menn 3. why are speech errors interesting? ● they give insight into mental processing ● more...

Menn 3

Why are speech errors interesting?

Why are speech errors interesting?

● They give insight into mental processing● More insight than looking at the brain

What are slips of the tongue?


● Are the errors of aphasics slips of the tongue?● Who makes them then?● How often?● Is not completing a sentence a slip of the tongue


● If you recorded everything you said in a day how many would you find?


● If you recorded everything you said in a day how many would you find?

● Famous people get recorded a lot● They make lots of errors● Is this representative of regular Joes?

Barak Obama

● I've travelled to almost all of the 57 states.– Why did he say this?

● “Let’s not play games,” Obama stated. “What I was suggesting – you’re absolutely right that John McCain has not talked about my Muslim faith. And you’re absolutely right that that has not come.”

Stephanopoulos immediately interrupted Obama, stating, “Christian faith.”

“My Christian faith,” Obama quickly said. “Well, what I’m saying is that he (McCain) hasn’t suggested that I’m a Muslim.– What happened here?

Mitt Romney

● Mitt Romney made an unfortunate slip of the tongue during a fundraiser Tuesday, when he mistakenly said "sheik" instead of "Sikh" while commenting on the tragic shooting in Wisconsin. – Why did he do this?

What is a tip of the tongue state?

What is a tip of the tongue state?

● Characteristics of word available but not word– letters in word– sounds in word– words with similar meaning– context the word is used in

What is a mondegreen


● Misparsing the string of sounds– Lady Mondegreen ~ laid 'im on the green– Surely Good Mrs. Murphy shall follow me all the days

of my life ~ Surely goodness and mercy shall . . .– Olive, the other reindeer ~ all of the other reindeer– Burning all the strings of Hell along ~ Burning out his

fuse up here alone


● Misparsing the string of sounds– you've got mud on your face, front disc brakes ~ a big

disgrace– police have a dog ~ feliz navidad– the girl with colitis goes by ~ kaleidoscope eyes– and there's a wino down the road. I should have stolen

Oreos. ~ and as we wind on down the road, our shadow's taller than our souls

What is a malapropism?


● Getting two similarly pronounced words confused● The speaker usually doesn't recognize the error as

an error


● Getting two similarly pronounced words confused● The speaker usually doesn't recognize the error as

an error– For all intensive purposes < for all intents and purposes– the windshield effect < the wind chill effect– antidotes < anecdotes– The United States has a huge aerosol of nuclear

weapons that act as a detergent against attack from our enemies.

– The angry wife took back her cheating husband - on one contrition - that he cut off all contracts with other women.

– Patience is a virgin

Common malapropisms

● chronological liar

Common malapropisms

● chronological liar● mute point

Common malapropisms

● chronological liar● mute point● irregardless● extra century perception● a wolf in cheap clothing● a pigment of his imagination● he was held hostile● a woman of great statue● the bondage between mother and child

Common malapropisms

● chronological liar● mute point● irregardless● supposably

– Where do they come from?– What did Freud think about them?

● Woman in Spain to missionaries: Soy catolica, apostolica, protestante– I'm an apostolic, Roman protestant

What speakers are not normal?


● Kids still learning language


● Kids still learning language● Adults still learning second language


● Kids still learning language● Adults still learning second language● People with language problems-impediments,

dyslexia, aphasia, apraxia● People with bad hearing

Process of speaking

● Message level-deciding what to say

Process of speaking

● Message level-deciding what to say● Functional level-finding words to say it

Process of speaking

● Message level-deciding what to say● Functional level-finding words to say it● Positional level-getting the words together in

sentences

Process of speaking

● Message level-deciding what to say● Functional level-finding words to say it● Positional level-getting the words into sentences● Phonological encoding level-getting the sounds to

say the words

Process of speaking


say the words● Speech gesture level-getting words into physical

speech

Message level

● Concept of message without words ● What the story line is● Who did what to who/what● Pragmatic information used● Information about semantic roles of concepts and

lemmas passed on to functional level

Message level

● Pragmatics– How speech is related to context

● Who are you talking to?● How much time do you have to say it?● What is the current conversation about?● What was just said by the other person?● What did you just say?● How do you want the person to react?● What are your beliefs and those of the other person?

Message level

● Pragmatics– Meaning doesn't exist outside of a context– What does “You have a green light” mean?

● It could mean that you have green ambient lighting.● It could mean that you have a green light while driving

your car.● It could mean that you can go ahead with the project.● It could mean that your body has a green glow.● It could mean that you possess a light bulb that is tinted

green

Message level

● Pragmatics– Sentences with same meaning but different context

● Excuse me sir, do you have a pen?● Excuse me sir, have you a pen?● Could I borrow a pen?● Could you lend me your pen?● Can I use your pen?● Give me your pen.● Gotta pen?● Yo, dude, gotta pen?● Pen?● Pen!

Message level

● Pragmatics– Who would have problems with the pragmatic aspects

of speech?

Message level


of speech?● People from different culture

– Different language may be problem– Different culture (UK vs. Australia)

Message level


of speech?● People from different culture

– Different language may be problem– Different culture (UK vs. Australia)

● People with poor social skills– Aspergers, austism, aphasia– Temple Grandin-Autism

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1qPFAT4p8Lc

● Speech and the brain

Process of speaking


say the words● Speech gesture level-getting words into physical

speech

Functional level

• Concept vs. meaning● Picture yourself flying without a plane through the

clouds and looking down on what you see on the ground

● Can you do it without words? You are using concepts

● When you add words then meaning is important

Functional level

• Lemma● Meaning of word● You can have meaning in your head but not

phonetic form (tip of tongue) so meaning is separate from phonetic form

Functional level

• Lemma● Lemmas have many phonetic forms

● walks, walking, walked, walk● Lemma for CAR could include

● car, cars, red one, it, that one

Functional level

• Lemma● Lemmas have many phonetic forms

● walks, walking, walked, walk● Lemma for CAR could include

● car, cars, red one, it, that one● Lemmas include information about part of speech,

frequency, things it co-occurs with, emotions attached to it, motor plan for pronouncing it, memories associated with it, opposites

Functional level

● Activation● concept > lemma > things linked to lemma >

phonetic/motor make up of lemma

Functional level

● Categorization is central human cognitive ability● many speech errors involve substitution between

things in same category● names of siblings● opposites● animals (farm, wild, domestic, dangerous, cute)● (Silvia) So are you going to hang out with your wife

this weekend?● (Dave) Are you crazy. She's the last person I want to

be with.● (Silvia) Mike, will you just stop!

Functional level

● Going from concepts in message level to lemmas in functional level involves activations of lemmas.

● Activation of lemmas also activates closely associated lemmas

● This causes substitution errors

● Blends show retrieval of two words at same time● regardless + irrespective = irregardless● person + people = perple● coup + boon = coon

• She’s (Condoleezza Rice) got the patent resumé of somebody that has serious skill. She loves football, she’s African-American, which would be kind of a big coon. A big boon. Oh my God – I totally, totally, totally, totally am sorry for that. I didn’t mean that.

Semantic function

● Function is not part of speech● Noun, adjective, determiner, verb, conjunction

● Function is not grammatical function● John

subject painted the house

object

● The housesubject

was painted by Johnobject of prep.

● Function is what semantic role the words plays in sentence

● Johnagent

painted the houseundergoer

● The houseundergoer

was painted by Johnagent

Semantic function

● At message level you envision John painting the house

● At functional level you choose lemmas for John, paint, and house

● You also assign part of speech to lemmas, and semantic roles to lemmas

● Things associated with lemmas are activated● Still no sentences or phonetics assigned to

words

Where is language?

Mainly left hemisphere

How do we know it's in the left?

● Autopsies of aphasics● Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation

– Using magnetic pulses to temporarily disrupt brain function

– Video


● Wada test

– Temporarily disable one hemisphere with injection


● Dichotic listening

– present different words to each ear at same time


● Either A or B shown to left eye (right hemisphere)● A-The boy kisses the girl

● B-The girl kisses the boy

● A-The girl is drinking

● B-The girl will drink

● A-The dog jumps over the fence

B-The dogs jump over the fence








● Subjects had to choose picture of the sentence they saw. They couldn’t distinguish A from B








● Subjects had to choose picture of the sentence they saw. They couldn’t distinguish A from B

● What does this mean?


● Measure brain activation with MRI

– This is your brain listening to words


● Measure brain activation with MRI

– This is your brain producing verbs


● Split brain patients

– Done to treat severe epilepsy

Is it in the left for everyone?

● It depends on which hand is dominant

– % of people with left or right hemisphere language

Lang. in left Lang. in right

Right handed 95 5

Left handed 70 30

Is it all in the left?

● LEFT: Understanding meaning, speaking● RIGHT: tone of voice, prosody, inflection,

emotion, humor, metaphor

menn 3. why are speech errors interesting? ● they give insight into mental processing ● more...

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