Linguistically Speaking: Are Your Verbal Skills, These Days, Steadily Waning? What’s to be Done?

[GammaGlobulin]

Here is just one more example, personally noted, of how the gradual age-related loss of Visual Memory impinges upon changes in our linguistic abilities as we go from being young to middle-aged, to being classified by the younger generation as 'ancient': 

 

Let's take the case of Chinese logograms versus computer-screen icons...

 

As I age, I definitely notice a diminished ability to quickly locate icons on my computer screen. Related to this, I also notice that I am much slower at finding a string of characters embedded in the written page. My understanding is that this change might be a direct consequence of deteriorating visual memory.

 

Still, and not surprisingly, my so-called "long-term" memory seems to remain relatively unaffected by changes in available visual memory.

 

To clarify and to elucidate this further:

 

a. If I try to locate a specific Chinese logogram among a sea of printed Chinese text, this requires more time now than it did a decade ago, and two decades before that.

 

b.  However, if you offer up to me a string of Chinese logograms at random, I can recognize and know the meaning of each logogram while reading them one at a time, either from left to right, as is usually the case, these days, or from right to left, and from top to bottom, as was traditionally true of written Chinese text back in the good old days, when WenYanWen ruled the Chinese world.

 

c. Therefore, this seems be a consequence of visual memory loss, which is so crucial for reading comprehension.

 

d.  Similarly, if asked to very quickly locate a specific computer icon on a screen, my search time is definitely increasing compared to what I experienced decades ago.

 

If I must take an timed exam, therefore, it is likely that I will require more time, even though, eventually, I might be able to score nearly as well as I might have 20 years ago.

 

This can be frustrating when working with young hotshot, academically-gifted students.  So far, in my case, so fortunately, the effects that I am able to notice are relatively insignificant for my purposes.

 

I just worry about some hypothetical day in the future when, if I do not die first, I might find the loss of visual memory to be more than a mild inconvenience.

 

I have no doubt that many of you readers can testify to the fact that I am speaking the truth.

 

So, if you want to add your thoughts about this naturally occurring anomaly, from personal experience, I am all ears.  I care much about reading and writing and text-searching, etc., etc., etc.  Therefore, this whole topic (this OP) is most riveting for me.  No doubt, you find it equally relevant if you are both human and if you age.

 

 

[Fat is a type of crazy]

Jesus Long Posts Gamma. Long cut short I like Sporcle.com and have learnt the flags of the world, the periodic table, capital cities and countries of the world and there's lots of fun other quizzes depending on your interest. Lots of quizzes to test you word knowledge and similar. Also love the English The Chase show which tests your ability to recall answers fast and under pressure. A further show Letters and Numbers, the Australian copy of a french show, tests your ability to combine letters ... and numbers. Fun. 

Edited June 30, 2023 by Fat is a type of crazy

[GammaGlobulin]

Several commenters here have mentioned experiencing increased age-related difficulty in switching between two or more spoken languages. And I had also suggested the same thing at the beginning of this post when I used the term Linguistic Interference.

 

There are many studies which explore the phenomenon of Linguistic Interference, and here is just one of the many, and probably not the best:  https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ1068706.pdf

 

This study explores the affects of learning two foreign languages simultaneously, L2 and L3.

 

I have ten years experience in this linguistic delight, but I have never before recorded my thoughts.

 

And, just from my personal experience, here are my important findings:

 

a.  Surprisingly, I have found that learning two foreign languages simultaneously significantly enhances the learning of learning both languages. I.e, I first began learning Chinese, and then I began learning Thai. And, while I was learning only Chinese, I was able to judge the speed at which I was able to learn and use Chinese.

 

After I began learning Thai, and while still continuing to learn Chinese, I found that my ability to learn Chinese, including vocabulary memorization ability, was appreciably enhanced.

 

So, judging from my experience, I would say that learning two foreign languages simultaneously can have significant advantages for the language learner.

 

b.  In addition, unsurprisingly, I found that the ability to easily speak a foreign language was heavily influenced by environment.  In my case, while in China, my ability to more fluidly and fluently speak Chinese improved markedly.  And when I returned to Thailand, this feeling of fluency quickly bit the dust. Being immersed in a Chinese speaking environment seems to cause an immediate shift which I felt the moment I exited the Chinese airport and boarded my first Chinese taxi.

 

c. There is always some linguistic interference while one is learning/speaking one foreign language, when one has already learned a second foreign language. When I am speaking L2, it sometimes becomes difficult to avoid having L3 intrude into my L2 utterances.

 

However, I have never experienced difficulty in keeping my L1 language, English, at bay.

 

d. This situation becomes troublesome when speaking to native-Chinese language speakers. I often find that my Thai vocabulary encroaches upon the discussion, and then, I get funny looks.

 

e.  Age, from my experience, is definitely a factor.  I believe that when I was younger, Linguistic Interference was much less of an issue.

 

I hope that this comment will be helpful as my reply to the two or three commenters that offered up their thoughts earlier in this thread.

 

NOTE: If anyone wishes to comment further on this concept of Linguistic Interference, especially whether or not this might be influenced by the aging process, again, I am all ears.

 

 

 

 

[RanongCat]

21 hours ago, GammaGlobulin said:

How many of us would wish to establish the rate of decline of our verbal memory?

 

Of course, most of us would rather know than not know, maybe hoping that we might modify our behavior in order to slow the decline.

 

But then, should we not first take some test, now, in order to establish a baseline? And then, periodically, we could re-test, and just see if we are declining as fast as we might fear?

 

What test might be useful?

 

I am toying with the idea of taking The Logical Memory (LM) subtest. This is the most frequently administered subtest in the Wechsler Memory Scale, the 4th edition (WMS-IV).

 

I, like you, have taken the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale (WAIS) several times after reaching puberty, or almost puberty, as I first took this test when I was eleven, and I was sort of in the middle of becoming fully pubescent.

 

But, as far as I know, this Logical Memory (LM) subtest might just be the ticket, for me.

 

If you want a short blurb about this Memory Scale, then here is a link at ScienceDirect: https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/nursing-and-health-professions/wechsler-memory-scale   (This article is from 2010, but I guess it's still fairly valid, today.)

 

My only question, now that I have decided to establish my baseline, is....WHERE can I have this test administered reliably in my city, in Thailand?  I am now in the city overlooked by Doi Suthep.

 

It's good, too, 'cause....tests like this are far cheaper to pay for here in Thailand, than if I were getting the same test in Manhattan, I would imagine. 

 

My unbiased belief is that I am declining far more slowly than I would have expected.

 

Definitely, it would be a plus to take this test now, for baseline purposes, because...I really doubt that I will be able to score higher in coming years.

 

So...yes...I will take this Wechsler Memory Scale, 4th edition, first chance I have.

 

I have nothing to lose, and much to gain, through further insight into my aging process.

 

Aging is normal, but it sometimes feels to me...abnormal.

 

Not sure if you feel as I.

 

 

 

 

 

I am a student of English. Could not understand your writings. Asked English coach his translation.

Is like this: The  following is only my opinion as requested in translation of text and possible meaning. Furtherto I will provide personal interpretation.  Reading through the commentary in this topic and referring to several others by same author it would appear to me that the writer is an aging individual who is quite possibly descending into the sad realms of dementia and simultaneously referring to an obsolete era of language usage in an attempt to establish linguistic credibility and superiority. Unknown of  course is if this is in retrospective status or delusional.  A dangerous marker of such delusional superiority is evident in the consistent reference to an opinion target student as a female . A similar gender reference in several other topics  presented on this forum that I have perused is consistent in generalized denigration or dismissive tones. In my opinion that raises a question of a questionable social profile.

While the language utilized attempts  to convey higher intellectual status it is as out of touch  with general comprehension as foreign as would be Shakespearean text to the majority of any reader in the current average public domain media.

I hope that if nothing less my opinion is of value at least to the person who refers to me as English Coach.

 

 

 

[GammaGlobulin]

38 minutes ago, RanongCat said:

delusional superiority

May I make an edit to your comment, one of many I can think of:

 

Try: grandiosity

 

I think this word better reflects your intended meaning.

 

[kennw]

On 6/29/2023 at 3:30 PM, Etaoin Shrdlu said:

Is it age alone that causes this, or is it also aggravated by living for decades in countries where English isn't the main language and often dumbing down our speech to ensure that we are understood?

An old golfing friend once said to me "dont get old it's terrible" should have listened to him.

[klauskunkel]

As I age, I too experience the gradual loss of vocabulary. My solution is fairly simple: I make up new words to replace the lost ones... It's not a problem since I am mostly talking to myself. Also it is exciting to witness first hand the creation of a whole new language. Quite tolkienesque.

[blazes]

On 6/29/2023 at 2:29 PM, GammaGlobulin said:

Is it possible that regular administration of vitamin D3 might be beneficial in slowing the advance of cognitive decline, as well as memory-loss related diminished linguistic abilities?

 

One of the most recently-famous UTUBE personalities, a proponent of the benefits of D3, speaks to us again.

 

 

So far, my memory has only deteriorated slightly during the past three years of lockdowns and self-imposed isolation.

 

I will continue to read more about the affects of D3 in future published research.

I find this research interesting.

 

 

You mean "effects" ...but I'm glad to see you have an affection for Vitamin D.

[blazes]

I love the Thai word "poompui" (pwm-poo-ee).  It so perfectly imitates (almost like onomatopoeia) what we call "fat" in English.

 

Too bad the word has been forbidden by the Woke, since we are no longer supposed to remark upon people's obesity (or fat-shaming, as it is now called).

 

Strange that the word "fat" does not, in its brevity, in any way imply the excess weight borne by the word.

[RocketDog]

On 6/29/2023 at 3:30 PM, Etaoin Shrdlu said:

often dumbing down our speech to ensure that we are understood?

I've had to do this most of my life in America. Any words of more than two syllables are derided as,  '$20 words'.

It is a fact that vocabulary not used, especially verbally, is finally lost altogether.  

Americans speak in strings of cliches, colloquialisms, and idioms so only vague and fuzzy concepts are easily conveyed. Sad actually.

[GammaGlobulin]

1 hour ago, blazes said:

You mean "effects" ...but I'm glad to see you have an affection for Vitamin D.

You see?!!! 

 

This is another perfect example of what I'm posting about, here! 

 

Quickly scanning a dense page of text requires adequate Visual Memory. 

 

And my next question? 

 

What's the difference in meaning if I say 'a dense page of text' and then say 'a page of dense text'? 

 

As I recall, Chomsky wrote his first important paper titled...SYNTACTIC STRUCTURES in 1957. 

 

Are we smart enough, these days, to read this paper, and understand it? 

 

Also, today at age 94, Chomsky's memory is still better than that of ANYBODY on this entire forum, if I would hazzard a guess. 

 

Why, at 94, does Chomsky continue to enjoy such good luck? 

 

 

 

[GammaGlobulin]

8 minutes ago, RocketDog said:

I've had to do this most of my life in America. Any words of more than two syllables are derided as,  '$20 words'.

It is a fact that vocabulary not used, especially verbally, is finally lost altogether.  

Americans speak in strings of cliches, colloquialisms, and idioms so only vague and fuzzy concepts are easily conveyed. Sad actually.

As an American, born in America, in Massachusetts, I endorse your statement. 

[GammaGlobulin]

8 minutes ago, GammaGlobulin said:

You see?!!! 

 

This is another perfect example of what I'm posting about, here! 

 

Quickly scanning a dense page of text requires adequate Visual Memory. 

 

And my next question? 

 

What's the difference in meaning if I say 'a dense page of text' and then say 'a page of dense text'? 

 

As I recall, Chomsky wrote his first important paper titled...SYNTACTIC STRUCTURES in 1957. 

 

Are we smart enough, these days, to read this paper, and understand it? 

 

Also, today at age 94, Chomsky's memory is still better than that of ANYBODY on this entire forum, if I would hazzard a guess. 

 

Why, at 94, does Chomsky continue to enjoy such good luck? 

 

 

 

Since I mentioned SYNTACTIC STRUCTURES while replying to a comment here.

 

Allow me to provide a Wikipedia link to.... SYNTACTIC STRUCTURES, written by Chomsky.

 

ALSO:  I am very curious to know if anybody else, here, or on this forum, has read this entire paper.  And, what are your informed conclusions after reading it?

 

This was important work.  However, it is said that Chomsky no longer agrees with some of his arguments.

 

What say you guys?

 

SORRY:  I forgot to post the link.  How ironic....   https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Syntactic_Structures

 

 

 

 

Edited July 1, 2023 by GammaGlobulin

[GammaGlobulin]

34 minutes ago, RocketDog said:

I've had to do this most of my life in America. Any words of more than two syllables are derided as,  '$20 words'.

It is a fact that vocabulary not used, especially verbally, is finally lost altogether.  

Americans speak in strings of cliches, colloquialisms, and idioms so only vague and fuzzy concepts are easily conveyed. Sad actually.

I came to Asia, "Long Time", at age 27, my first visit to Thailand at age 19. My ease at generating English vocabulary took a hit. But, I was partially compensated for this loss by many Short Times in places other than Pattaya, yet similar to Pattaya, where I gained a whole new lexicon. 

 

 

[glegolo18]

On 6/29/2023 at 3:30 PM, Etaoin Shrdlu said:

Is it age alone that causes this, or is it also aggravated by living for decades in countries where English isn't the main language and often dumbing down our speech to ensure that we are understood?

I think it is the opposit actually. You native english-spoken people, are up to 99,99% only speaking one language, which is your own, that is english.... It limit your brain activity, and therefore limit your possibilities to express yourself.... Simply said, no brain-exercise at all in any way at all..... Causes a slowdown over the years....

 

[GammaGlobulin]

22 hours ago, Fat is a type of crazy said:

Jesus Long Posts Gamma. Long cut short I like Sporcle.com and have learnt the flags of the world, the periodic table, capital cities and countries of the world and there's lots of fun other quizzes depending on your interest. Lots of quizzes to test you word knowledge and similar. Also love the English The Chase show which tests your ability to recall answers fast and under pressure. A further show Letters and Numbers, the Australian copy of a french show, tests your ability to combine letters ... and numbers. Fun. 

Good!

 

[GammaGlobulin]

29 minutes ago, glegolo18 said:

I think it is the opposit actually. You native english-spoken people, are up to 99,99% only speaking one language, which is your own, that is english.... It limit your brain activity, and therefore limit your possibilities to express yourself.... Simply said, no brain-exercise at all in any way at all..... Causes a slowdown over the years....

 

An interesting point, and I would guess that your guess might hold even more water under certain conditions.

 

Here is one such condition:

 

a. One moves to a foreign land where one is exposed almost exclusively to a foreign language, both spoken and written.

b. One consistently and valiantly attempts to become fluent in one or two foreign languages while immersed in this new foreign language environment.

c. Simultaneously, one continues to use one's First Language (L1) on a daily basis for the purpose of important work requiring use of more-advanced vocabulary and writing skills. 

c1. A valid example of such important work requiring advanced verbal ability might be something such as commenting and posting topics on an English-language forum, like TV, and by contributing about 50 thousand well-written, logical comments during each decade-long period of time one remains in one's foreign land.

d. One opts to religiously use a spaced-repetition-based memorization app, such as ANKI, to continuously review advanced vocabulary that one might otherwise easily "forget", otherwise. And that one follows the practice of uploading new vocabulary to one's ANKI app, such as the vocabulary available from books offering preparation for the Verbal part of the GRE exam.  Memorization of such vocabulary will maintain more hair on one's chest.  (I do not spend time memorizing such GRE-exam related vocabulary only because I am very lazy by nature.  I had thought of engaging in this behavior, but then I realized I lack some necessary motivating factor, such as any ambition to take the GRE exam.)

 

Anyway, I very much like your thinking.  And, as I mentioned above, I have found that learning two foreign languages simultaneously seems to have significantly helped me speed up my learning of both languages, and may have even improved my capacity for more advanced use of my First Language (L1).

 

I know you probably will not believe me when I tell you, but my First Language is English.

 

I realize that many people here, after reading my prose, and with good reason, have asked me what non-English-speaking country I come from.

 

Well, I am from The United States, in fact, though I have not spent most of my life in North America.

 

 

 

[GammaGlobulin]

OK, Guys...

 

I realize that this OP would not be complete without discussing the finding that Sentence Complexity, "SYNTACTIC COMPLEXITY", and maybe also sentence length, might be useful in predicting the age of cognitive decline, verbal skill decline, and maybe even age of onset of various forms of dementia.

 

What are your thought?

 

I know that you guys do not like commenters who post "FACTS" without supporting these facts using links to peer-reviewed science.

 

There are a few good studies to choose from, and I will look for these and add them.

 

However, I am just saying, from what I have read in the recent past, it seems that sentence complexity, or what is I would call syntactic complexity, might be a good indicator or proxy for predicting early or late onset of dementia and cognitive decline, and decline in Linguistic Skills.

 

So then...please stay tuned, because,... I will definitely add these links when I find some of those that I have already recently come across.

 

 

[brianthainess]

I  'as no idea moush wot 'use on aboot, 'cor blimey, I aints really Gov, 'ave an 'art, why don't yers. Now eyes back to watchin 'My Fair Lady'  I is.

[GammaGlobulin]

2 hours ago, GammaGlobulin said:

Since I mentioned SYNTACTIC STRUCTURES while replying to a comment here.

 

Allow me to provide a Wikipedia link to.... SYNTACTIC STRUCTURES, written by Chomsky.

 

ALSO:  I am very curious to know if anybody else, here, or on this forum, has read this entire paper.  And, what are your informed conclusions after reading it?

 

This was important work.  However, it is said that Chomsky no longer agrees with some of his arguments.

 

What say you guys?

 

SORRY:  I forgot to post the link.  How ironic....   https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Syntactic_Structures

 

 

 

 

Many of you, My Dear Readers, become a bit touchy when a commenter mentions a "fact", or alludes to an "article or paper", without the required supportive link or linked reference, and rightfully so.

 

Personally, I do not want to be found guilty or lacking in this department.

 

Therefore, I have found the link to Chomsky's entire 1957 paper:  SYNTACTIC STRUCTURES

 https://tallinzen.net/media/readings/chomsky_syntactic_structures.pdf

 

This article explores Chomsky's thoughts about topics including the Origin of Language from an Evolution-Theory perspective, and also discusses many important syntactic properties of language from Chomsky's point of view.  I suggest you start with the Introduction, which is a very easy read, and then wade into this paper as far as you can.

 

You probably will not agree with the entirety of what Chomsky writes in this piece, but at least it is possible to comprehend and follow Chomsky's arguments.

 

Just about EVERYBODY who is ANYBODY knows and refers to this paper, at one time or another.

 

And so, I think it is both useful and downright Great-FUN to read this article now, almost 70 YEARS after first publication.

 

Finally, during this most recent period of HYPE about AI transformers, I think that Chomsky's first paper is even more of interest.

 

 We do not wish to become bored here in Thailand.

Therefore, we must engage in activities which have meaning.

Reading SYNTACTIC STRUCTURES is just one of many activities that I highly recommend.

 

Enjoy!

 

 

[GammaGlobulin]

26 minutes ago, brianthainess said:

I  'as no idea moush wot 'use on aboot, 'cor blimey, I aints really Gov, 'ave an 'art, why don't yers. Now eyes back to watchin 'My Fair Lady'  I is.

Such a marvelous suggestion:

 

Pygmalion

George Bernard Shaw

 

I love to read almost anything written by Irish authors.

 

I plan to visit Dublin, someday, and that day cannot arrive soon enough for me.

However, I will share my plans to visit Dublin in a future TV Post, one which I hope will follow, shortly.

 

Humor is crucial for maintaining optimum cognitive function, some say.

 

 

[sirineou]

On 6/29/2023 at 3:15 PM, GammaGlobulin said:

Now, in the twilight of my time on this orb, I finally must admit that the very thing that makes me human, my ability to use language, is gradually waning.

As displayed in your threads  

I think it is called dementia 

Sorry I could not resist!!

As I get older I do find my typing being challenged, what  with all these other letters next, under and over the .ones I want to use and all. 

   Sorry I did not read most of your OP but  but my A.D.D (Attention Deficit Disorder ) only allows me to read two paragraphs, after that I usually see something shiny and get distracted. So I might have misses some salient point. 

  Seriously though, I am bilingual,  and as I get older I find myself mixing letters. For instance V in Greek is B  and  the small N in Greek is v, and sometimes as I am typing  subconsciously I find myself transposing the two, Then when I go back to repair my typos, I find myself  thinking "Why did I use this letter" and then realising , oh yea, this letter is  the one I wanted to write but in Greek . 

As I said  the condition is called "dementia". in all fairness also displayed  in most of my posts . The good thing about brain damage though, is that you usually don't know you have it , as exemplified by all the trump supporters.  ????

[GammaGlobulin]

17 minutes ago, sirineou said:

As displayed in your threads  

I think it is called dementia 

Sorry I could not resist!!

As I get older I do find my typing being challenged, what  with all these other letters next, under and over the .ones I want to use and all. 

   Sorry I did not read most of your OP but  but my A.D.D (Attention Deficit Disorder ) only allows me to read two paragraphs, after that I usually see something shiny and get distracted. So I might have misses some salient point. 

  Seriously though, I am bilingual,  and as I get older I find myself mixing letters. For instance V in Greek is B  and  the small N in Greek is v, and sometimes as I am typing  subconsciously I find myself transposing the two, Then when I go back to repair my typos, I find myself  thinking "Why did I use this letter" and then realising , oh yea, this letter is  the one I wanted to write but in Greek . 

As I said  the condition is called "dementia". in all fairness also displayed  in most of my posts . The good thing about brain damage though, is that you usually don't know you have it , as exemplified by all the trump supporters.  ????

The world requires FAR MORE investment in research toward the prevention of dementia.

 

We also can benefit from far-wider early testing for cognitive decline.

 

The global population pyramid, 1950 to 2100, is the obvious justification for this:

 

 

 

[Peabody]

Over the last year, in order to retain linguistic skills, I've started to do various word and number puzzles on a regular basis.

I also make an effort to remember actors, their names IRL, and roles they've played. I'm terrible at this!  ????

[GammaGlobulin]

31 minutes ago, Peabody said:

Over the last year, in order to retain linguistic skills, I've started to do various word and number puzzles on a regular basis.

I also make an effort to remember actors, their names IRL, and roles they've played. I'm terrible at this!  ????

Still, it seems worthwhile to continue this practice.

 

 

[GammaGlobulin]

3 hours ago, GammaGlobulin said:

OK, Guys...

 

I realize that this OP would not be complete without discussing the finding that Sentence Complexity, "SYNTACTIC COMPLEXITY", and maybe also sentence length, might be useful in predicting the age of cognitive decline, verbal skill decline, and maybe even age of onset of various forms of dementia.

 

What are your thought?

 

I know that you guys do not like commenters who post "FACTS" without supporting these facts using links to peer-reviewed science.

 

There are a few good studies to choose from, and I will look for these and add them.

 

However, I am just saying, from what I have read in the recent past, it seems that sentence complexity, or what is I would call syntactic complexity, might be a good indicator or proxy for predicting early or late onset of dementia and cognitive decline, and decline in Linguistic Skills.

 

So then...please stay tuned, because,... I will definitely add these links when I find some of those that I have already recently come across.

 

 

I now post just one pertinent, and highly anticipated, link to a paper which may demonstrate a significant correlation between syntactical sentence complexity and observed early/late onset of cognitive decline and/or various types of dementia.

 

This paper suggests that such a simple tool as measuring written-sentence syntactic complexity might be used as a measure of, or predictor of, ongoing or future cognitive decline.

 

What I find so fascinating about this potentially valid tool for non-invasive testing of cognitive decline is that, if this tool proves valid, then both you and I might be able to use this syntactic complexity metric for gauging the cognitive health of people who run for election, even before we cast our ballots.

 

More importantly, as this paper seems to point out, we might use this tool to test ourselves if we can devise a test which can be validated on a significant and suitable population of test volunteers.

 

https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fdgth.2021.749758/full

 

In addition, here is a link to just one of many papers which seems to imply a significant correlation between cognitive impairment and reduced syntactic complexity in writing.

 

https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/02687038.2020.1742282

 

I have read better articles on this general topic.

Unfortunately, I forget where I bookmarked them, several years ago.

No doubt, if I am patient, it will come to me.

 

The article I have been searching for shares data concerning syntactic complexity of paragraphs written by pre-dementia volunteers and progression of cognitive decline and onset of later stages of dementia.

 

Such a nice paper, too.

I really wonder where I put it.

 

When I find it, eventually, I will post it.

Such a nice paper, too.

 

Sorry, I already said that.

 

So, here is food for thought:

Do you ever wonder about the state of your written paragraphs?

And, have you ever analyzed your written paragraphs to determine levels of SYNTACTIC COMPLEXITY?

 

Philip Roth wrote beautifully crafted paragraphs of high syntactic complexity.  As far as I know, he was lucid until the day he died, age 85.  And, really, what more can you ask out of life?

 

Regards,

And,

Stay lucid.

Gamma

 

 

[GinBoy2]

So what exactly is the point of this thread?

 

I don't think many of us lose our various linguistic abilities, unless there is some underlying medical condition.

 

Another weird Gamma thread I fear

[GammaGlobulin]

21 minutes ago, GinBoy2 said:

So what exactly is the point of this thread?

 

I don't think many of us lose our various linguistic abilities, unless there is some underlying medical condition.

 

Another weird Gamma thread I fear

Fear thee NOT, at least in the case of THIS Original Post.

 

Please refer to the following graphs, and all shall be made crystal clear concerning loss of linguistic ability, as well as other types of cognition, as a result of normal aging in mostly healthy humans.  I have no doubt that you have often seen much of the same data presented from other sources, from time to time.

 

 

 

In color:

 

 

Above Graph Explanation, just because I think it useful to include such:

 

"Three speculative models of cognitive change across the lifespan. (a) A single 'mirror-image' view; performance rises in childhood, is maintained in middle age and declines in late adulthood. (b) The different lifespan trajectories of crystallized intelligence ('cognitive pragmatics') and fluid intelligence ('cognitive mechanics'); the former is well maintained at older ages whereas the latter declines. (c) A more realistic version of (b), in that representations are generally well maintained at older ages, but some knowledge is either lost (especially with lack of practice) or becomes inaccessible. Control processes develop at different ages and also decline differentially, depending in part on the brain areas involved. "

 

Is this information, as well as the research upon which it is based, useful for us?

I believe it is useful.

I also believe it is interesting and valuable information for many of the readers here.

I am not sure what the average age might be on the forum, but even if one is 13, if one is a student of science, then a better understanding of human cognition is both important and interesting.

 

These days, AI is a hot topic.

Therefore, a closer look into how cognitive abilities change over time is both warranted and timely.

 

This is my justification for posting this topic today.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited July 1, 2023 by GammaGlobulin

[GammaGlobulin]

38 minutes ago, GammaGlobulin said:

Fear thee NOT, at least in the case of THIS Original Post.

 

Please refer to the following graphs, and all shall be made crystal clear concerning loss of linguistic ability, as well as other types of cognition, as a result of normal aging in mostly healthy humans.  I have no doubt that you have often seen much of the same data presented from other sources, from time to time.

 

 

 

In color:

 

 

Above Graph Explanation, just because I think it useful to include such:

 

"Three speculative models of cognitive change across the lifespan. (a) A single 'mirror-image' view; performance rises in childhood, is maintained in middle age and declines in late adulthood. (b) The different lifespan trajectories of crystallized intelligence ('cognitive pragmatics') and fluid intelligence ('cognitive mechanics'); the former is well maintained at older ages whereas the latter declines. (c) A more realistic version of (b), in that representations are generally well maintained at older ages, but some knowledge is either lost (especially with lack of practice) or becomes inaccessible. Control processes develop at different ages and also decline differentially, depending in part on the brain areas involved. "

 

Is this information, as well as the research upon which it is based, useful for us?

I believe it is useful.

I also believe it is interesting and valuable information for many of the readers here.

I am not sure what the average age might be on the forum, but even if one is 13, if one is a student of science, then a better understanding of human cognition is both important and interesting.

 

These days, AI is a hot topic.

Therefore, a closer look into how cognitive abilities change over time is both warranted and timely.

 

This is my justification for posting this topic today.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Please note that the graph (top) was taken from the Journal of the International Neurophysiological Society, but it's behind a paywall, and I won't pay, so I cannot cite the exact source.

Anyway, referring to this interesting graph, Speed decreases dramatically from age 20 to age 90, while Vocabulary Knowledge peaks at age 63 before entering a gradual decline. Most of us here have already seen this data, and so we are not surprised. Still, this is just a reminder to us of a sliver of good news.

 

There are more more-detailed graphs we can post here, if we want to post them, showing changes in cognitive function, verbal abilities, visual memory, etc, in a more granular way, throughout the aging of healthy humans. But then, isn't it more interesting to find these graphs through one's preferred search engine, oneself?

 

By the way, I am sure that you, too, know how to easily obtain any research article, for free, utilizing a well-known website.  Maybe I am not allowed to post the link to this service on this forum, IDK, but I will not post it here.  Just google it yourselves.

 

Also, if you still have ties to a dynamite university, as do I, then your university may offer alumni full library services, as well as many other research services, for FREE. And then you can use JSTOR, ResearchGate, etc., to obtain restricted-access articles. Somebody's always gotta pay, of course, but it won't be you. Actually, I would not say for "FREE", because the tuition and fees at my uni amount to:  USD58,620.00 for the year 2023-2024.  Alumni at my school, therefore, should get, at least, a few goodies after graduation, and for life.

 

Of course, I will not be able to post these restricted-access articles here, and this goes without saying.

 

Sorry.

 

 

[RanongCat]

On 6/30/2023 at 8:44 PM, GammaGlobulin said:

May I make an edit to your comment, one of many I can think of:

 

Try: grandiosity

 

I think this word better reflects your intended meaning.

 

I have just now been referred to your unusually brief "edit" as you have termed it. 

That you so willingly self denigrate by offering said word gives me cause to conclude you suffer a significant degree of solipsistic delusion coupled with a trite contrived intellectual persona.

Offerings of many youtube clips in suggestion of some worldly comprehension are devoid of similar era reference to pertinent items from "one  flew over the  cuckoo's nest" as an example.

Too close to home?

Regardless it is boring.