Syllabic structure and the acquisition of consonants: The great conspiracy in word formation

The syllabic structure and phonemic inventory of one child were analyzed at the beginning of word production and compared with similar records reported in the literature. The data appear to favor an interactionist view of lexical development which recognizes the contribution of particular syllabic forms to the acquisition of consonantal phonemes and the role these phonemes play in expanded syllabic form. The discussion argues for the primacy of CV as the dominant unit of production and identifies a number of constraints on syllabic forms and a set of conspiratorial rules which assure the production of these forms. Further, it is argued that certain strategies operating within the constraints to particular syllabic forms result in the ordered development of syllabic structures.     

Biasing power law exponents by magnitude estimation instructions

This study investigates the influence of attention loading on the established intersensory effects of passive bodily rotation on choice reaction time (RT) to visual motion. Subjects sat at the center of rotation in an enclosed rotating chamber and observed an oscilloscope on which were, in the center, a tracking display and, 10° left of center, a RT line. Three tracking tasks and a no-tracking control condition were presented to all subjects in combination with the RT task, which occurred with and without concurrent cab rotations. Choice RT to. line motions was inhibited (p < .001) both when there was simultaneous vestibular stimulation and when there was a tracking task; response latencies lengthened progressively with increased similarity between the RT and tracking tasks. However, the attention conditions did not affect the intersensory effect; the significance of this for the nature of the sensory interaction is discussed.