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Winston D. Goh

Other affiliations: Indiana University
Bio: Winston D. Goh is an academic researcher from National University of Singapore. The author has contributed to research in topics: Recall & Lexical decision task. The author has an hindex of 11, co-authored 40 publications receiving 452 citations. Previous affiliations of Winston D. Goh include Indiana University.

Papers
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Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: The overall findings suggest that the voice-specific attributes of individual talkers are preserved in long-term memory.
Abstract: The author investigated voice context effects in recognition memory for words spoken by multiple talkers by comparing performance when studied words were repeated with same, different, or new voices at test. Hits and false alarms increased when words were tested with studied voices compared with unstudied voices. Discrimination increased only when the exact same voice was used. A trend toward conservatism in response bias was observed when test words switched to increasingly unfamiliar voices. Taken together, the overall findings suggest that the voice-specific attributes of individual talkers are preserved in long-term memory. Implications for the role of instance-specific matching and voice-specific familiarity processes and the nature of spoken-word representation are discussed.

64 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: This article investigated whether switching behavior, shaped by the bilingual's interactional context as well as personal preferences, impacted attentional control and found that the interaction context of bilinguals could impact attentional learning.
Abstract: Recent theories propose that language-switching in bilinguals influences executive control. We investigated whether switching behaviour, shaped by the bilingual's interactional context as well as personal preferences impacted attentional control. We compared four groups – (i) Edinburgh monolinguals, (ii) Edinburgh non-switching late bilinguals, (iii) Edinburgh non-switching early bilinguals, and (iv) Singapore switching early bilinguals – on two tasks of attentional control. Effects of interactional context were observed, with Singapore bilinguals performing better on conflict resolution in the Attention Network Task and Edinburgh late bilinguals on attentional switching in the Elevator reversal (Test of Everyday Attention) subtest. Our results suggest that the interactional context of bilinguals could impact attentional control differently.

53 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: The results show that concreteness, valence, and number of features accounted for unique variance in latencies across both tasks in a similar direction—faster responses for spoken words that were concrete, emotionally valenced, and with a high number of Features, while arousal, semantic neighborhood density, and semantic diversity did not influence latencies.
Abstract: A large number of studies have demonstrated that semantic richness dimensions (e.g., number of features, semantic neighbourhood density, semantic diversity, concreteness, emotional valence) influence word recognition processes. Some of these richness effects appear to be task-general, while others have been found to vary across tasks. Importantly, almost all of these findings have been found in the visual word recognition literature. To address this gap, we examined the extent to which these semantic richness effects are also found in spoken word recognition, using a megastudy approach that allows for an examination of the relative contribution of the various semantic properties to performance in two tasks: lexical decision and semantic categorisation. The results show that concreteness, valence, and number of features accounted for unique variance in latencies across both tasks in a similar direction – faster responses for spoken words that were concrete, emotionally valenced, and with a high number of features – while arousal, semantic neighbourhood density, and semantic diversity did not influence latencies. Implications for spoken word recognition processes are discussed.

51 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: Three experiments supported Nairne’s assertion that the diagnostic value of retrieval cues is a better predictor of memory performance than the absolute encoding–retrieval match.
Abstract: The view that successful memory performance depends importantly on the extent to which there is a match between the encoding and retrieval conditions is commonplace in memory research. However, Nairne (Memory, 10, 389–395, 2002) proposed that this idea about trace–cue compatibility being the driving force behind memory retention is a myth, because one cannot make unequivocal predictions about performance by appealing to the encoding–retrieval match. What matters instead is the relative diagnostic value of the match, and not the absolute match. Three experiments were carried out in which participants memorised word pairs and tried to recall target words when given retrieval cues. The diagnostic value of the cue was varied by manipulating the extent to which the cues subsumed other memorised words and the level of the encoding–retrieval match. The results supported Nairne’s (Memory, 10, 389–395, 2002) assertion that the diagnostic value of retrieval cues is a better predictor of memory performance than the absolute encoding–retrieval match.

47 citations

01 Jan 2009
TL;DR: Lu et al. as discussed by the authors found that the diagnostic value of retrieval cues is a better predictor of memory performance than the absolute encoding-retrieval match, and that retrieval cues can be used to discriminate the correct target from incorrect competitors.
Abstract: Testing the Myth of the Encoding-Retrieval Match Sharon H X Lu (sharonhxlu@gmailcom) Department of Psychology, National University of Singapore 9 Arts Link, Singapore 117570, Singapore Winston D Goh (psygohw@nusedusg) Department of Psychology, National University of Singapore 9 Arts Link, Singapore 117570, Singapore Abstract The encoding specificity principle, first proposed by Thomson and Tulving (1970), holds that successful memory performance depends importantly on the extent to which there is a match between encoding and retrieval conditions However, Nairne (2002) proposed that the principle is a myth because one cannot make unequivocal predictions about memory performance by appealing to the encoding-retrieval match; instead, what matters is the relative diagnostic value of the match, and not the absolute match Two experiments varied the diagnostic value of the cue by manipulating the degree of cue overload in terms of the extent to which the retrieval cues subsumed other items in the study list and the level of the encoding-retrieval match Results support Nairne’s (2002) assertion that the diagnostic value of retrieval cues is a better predictor of memory performance than the absolute encoding-retrieval match Keywords: Encoding specificity; cue overload; cued recall; retrieval processes; memory Introduction One of the fundamental ideas in modern memory research is that the match between encoding and retrieval conditions affects memory performance, an idea that was first proposed in a series of studies conducted by Tulving and colleagues (Tulving & Osler, 1968; Thomson & Tulving, 1970; Tulving & Thomson, 1973; Tulving, 1983) These studies suggested that successful remembering is a joint function of encoding and retrieval processes, and subsequently led to the encoding specificity principle, which states that a retrieval cue will be effective to the extent that it was specifically encoded at the time of learning Thus, if the target word NAIL is encoded and stored in the context of the word FINGER, a subsequent retrieval cue such as a tool will be ineffective, but a cue such as a part of the human body will probably be quite effective Recently, Nairne (2002) argued against the case that similarity between encoding and retrieval conditions (or the encoding-retrieval match) is all that matters in cue effectiveness He in fact argued that knowing the status of the encoding-retrieval match by itself predicts next to nothing about subsequent retention It is not matching features from the encoding and retrieval conditions per se that are needed; it is the presence of features that help discriminate the correct target from incorrect competitors, ie, the distinctiveness of the retrieval cue Using the NAIL example, if its competitors included TOE and HAND, the effectiveness of the cue a part of the human body would probably be diminished Adopting Watkins and Watkins’ (1975) terminology, the cue can be said to be “overloaded” as it does not provide any diagnostic information about the target occurrence because the competitors are also subsumed by the cue As an analogy, Nairne (2002) likened the relationship between the encoding-retrieval match and cue distinctiveness to intensity and brightness What determines the perception of brightness of a light is the amount of light falling in the centre relative to the surroundings, not the absolute amount of light In a similar vein, he argued that it is not the absolute encoding-retrieval match that is critical, but rather the relative diagnostic value of the match, which is the extent to which the cue uniquely specifies the target It is in this sense that he argued that the encoding specificity principle is a “myth” because although the principle specifies that the successful retrieval of a target depends importantly on the extent that to which there was a match between encoding and retrieval conditions, it is not the absolute match per se that predicts memory performance, but the relative distinctiveness of the retrieval cue The question that then arises is whether these arguments render the encoding specificity principle, which claims that “a retrieval cue is effective if, and only if, the information about its relation to the to-be-remembered (TBR) item is stored at the same time as the TBR item itself” (Thomson & Tulving, 1970, p 255), irrelevant or redundant The aim of the present study is to examine these arguments in more detail and to empirically test the predictions articulated in Nairne’s (2002) thought experiments Experiment 1 One thought experiment can be summarised as follows Participants memorise a series of events E 1 , E 2 , E 3 E n , and are asked to recall E 1 E 1 has features X 1 and X 2 which could be provided as retrieval cues From the perspective of the encoding specificity principle, providing both X 1 and X 2 as cues should logically increase the degree of the encoding- retrieval match compared to a single retrieval cue Hence, one would expect better recall for the condition with two retrieval cues than the condition with just one cue

41 citations


Cited by
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Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: Results indicated that the SLI and NL groups performed similarly in terms of true/false comprehension items, but that the children with SLI evidenced significantly poorer word recall than the NL controls, even when differences in nonverbal cognitive scores were statistically controlled.
Abstract: This study investigated verbal working memory capacity in children with specific language impairment (SLI) The task employed in this study was the Competing Language Processing Task (CLPT) developed by Gaulin and Campbell (1994) A total of 40 school-age children participated in this investigation, including 20 with SLI and 20 normal language (NL) age-matched controls Results indicated that the SLI and NL groups performed similarly in terms of true/false comprehension items, but that the children with SLI evidenced significantly poorer word recall than the NL controls, even when differences in nonverbal cognitive scores were statistically controlled Distinct patterns of word-recall errors were observed for the SLI and NL groups, as well as different patterns of associations between CLPT word recall and performance on nonverbal cognitive and language measures The findings are interpreted within the framework of a limited-capacity model of language processing

437 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: It appears that caffeine cannot be considered a ;pure' cognitive enhancer, as its indirect action on arousal, mood and concentration contributes in large part to its cognitive enhancing properties.
Abstract: The effects of caffeine on cognition were reviewed based on the large body of literature available on the topic. Caffeine does not usually affect performance in learning and memory tasks, although caffeine may occasionally have facilitatory or inhibitory effects on memory and learning. Caffeine facilitates learning in tasks in which information is presented passively; in tasks in which material is learned intentionally, caffeine has no effect. Caffeine facilitates performance in tasks involving working memory to a limited extent, but hinders performance in tasks that heavily depend on working memory, and caffeine appears to rather improve memory performance under suboptimal alertness conditions. Most studies, however, found improvements in reaction time. The ingestion of caffeine does not seem to affect long-term memory. At low doses, caffeine improves hedonic tone and reduces anxiety, while at high doses, there is an increase in tense arousal, including anxiety, nervousness, jitteriness. The larger improvement of performance in fatigued subjects confirms that caffeine is a mild stimulant. Caffeine has also been reported to prevent cognitive decline in healthy subjects but the results of the studies are heterogeneous, some finding no age-related effect while others reported effects only in one sex and mainly in the oldest population. In conclusion, it appears that caffeine cannot be considered a ;pure' cognitive enhancer. Its indirect action on arousal, mood and concentration contributes in large part to its cognitive enhancing properties.

316 citations

Journal Article
TL;DR: The authors proposed a new model of free recall on the basis of M. Howard and M. J. McClelland's leaky-accumulator decision model, where recall decisions are controlled by a race between competitive leaky accumulators.
Abstract: The authors present a new model of free recall on the basis of M. W. Howard and M. J. Kahana's (2002a) temporal context model and M. Usher and J. L. McClelland's (2001) leaky-accumulator decision model. In this model, contextual drift gives rise to both short-term and long-term recency effects, and contextual retrieval gives rise to short-term and long-term contiguity effects. Recall decisions are controlled by a race between competitive leaky accumulators. The model captures the dynamics of immediate, delayed, and continual distractor free recall, demonstrating that dissociations between short- and long-term recency can naturally arise from a model in which an internal contextual state is used as the sole cue for retrieval across time scales.

252 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
01 Dec 2006-Brain
TL;DR: The evoked potentials involved in the processing of visual stimuli between CI users and hearing controls are compared to suggest the existence of a profound cross-modal reorganization in the poor performers and an intramodal reorganizations in the good performers.
Abstract: Recent work suggests that once the auditory cortex of deaf persons has been reorganized by cross-modal plasticity, it can no longer respond to signals from a cochlear implant (CI) installed subsequently. To further examine this issue, we compared the evoked potentials involved in the processing of visual stimuli between CI users and hearing controls. The stimuli were concentric circles replaced by a different overlapping shape, inducing a shape transformation, known to activate the ventral visual pathway in human adults. All CI users had their device implanted for >1 year, but obtained different levels of auditory performance following training to establish language comprehension. Seven of the 13 patients showed good capacities for speech recognition with the CI (good performers) while the six others demonstrated poor speech recognition abilities (poor performers). The evoked potentials of all patients showed larger amplitudes, with different distributions of scalp activations between the two groups. The poor performers exhibited broader, anteriorly distributed, high P2 amplitudes over the cortex whereas the good performers showed significantly higher P2 amplitudes over visual occipital areas. These results suggest the existence of a profound cross-modal reorganization in the poor performers and an intramodal reorganization in the good performers. We interpret these data on the basis of enhanced audiovisual coupling as the key to a long-term functional improvement in speech discrimination in CI users.

209 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: Differences among individuals who contributed to the English Lexicon Project were examined, and higher vocabulary knowledge was associated with faster, more accurate word recognition performance, attenuated sensitivity to stimuli characteristics, and more efficient accumulation of information.
Abstract: Empirical work and models of visual word recognition have traditionally focused on group-level performance. Despite the emphasis on the prototypical reader, there is clear evidence that variation in reading skill modulates word recognition performance. In the present study, we examined differences among individuals who contributed to the English Lexicon Project (http://elexicon.wustl.edu), an online behavioral database containing nearly 4 million word recognition (speeded pronunciation and lexical decision) trials from over 1,200 participants. We observed considerable within- and between-session reliability across distinct sets of items, in terms of overall mean response time (RT), RT distributional characteristics, diffusion model parameters (Ratcliff, Gomez, & McKoon, 2004), and sensitivity to underlying lexical dimensions. This indicates reliably detectable individual differences in word recognition performance. In addition, higher vocabulary knowledge was associated with faster, more accurate word recognition performance, attenuated sensitivity to stimuli characteristics, and more efficient accumulation of information. Finally, in contrast to suggestions in the literature, we did not find evidence that individuals were trading-off their utilization of lexical and nonlexical information.

166 citations