes, this is a word Mouse =
Lexicon
N
Semantic
yes, this word means something
System
Phonological
this word is pronounced /maUs/
Output
Lexicon
mous
e
speech

print

Blik
blik

Abstract yes, these are letters

Letter
Identification

c
l

Visual Input
no, this is not a word
Lexicon
Semantic
System
Phonological
Output
Lexicon
speech

This doesnt fit with the

facts
So there must be
another way to read
written words

print

Blik
bli
k

Abstract
Letter
Identification
Visual Input
Lexicon
Semantic
System
Phonological
Output
Lexicon
speech

Graphem
e to
Phoneme
Conversio
n

b=/b/ , l=/l/, i=/I/,

k=/k/

blik

The lexical route

cannot read nonwords
at all
The nonlexical route
cannot read irregular
spelling-sound
correspondences
We need (at least)
both of these routes to

 What about naming an object or a

picture?

pictures,
seen
objects

Visual Object
Recognition
System
Semantic
System
Phonological
Output
Lexicon
speech

print

Abstract
Letter
Identification
Visual Input
Lexicon

Graphem
e to
Phoneme
Conversio
n

 What about recognizing or repeating

speech that you hear?

pictures,
seen
objects

speech
Auditory
Phonological
Analysis
yes, I hear speech
sounds Phonological
Input
Lexicon
yes, thats
a word

Visual Object
Recognition
System
Semantic
System

Phonological
Output
Lexicon
speech

print

Abstract
Letter
Identification
Visual Input
Lexicon

Graphem
e to
Phoneme
Conversio
n

 What about being able to repeat a

word you never heard before or a
pseudoword?

speech
Auditory
Phonological
Analysis
Phonological
Input
Lexicon
Acoustic to
Phonologic
al
Conversio
n

pictures,
seen
objects

Visual Object
Recognition
System
Semantic
System
Phonological
Output
Lexicon
speech

print

Abstract
Letter
Identification
Visual Input
Lexicon

Graphem
e to
Phoneme
Conversio
n

 What about people who do not

understand what they hear, or what
they read, but can still say it?

speech
Auditory
Phonological
Analysis
Phonological
Input
Lexicon
Acoustic to
Phonologic
al
Conversio
n

pictures,
seen
objects

Visual Object
Recognition
System
Semantic
System
Phonological
Output
Lexicon
speech

print

Abstract
Letter
Identification
Visual Input
Lexicon

Graphem
e to
Phoneme
Conversio
n

 What about written output?

speech
Auditory
Phonological
Analysis
Phonological
Input
Lexicon
Acoustic to
Phonologic
al
Conversio
n
Sound to
letter
rules

pictures,
seen
objects

Visual Object
Recognition
System

print

Abstract
Letter
Identification
Visual Input
Lexicon

Semantic
System
Phonological
Output
Lexicon
speech

Orthographic
Output
Lexicon
writing

Graphem
e to
Phoneme
Conversio
n

The final product..

Kay, Lesser & Coltheart,
1996
PALPA model
Assessments for each box
and arrow evaluating
effects of different inputs
and outputs on a damaged
language system
NOT intended to be used
in its entirety
Remains the only
psycholinguistically
motivated tool for
language assessment