Lexical knowledge and lexical retrieval in ageing: Insights from a tip-of-the-tongue (TOT) study

Abstract

Elderly people experience more failures in word form access (tip-of-the-tongue events, 'TOTs') than young people. There is general agreement that TOTs are signs of cognitive decline in older people, but because of the diversity and ambiguity involved in measuring TOTs, certain questions regarding age-related trends in semantic access remain unsolved. Age-related increases in vocabulary may raise the level of efficiency of access to semantic representations and compensate for lexical access failures. We explore the relationships between lexical knowledge and lexical retrieval in ageing by re-examining the data obtained by Juncos-Rabadán et al. on TOTs induced in 140 volunteers aged from 19 to 82 years. We found that older adults displayed significantly more difficulty in accessing the phonological representations of personal names, but not those of common nouns. The results revealed greater semantic access efficiency in older participants. We discuss the findings in light of the transmission deficit theory of TOT production.

Tip-of-the-tongue for proper names in mild cognitive impairment. Semantic or post-semantic impairments?

“…The level of vocabulary representing crystallized verbal abilities is not an important variable explaining phonological access to proper names. Impairment of phonological access to lexical representation of proper names is maintained in mda-MCI, even when the targets are very familiar and independently of the level of vocabulary of individuals, owing to the particular structure of proper names (Juncos-Rabadán et al, 2010;Laver & Burke, 1993). Table 4 Multiple regression analysis (enter) with age, MMSE scores and memory (WMS-III Text I), as independent variables or predictors, and pTOTs (A), negTOTs (B), correct names (C) and success in phonological access (D) as dependent variables.…”

“…Vocabulary test measures constituted another factor that may be related to vocabulary knowledge. The factorial analysis replicated, in a sample of people with MCI, the structure of the measures considered for testing vocabulary knowledge and semantic and post-semantic processes that were used in a previous study on TOTs in normal aging (Juncos-Rabadán et al, 2010).…”

“…Familiarity depends on frequency and recency of use, and is an important factor in name retrieval (Burke et al, 1991;Hanley & Chapman, 2008), but has not been controlled for in previous studies (Delazer et al, 2003;Estevez-Gonzalez et al, 2004;Joubert et al, 2009). The level of vocabulary, as measured by a vocabulary test, has been shown to be involved in semantic access but not in phonological access (Juncos-Rabadán, Facal, Rodríguez, & Pereiro, 2010). The third objective was to test whether deficits in free recall verbal memory extend to proper name retrieval, which was refuted by Delazer et al (2003), and to determine whether the failure in phonological access involved in TOT production is related to deficits in free recall verbal memory.…”

Procesamiento léxico-semántico en el envejecimiento e influencias sociodemográficas: una mirada actual

“…Uno de los niveles frecuentemente investigado en el envejecimiento corresponde al PLS, particularmente el acceso al léxico, que permite al hablante la disponibilidad rápida, inmediata y aparentemente sin esfuerzo de las palabras al momento de ser producidas, siendo uno de los principales mecanismos cognitivos del lenguaje. A través de este, podemos seleccionar con toda precisión una palabra entre las miles que componen nuestro léxico, no obstante, bajo determinadas condiciones, la selección rápida y sin errores puede verse alterada (Juncos et al, 2012 Burke de 1990, postula que los cambios asociados al envejecimiento podrían ser causados por el debilitamiento de las conexiones entre las representaciones en la memoria, donde la activación cortical no sería lo suficientemente robusta para lograr la conexión entre el concepto semántico de la palabra con su respectiva representación fonológica. Por su parte, para la HDI propuesta por Zacks y Hasher de 1994, el envejecimiento disminuye la capacidad para inhibir información irrelevante, debilitando así los procesos que son responsables de regular la información que entra y abandona la MO; de esta forma, los competidores léxicos de la palabra objetivo no serían inhibidos, con lo que se bloquearía el acceso al nodo fonológico correcto para la representación conceptual deseada (Martín & Fernández, 2012).…”

“…La dificultad es mayor cuando los nombres propios no son descriptivos o no se pueden asociar a una característica semántica particular. Además, los nombres propios carecen de sinónimos que favorezcan la recuperación de la palabra y poseen componentes fonológicos de menor frecuencia de uso; de este modo, las conexiones entre las representaciones son débiles, lo que deriva en un aumento de los eventos y frecuencia de los PDL Juncos et al, 2012).…”