A thesis submitted in partial fulfilment of - Queen Margaret University

semantic characteristics of the new words, the creatures were given unusual
skills which incorporated already familiar words, and by placing the new words
into semantic categories (i.e. habitat and food) participants were enabled to form
links with already held semantic knowledge. The preliminary and pilot studies
evaluated the novel stimuli and confirmed their uniqueness and suitability for
training participants with aphasia in the main investigation. The number of times
each new word was recalled is detailed in Appendix 5.6. Words with three
syllables did not appear to be harder to recall than those with two syllables. The
reliability of performance across the four training sessions was assessed and
found to correlate indicating that the participants found the stimuli in each
training session equally challenging to learn.
The new vocabulary were trained both in single word format and associated with
already known information (i.e. skills, habitat and food). It is acknowledged that
the investigation assessed single word responses rather than incorporating the
social usage of language in sentence / conversational format. However
vocabulary by its very nature is generally learned in single word form and then
the newly learned word is incorporated into a person’s connected speech in
conversation. The aim of the investigation was to assess if people with aphasia
could learn the novel vocabulary and to facilitate this, the cognitive load required
from participants was reduced to single word level.
6.4.2.2 Development of the methodology
The methodology was developed in consideration of current research evidence.
In an effort to facilitate optimum learning by participants with aphasia proven
learning strategies were incorporated into the methodology where possible, for
example pre-exposure techniques, self-judgement tasks and an errorless
learning approach was followed (see section 2.9.2). The evolution of the training
process is presented in the preliminary (see Chapter 3) and pilot studies (see
Chapter 4), which confirmed that the methodology was suitable for training and
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