Comprehension of foreign-accented speech in older adults: cognitive and linguistic functions
Objectives:
Understanding foreign-accented speech may become more challenging with age, primarily due to cognitive, sensory, and linguistic changes. While sensory changes associated with aging have been consistently observed in older adults, the impact of cognitive decline is less well-explored. This project aims to investigate how the decline in cognitive and linguistic functions in older adults affects their comprehension of foreign-accented speech. At the cognitive level, the study will explore the roles of cognitive control deficits (e.g., working memory and inhibitory control), while at the linguistic level, it will examine lexical representations, speech processing and integration in older adults compared to younger adults using eye-tracking.
Expected Results:
(i) to better understand the impact of age-related decline in linguistic functions on the processing of foreign-accented speech; (ii) to gain a better understanding of how age-associated decline in cognitive control affects the comprehension of foreign-accented speech.
Supervisor:
Marco Calabria
- Host institution: Open University of Catalonia (UOC)
- Location: Barcelona, Spain
Doctoral Candidate:
Marica Belmonte
- Host institution: Open University of Catalonia (UOC)
- Location: Barcelona, Spain
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