Data_Sheet_1_Referential and inferential production across the lifespan: different patterns and different predictive cognitive factors.docx

IntroductionThe ability to speak is grounded in general memory and control processes and likely changes across the lifespan. However, our knowledge on how word production abilities naturally evolve from childhood to old age remains marginally investigated. Our aim was to shed further light on this issue by exploiting the contrast between two ways to elicit word production: referential picture naming and inferential naming from definition.
MethodsWe collected accuracy and production latencies in a picture naming task and in a naming from definition task from 130 participants ranging from 10 to 80 years old. Measures of vocabulary size, digit span memory, semantic and phonemic fluencies and processing speed were also collected. We used multivariate adaptative regression splines and regression models to characterize lifespan patterns of the two tasks.
ResultsPatterns of increase in performance were similar for picture naming and naming from definition only from childhood to young adulthood. In the second half of the lifespan, significant decrease of performance was found in older adults for picture naming (from around 60 years-old) but not for naming from definition. Clearly, word production elicited with an inferential task (naming from definition) yields different age-related patterns than usually described in the literature with a referential task (picture naming).
DiscussionWe discuss how cognitive processes such as visual-conceptual processes and lexical prediction may explain the differential pattern of results in aging in referential and inferential production tasks. We argue for more lifespan studies and the need to investigate language production beyond picture naming, in particular with respect to aging.

引言
言语能力依托于一般性记忆与控制加工过程，且很可能在整个生命周期中发生动态变化。然而，目前学界对于词汇产生能力如何从童年自然演进至老年的认知仍十分有限。本研究旨在通过对比两种词汇产生诱发方式——指称性图片命名（referential picture naming）与基于定义的推理式命名（inferential naming from definition），进一步阐明这一问题。

方法
我们招募了130名年龄介于10至80岁的参与者，收集了他们在图片命名任务与基于定义的命名任务中的正确率及反应时数据。同时还收集了词汇量、数字广度记忆（digit span memory）、语义流畅性（semantic fluency）、语音流畅性（phonemic fluency）以及加工速度（processing speed）的相关测评数据。我们采用多变量自适应回归样条（multivariate adaptive regression splines）与回归模型，对两种任务的生命周期特征进行了刻画。

结果
仅在童年至青年成年阶段，图片命名与基于定义的命名的绩效提升模式较为相似。而在生命周期的后半段，老年群体的图片命名绩效（约从60岁起）出现显著下降，但基于定义的命名绩效未出现此类变化。显而易见，推理式任务（即基于定义的命名）诱发的词汇产生过程，其年龄相关变化模式与现有文献中基于指称性任务（图片命名）的研究结论存在显著差异。

讨论
我们探讨了视知觉-概念加工与词汇预测等认知过程，如何解释指称性与推理式语言产生任务中衰老相关的绩效差异模式。我们呼吁开展更多生命周期相关研究，并指出需在图片命名之外探索语言产生机制，尤其是针对衰老领域的相关研究。