A thesis submitted in partial fulfilment of - Queen Margaret University

5.2.2 Procedure
Pre-training screening assessments
Cognitive abilities - Cognitive Linguistic Quick Test (see section 4.2.2.1)
Nonverbal learning ability - Non-linguistic learning task (see section 4.2.2.2)
Speech and language abilities - Repetition of words and non-words, listening and reading lexical decision
confrontation naming, categorisation tasks (shapes, pictures and words),
reading aloud, written spelling of words and non-words (see section 4.2.3)
Emotional well being - Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADs) (see section 4.2.1)
Sample of connected speech - Narration of Cinderella story (spoken and written) (see section 4.4.4.2)
Training session procedure
Baseline measures - Participants identify familiar and non-familiar words when listening and reading
lists of words (see section 4.3.1)
Introduction and familiarisation with stimuli – Pre-exposure judgement task (see section 4.3.2)
Training of stimuli - Phonological information (new word forms) (see section 4.3.2.2)
Semantic information - (new word meanings) (see section 4.3.2.2)
Consolidation of learning - Independent learning time (maximum 30 minutes) with options (i) listen to
audio cassette, (ii) look at stimuli and / or (iii) practise tasks (see section 4.3.2.3)
Assessment of new learning
Immediate recall (testing only those items learned in that particular session)
Delayed recall (testing all 20 creatures 3-5 days following the final training session)
Cold recall –
recall of names (spoken and written), skills, habitat and food of each creature
while looking at Its image (see section 4.3.3.1)
Lexical decision – identifying familiar and non-familiar words when listening and reading lists of
words (see section 4.3.3.2)
Syllable matching – linking written syllables to form the new word forms (see section 4.3.3.3)
Categorisation tasks – linking each creature (picture and reading) to habitat / food (see section 4.3.3.4)
Word-picture matching tasks – listening and reading words and matching them to correct creature image
(see section 4.3.3.5)
Picture-syllable matching – choosing number of syllables in creature’s name from looking at its image
alone (see section 4.7.3)
Read aloud – read aloud new word forms (see section 4.7.3)
Revision of all 20 creatures - After training session four was completed participants looked at all 20
creatures that they had learned that week and listened to the details on an audio pre-recording
Figure 5i
Final methodology for the main investigation
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