In our environment we do two things with objects: identify them, and act on them. Perhaps not coincidentally, research has shown that the brain appears to have two distinct visual streams, one that is engaged during the identification of objects, and one that is associated with action. Although these visual streams are distinct, there has been increasing interest in how the action and identification systems interact during grasping and identification tasks. In particular, the current research explored the role that previous motor experience with familiar manipulable objects might have on the time it takes healthy participants to identify these objects (relative to non-manipulable objects). Furthermore, previous research has shown that there are multiple, computationally and neuro-anatomically different, action systems. The current research was particularly interested in the action systems involved in 1) grasping, and 2) functionally using an object. Work began by developed a new stimulus set of black & white photographs of manipulable and non-manipulable objects, and collecting ‘graspability’ and ‘functional usage’ ratings (chapter 2). This stimulus set was then used to show that high manipulability was related to faster naming but slower categorization (chapter 3). In chapter 4, the nature of these effects was explored by extending a computational model by Yoon, Heinke and Humphreys (2002). Results from chapter 5 indicated independent roles of graspability and functional usage during tasks that required identification of objects presented either with or without a concurrent mask. Specifically, graspaility effects were larger for items that were not masked; and functional use effects were larger for items that were masked. Finally, chapter 6 indicated that action effects during identification tasks are partly based on how realistic the depictions of the objects are. That is, results from chapter 6 indicated the manipulability effects are larger for photographs than they are for line-drawings of the same objects. These results have direct implications for the design of future identification tasks, but, more broadly, they speak to the interactive nature of the human mind: Action representations can be invoked and measured during simple identification tasks, even where acting on the object is not required. / Manuscript-based dissertation. One introductory chapter, one concluding chapter, and five manuscripts (seven chapters in total).

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Naming refers to encountering a new word and subsequently being able to use it both expressively and receptively. Sometimes, this can happen in as little as a single experience. Several recent studies have explored factors that influence the acquisition of naming in adults. However, these studies used familiar stimuli for which the participants already had names. In these studies, preexisting stimulus-response relations with the stimuli could have impeded the acquisition of new names for some participants. In contrast, the present study used unfamiliar ("arbitrary") stimuli. In addition, an equivalence test was used to validate the findings because some theorists have claimed that naming is required for equivalence. The results revealed some advantages to teaching naming with arbitrary stimuli. Interestingly, a subset of participants had high scores on equivalence tests without having high scores on expressive tests. This indicates that, contrary to naming theory, naming may not be necessary for equivalence and match-to-sample tests may not be the best test of equivalence. These findings support the independence of the expressive and receptive repertoires both in the development of naming and equivalence.

abstract: Lakoff and Levinson claim they have discredited the theory of universal grammar. This dissertation discusses the possibility of a universal humor, suggesting that if universals exist in language's most playful and least rule-governed aspect then they must exist in grammar, language's least playful and most rule-governed aspect. Lakoff's and Levinson's texts are closely analyzed to demonstrate that their claims against Chomsky are not firmly supported; that their groundbreaking new theories of language, perception and cognition do not constitute data that undermines Chomskyan theory; that Levinson's theory of a universal mechanism for human interaction is no stronger than the the grammar universals that Levinson strongly rejects. It is suggested that the litmus test of culture-specific versus universal language may be its level of rhetorical density, as illustrated with humor and naming samples. It is argued that Fillmore's deep case theory, as explained by Nilsen using semantic features and pragmatic intent, has never lost its status as a linguistic universal; Chomsky's theoretical debt to Charles Fillmore may indicate that he unconsciously used Fillmore's deep case, which for Chomsky became thematic relations, without realizing that Fillmore had been the impetus for his research. It is argued that none of the theories of universality, typology or conceptual metaphor may be considered mutually exclusive. / Dissertation/Thesis / Ph.D. English 2011

Stimulus Pairing Observational Procedure (SPOP) is an incidental teaching type procedure that has shown success in teaching typically developing children to name, independent tacting in the absence of the verbal community following a history of listener and echoic responses. The purpose of the current study was to compare SPOP and matching to sample procedures to determine the rate of acquisition for correct tact and listener responding , the rate of off task be avior, and the rate of generalization to different settings, stimuli, and instructors. Results of the study indicate that correct responding occurred at higher rates during MTS procedures than SPOP. The average rate of off task behavior was higher during SPOP sessions than during pre test, MTS sessions, or generalization probes for each participant. The results of the generalization probe may indicate that SPOP produces correct responding that increases or maintains during generalization, while MTS procedures produced more variable results.

Magister Artium - MA / IsiXhosa is one of the Nguni languages. It falls under the Bantu Languages and is spoken mainly by people living in the South Eastern and Western regions of South Africa. Traditionally, language symbols were frequently used by the Xhosa people to shape their culture as well as to instil values that were highly regarded in their society, such as ubuntu (humanity). Their oral traditions were passed on from generation to generation − through narratives, proverbs, idioms, riddles, songs and praise poems. The elders would name their children using phrases from oral expressions and by doing so, help in the preservation of societal norms and values. IsiXhosa names that are taken from all forms of oral literature are known as proverbial names. During the colonisation of South Africa, the arrival of European settlers with different culture and values rapidly overhauled the Xhosa society and their customs. Given that certain, if not all oral traditions, including that of the traditional naming system, did not meet the approval of the new masters, a new naming system was imposed on the population. However, the end of the apartheid regime in the 1990’s ushered in a new era of indigenous cultural revival and in particular a trend to revert back to traditional isiXhosa naming practices. Conversely, most proverbial names have overtime been detached from the original oral literature and do not necessarily convey the original meaning or message. Therefore, this study undertakes to explore the meanings of isiXhosa proverbial names in relation to isiXhosa culture. It also provides a deeper insight into the origin and conceptualisation of isiXhosa names in relation to isiXhosa traditional oral literature, namely proverbs, idioms, riddles and poetry. A review of historic data related to the subject and a survey was conducted with adult isiXhosa speakers to ascertain whether the meanings of proverbial names are transparent to them. The study shows how naming practices played an important and defining part in the oral history of the Xhosa people. It also served as a system to record the events that happened around the time of birth. The comparison of results from the desk study and the respondents’ interpretations revealed that the meanings of names from oral traditions are inseparable from a socio-cultural matrix.

Online fashion retailers use a wide array of colour names to describe the colours of their products; ranging from simple colour names such as the primary colours to more ambiguous colour names such as cloud and blush. Although many online retailers devote resources to the selection of colour names, no such research exists on the impact this has on online fashion consumers’ behaviours.The impact of colour naming on online fashion consumers is important as fashion and colour have a symbiotic relationship therefore the representation of colour within an online fashion retail setting is crucial. The need for colour naming within online fashion retailing is further intensified by the difficulties of accurately representing colour online and therefore the role of written product information, such as colour naming becomes important. To that end, this research aims to examine the impact of colour naming on online fashion consumers’ behaviours. Cognitive responses are considered to investigate the role of colour naming in providing information. Emotional responses are investigated to determine whether colour naming influences consumers in the same way colours are known to influence consumer behaviour. Finally, cognitive and emotional responses to colour naming are investigated to determine the impact on purchase outcomes within the online fashion retail environment. Qualitative and quantitative research approaches are used to derive empirical data. Through interviews and online questionnaires it establishes evidence to support the importance of colour naming within the online retail environment. Two online questionnaires were administered to determine the impact of colour naming on emotional responses and preferences for the colour naming categories within the online fashion retail environment by using the colour name appeal construct developed for this research. In-depth interviews were carried out to determine the impact of colour naming on cognitive responses and purchase intentions.The findings present a statistical significance for the causal relationship between colour naming and emotional responses. They reveal more complex colour names such as common descriptive, unexpected descriptive and ambiguous colour names are more likely to elicit emotions compared to common colour names. The findings also reveal the same colour naming categories are also more appealing within the context of online fashion retailing.A laddering technique was applied to the interviews. The results reveal that colour naming impacts on purchase intentions via a number of intervening variables; colour information, product information, product perception, information processing technique, aiding the shopping experience, understanding the product, emotional response, personal values, and post-purchase satisfaction. Again the complex colour names are found to have a wider reaching impact. Common and unexpected descriptive colour names did not always provide useful colour information to the consumers.This research presents empirical evidence regarding the impact of colour naming on online fashion consumers, thus shedding light on appropriate colour naming strategies for online fashion retailers.

This is a preliminary study investigating the effects of emotion on a confrontational naming task in people with aphasia (PWA). Previous research investigating the effects of emotion on various language tasks in PWA has produced mixed findings with some suggesting a facilitative effect and others an inhibitory effect. Participants included 9 adults with aphasia as the result of a stroke, resulting in the presence of word-finding deficits (i.e., anomia). Participants named images in positive, negative, and neutral conditions. Responses were scored as either correct or incorrect; incorrect responses were coded further to illustrate individual error patterns. The majority of participants demonstrated a decrease in naming accuracy in the negative condition compared to the preceding and subsequent neutral conditions. The results of this study suggest that negative emotional arousal may cause PWA to devote attentional resources to emotional regulation and away from the linguistic task, thus interfering with language performance. Further research is needed to support these preliminary findings.

The purpose of the current study was to determine the effect of emotional arousal and valence on linguistic processing of adults with aphasia and neurotypical young adults. Nine people with aphasia (at least 6 months left hemisphere stroke and presenting with word retrieval deficits) and 20 young adults (reporting no evidence of neurological injury) participated. All participants completed a confrontational naming task during three conditions that were manipulated according to emotional arousal and valence: positive (high arousal, positive valence), negative (high arousal, negative valence), and neutral (low arousal, neutral valence). Average response time was measured for pictures named accurately within each condition. In general, participants with aphasia named pictures more slowly than young adult participants. Neither participant group had significant differences in response time across conditions. Individual participants varied in how emotional valence affected their response times. Further research is needed to identify what factors lead to differing responses to the high-arousal conditions.

An interactive activation model for picture naming was used to guide treatment of a semantic-level deficit in 4 individuals with aphasia and severe picture-naming problems. Participants exhibited a profile consistent with Broca's aphasia with severe naming deficits, part of which was attributable to a semantic impairment based on testing of the lexical system. A semantic-based treatment was used to train naming of nouns in two semantic categories using a single-participant multiple baseline across behaviors and participants. Additional treatment, which included orthographic and phonological information about target words, then was applied. Treatment responses and error patterns demonstrated that semantic treatment resulted in improved naming of both trained and untrained items for 2 of 4 participants. Two participants did not show improved naming until treatment emphasizing the phonological form of the word was provided. This study demonstrates the utility of using an interactive activation model to plan treatment based on levels of disruption in the lexical processing system.