Moore, Smith Spark & Valentine University of London & Cancer Research, UK Does the face fit the facts? Naming, familiarity, and semantic decisions in the over 40s. Acknowledgement: ESRC Grant R000 429624208.

Outline Background to age of acquisition (AoA). Models of AoA. Experiments. Conclusions and interpretations.

What is it? AoA referrers to a phenomena: Items acquired early (i.e. ball) in life are processed faster & more accurately than late-acquired (i.e. vase) items - despite long absence. Mechanism/s & locus/i arguments continue.

Importance to applied psychology. Critical learning period -intuitively - works. Adults capable of new learning to expertise. If SSPS is correct, it may be an education (especially non typical) & rehabilitation tool If it works, then an equally powerful tool for policy makers & service providers.

The SSPS mechanism Semantics can’t readily process ‘new’ items. Exposure creates low physiological orienting response. Induces heightened vigilance / focused attention. Slow, effortful processing of first exemplars. Sufficient examples peg out processing parameters. Fast more implicit learning. Multiple loci mediating/subserving semantics.

SSPS If SSPS occurs in this way - Predictions are Mechanism -Physiological orienting response - heightened vigilance - new = slow effortful - Peg out parameters - Fast implicit. If SSPS occurs in this way - Predictions are Affect perceptual input & motor output. There should also be an effect of acquired order. BUT semantics may be individual.

Empirical Effects of AoA (sims too) Naming faces, names, objects & words. Visual & Auditory LDT Perceptual (faces, names & objects). Semantic: Objects & words (arguably) Not celebrities.

Word Frequency Object Naming - visual LDT -Read Words - Face Naming (no AoA control). Connectionist networks Effects of WF & AoA are correlate highly.

Generic Model of Recognition Face Object Word Recognition Units PIN Semantic Information Name Output

Why SSPS Semantics Name Visual Auditory PIN Phoneme grapheme conversion Semantics Name

This study Tease out OoA from AoA. Participants in specific age ranges Items identified to specific decades. Stimuli:- Words Compound words Celebrity’ names

Participant Age by Decade 40s 50s 60s Era 44.29 (2.93) 54.54 (2.99) 64.79 (3.51) c. 1963 0 –10 yrs 10-20 yrs 20-30 yrs c. 1973 30-40 yrs c. 1983 40-50 yrs

Three Experiments 25% error, or replaced. E-Prime (ms) - Push-button box. Two IVs:- Within - Decade (1960s, 1970s & 1980s). Between- Age group (40s, 50s, & 60s). DVs - RT & accuracy. Post Hoc Ratings.

Exp 1: LDT to Words 60 words - Selected as dateable to a particular decade (Chambers Dictionary of the 21st Century) e.g. anorexia, sangria. 60 filler nonwords. Ratings of AoA, fam concreteness, imageability

Results: LDT to Word F(1,59)=13.95, p<.001

Exp 2: Compound Word LDT. 60 compound words (e.g. bootleg - windsurf). Again, selected as dateable to a particular decade (Chambers Dictionary of the 21st Century). 60 filler non words: non pairs combination (e.g. chairhand, rainswim). Ratings: AoA, fam, concreteness, imageability

Results: Compound Word LDT. F(1,59)=12.22, p<.001; Age group p<.08

Exp3: NFT to Celebrity’ Names. 60 celebrity’ names previously generated 30+ for specific decades (Steve McQueen, Sylvester Stallone.) Details checked for decade (www etc). 60 filler non celebrities: combining the first & second names (e.g. Rosemary Hawk, Peter West). Followed by ratings of AoA, fam, Distinctiveness.

Results: Celebrity’ Name FDT F(1,59)=81.395, p<.001

AoA should only affect 40 yr olds. Age -2003 40s 50s 60s Era 44.29 (2.93) 54.54 (2.99) 64.79 (3.51) c. 1963 0 –10 yrs 10-20 yrs 20-30 yrs c. 1973 30-40 yrs c. 1983 40-50 yrs

Therefore: Critical period no dispute. Predicts a distinction between auditory and spoken recognition. Attend to creating specific salience in the design of teaching especially to non typical students. Test SSPS in new learning situations e.g. teaching new languages to refugee particpants. Test in areas (e.g. organic amnesia) where evoking pre-morbid information can be used to piggyback novel learning.

Future directions If it works, then an equally powerful tool for policy makers & service providers.

Thank You Viv, Jamie & Tim The End Thank You Viv, Jamie & Tim

Models of AoA Phonological Hypothesis (Brown & Watson, 1987) Sep up of a Specialised Processing System, (Moore & Valentine,2000) Neural Plasticity (Ellis & Lambon Ralph, 2001) Semantic (Steyvers & Tenenbaum, in press)