A thesis submitted in partial fulfilment of - Queen Margaret University

Chapter 4
Pilot studies: finalisation of methodology
for the main investigation
4.1 INTRODUCTION
The preliminary studies (Chapter 3) shaped the design of the stimuli and the
methodology for the training and assessment of new vocabulary learning for the
main investigation. Normative data for the learning of the new stimuli was
acquired from 75 adults with no history of brain damage, cognitive or language
difficulties. As it was established that the 20 novel words were original by all
participants there was no requirement for untrained stimuli for control purposes
in the main investigation. The preliminary studies also indicated that there was
no requirement for a control group due to the wide range of learning abilities by
the normal population. Additionally, the main investigation addresses the
question of whether adults with aphasia are able to demonstrate the learning of
new vocabulary, which is unknown to date, rather than comparing their capacity
to learn with the normal population. Optimal learning strategies used by
preliminary study participants were investigated in preliminary studies one and
two. As no one strategy was found to be effective for all participants it was
decided that a number of learning strategies would be shown to the participants
with aphasia in the main investigation, who would then choose their own
preferred learning strategy.
This chapter describes the final development of the methodology for the main
investigation. The completed methodology aimed firstly to facilitate the learning
of the novel word forms and their meanings during the training period and
secondly, to structure the assessment of this new learning to enable participants
with aphasia to demonstrate any information that they may learn. The procedure
(see section 4.2 and 4.3) was therefore compiled incorporating theories of
learning, the cognitive neuropsychological approach and the findings of the
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