"To err is human. To self-repair fortunately is also." (Postma, 2000, p. 98) The overarching purpose of this research is to explore whether second language (L2) learners can identify speech errors in a digital recording of their own oral effort and can correct those errors in subsequent oral efforts. Contemporary psycholinguistic speech production models posit that self-monitoring is an integral and automatic function of online (real time) speech production. Pedagogical research has demonstrated that learners can utilize this self-monitoring/self-analysis mechanism in a post-hoc self-assessment, particularly insofar as writing is concerned, to identify and correct production errors. The current research proposes that in the same way that learners err while writing, they err while speaking and, further, that such errors are not a valid representation of their internal language systems. Hypothetically, therefore, L2 learners can identify their own speech errors via audio playback (AP) given time and opportunity, and providing they have a rudimentary knowledge of the target forms to begin with. To test this assumption, learners were provided a series of monologic Spot the Difference tasks designed to elicit agreement of gender and number in adjective forms. Participants in the experimental procedure group listened to their oral product immediately after task completion while participants in the control group listened to linguistically sterile musical selections. Results of the experiment support the hypothesis that second language learners can identify speech errors in their own oral text, that self-correction efforts do increase and improve, and that acquisition does improve over repeated trials. Interestingly, however, a main effect was noted for post-positional adjectives and not for pre-nominals. A second important aspect of this study involved testing whether lack of developmental readiness (DR) was a constraining factor for AP. Findings revealed that participants who were developmentally unready also improved in self-monitoring and accuracy in subsequent trials. The implications of these findings on current psycholinguistic speech production/perception models as well as their pedagogical implications are discussed at the conclusion of the study. / A Dissertation submitted to the Department of Modern Language and Linguistics in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy. / Degree Awarded: Spring Semester, 2008. / Date of Defense: April 23, 2008. / Language Learning, Speech Production, Speech Perception, Oral Production, Psycholinguistic Speech Models, Linguistics, Audio Playback, Listening Skills / Includes bibliographical references. / Gretchen Sunderman, Professor Directing Dissertation; Leigh Edwards, Outside Committee Member; Michael Leeser, Committee Member; Lara Reglero, Committee Member.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the validity of the language-aggression hypothesis which suggests that high language development is associated with low observable aggression. This theory is based on Pavlov's second signalling system theory in which language is said to have regulatory capabilities in human behavior. / The main focus of this study was to examine aggressive expression in light of language maturity as opposed to language development assessed by language measures currently on the testing market. Subjects were 108 Black, White, Latin, and Oriental second and third grade children from Tallahassee, Florida. These subjects were matched for sex and social class. / A new device was developed to measure aggressive expression in both the verbal and physical mode in order to determine aggressive preference. Paradigmatic or syntagmatic response to a word association test was used as an indicator of language maturity. / The language-aggression hypothesis holds true for low language mature subjects. These subjects tended to select the physical mode of expression, but the opposite was not true for high language mature children. While these language mature children tended to use verbal aggression, the relationship was not as strong as language immaturity and the physical aggressive expression. / When explaining a child's preference for physical aggression in this model language maturity appears to be the best predictor. Sex appears to be the best predictor when examining a subject's preference for verbal aggressive expression. / The results suggest that aggressive expression is a function of language maturity for physical aggression but not so for verbal aggression. Further examination of verbal aggressive expression appears to be necessary in order to indicate underlying motivation for the selection of this mode. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 41-10, Section: A, page: 4277. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--The Florida State University, 1980.

Nondisabled children's attitudes toward orthopedic and sensory disabilities were examined in relation to chronological and mental age. Knowledge of these disabilities was also studied in relation to the visual perceptibility of disability. Sixty-four Caucasian children, ages 38 to 82 months, participated in the study. Subjects were individually administered the Test of Early Attitudes toward Disability (TEAD) and the Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test. The TEAD, developed by this investigator, consists of four parts which measure knowledge of, evaluative beliefs about, and expressed preferences toward orthopedic and sensory disabilities. Stimulus materials for the TEAD are puppets with and without visual cues to disability. Children's expressed preferences revealed bias against orthopedic and sensory disabilities increases with age but is not present among 3 year olds. Knowledge of disability was also found to increase with age; knowledge of orthopedic disability is acquired earlier than knowledge of sensory disability. Most of the children (64%) had mixed evaluative beliefs about disability. Finally, mental age was not found to be a better predictor of early attitude toward disability than chronological age. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 42-03, Section: A, page: 0997. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--The Florida State University, 1981.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of center sponsorship, center size, director training, and director salary on the tasks performed by a day care center director. In addition, director training was examined in relation to center sponsorship and center size while director salary was investigated in relation to director training, center sponsorship and center size. Finally, the task performance of day care center directors was compared with the task performance of preschool directors. / The study consisted of 67 directors administering day care centers and preschools in Leon County, Florida. Instruments used in the study were: a questionnaire designed by the researcher and a task analysis developed in 1977 as part of a needs assessment of Texas child care administrators. / One-way analysis of variance, the Pearson product moment correlation, and the student t test were used to analyze the data at the .05 level of significance. / Ten hypotheses were tested. Hypotheses 1 through 4 examined the variable of tasks with the variables of center sponsorship and size, and director training and salary. None of the results from the analyses of variance achieved the .05 level of significance. Hypotheses 5 and 6 referred to the relationship between the variable of director training and the variables of center sponsorship and size. The relationship between director training and center size was significant. Hypotheses 7, 8, and 9 examined the relationship between the variable of director salary and the variables of director training, center sponsorship, and size. The relationship between director salary and training and between director salary and center sponsorship was significant at the .05 level using the Pearson product moment correlation. The final hypothesis, Hypothesis 10, sought to differentiate between task performance of directors of day care centers and directors of preschools. Based on director perception, which was analyzed using the student t test, there was no significant difference. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 42-06, Section: A, page: 2483. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--The Florida State University, 1981.

Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 40-09, Section: A, page: 4882. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--The Florida State University, 1979.

The purposes of this study were to determine whether there is: (1) a difference between the intellectual and social competence of young children and the levels of communicative behavior of their mothers with caregivers, (2) a relationship between the intellectual and social competence of young children and the attitudes of their mothers toward communication with caregivers, and (3) a relationship between the attitude scores of mothers toward communication with caregivers and the mothers' communicative behavior with caregivers. The subjects were 47 full-time day care children who were 2 years 8 months to 4 years 0 months and their mothers. The children had been enrolled for less than six weeks in day care. / To test the hypotheses, four instruments were used. The Parent Attitude Toward Caregiver Communication was completed by the parents to measure attitudes toward communication with the caregiver. The Parent Participatory Communication Checklist was completed by the caregivers to measure frequency of communication of mothers with the caregiver. The McCarthy Scales of Children's Abilities was administered to test intellectual competence. The Harvard Preschool Project's Social Competence Checklist was given to measure social competence. / Findings indicate a significant difference between the intellectual and social competence scores of young children and the levels of communicative behavior of their mothers with caregivers. There was a significant relationship between the: (1) communicative attitude scores of the mothers and the intellectual and social competence scores of their children, and (2) communicative attitude scores of the mothers and the communicative behavior of the mothers. / For this sample, it was found that as children scored higher on intellectual and social tests, their mothers made increased efforts to become knowledgeable consumers of day care service for their children. The results suggest that the mother-caregiver interaction is highly attitudinal. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 42-11, Section: A, page: 4712. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--The Florida State University, 1982.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the Dallas Pre-School Screening Test (DPST) in terms of (1) test-retest reliability; (2) concurrent validity with the Metropolitan Readiness Tests (MRT); and (3) group performance differences in age, sex, and conceptual background as measured by performance on the Tests of Basic Experiences (TOBE). / Subjects of the study included 51 kindergarten children attending the Florida State University Developmental Research School in Tallahassee, Florida in the school year 1979-1980. These subjects represent the school-age population of the state of Florida in terms of race, sex, socioeconomic status, and academic ability. / The DPST was individually administered. Following a 2-week interval, it was readministered along with the MRT. For the total DPST score, the test-retest reliability coefficient (r = .81) and the concurrent validity coefficient with the MRT (r = .62) were both statistically significant at the .05 level. / Some group performance differences were found, including a difference in performance by age: 5-year-olds scored significantly higher than 4-year-olds on the DPST. No performance differences related to sex were found. However, performance differences related to conceptual background were shown. Children were divided into three groups according to performance on the TOBE: above-average, average, and below-average. The above-average TOBE group scored significantly higher on the DPST than did the other two TOBE groups. No significant difference was found in the DPST scores between the average and below-average TOBE groups. / The results of the study indicated that the DPST demonstrated acceptable reliability and validity for the preschool population of Florida. However, although the reliability coefficient of .81 was found for the total DPST score, investigation of the subtest scores indicated that various subtests were below the acceptable level. The reasons for the low reliability of some subtest scores can be attributed to the lack of concise directions and scoring criteria. Recommendations for such revisions of the manual were suggested. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 41-03, Section: A, page: 0930. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--The Florida State University, 1980.

Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 40-09, Section: A, page: 4884. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--The Florida State University, 1979.

Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 40-09, Section: A, page: 4884. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--The Florida State University, 1979.

Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 40-10, Section: A, page: 5309. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--The Florida State University, 1979.