Neuroplasticity in Visual Word Recognition: An Exploration of Learning-Related Behavioural and Neural Changes

Cnudde, Kelsey Dawn

Neuroplasticity in Visual Word Recognition: An Exploration of Learning-Related Behavioural and Neural Changes

dc.contributor.advisor	Protzner, Andrea
dc.contributor.advisor	Pexman, Penny M.
dc.contributor.author	Cnudde, Kelsey Dawn
dc.contributor.committeemember	Bray, Signe L.
dc.contributor.committeemember	Graham, Susan A.
dc.contributor.committeemember	Wilcox, Gabrielle
dc.date	2020-11
dc.date.accessioned	2020-06-18T17:29:51Z
dc.date.available	2020-06-18T17:29:51Z
dc.date.issued	2020-06-17
dc.description.abstract	Visual word recognition is a cognitive process that remains relatively stable throughout adulthood. Despite this stability, recent research suggests that the system involved is malleable, by showing evidence of behavioural change after lexical decision task (LDT) practice, and of neural differences between-subjects during LDT performance. However, these studies leave the question unanswered as to whether neural change can occur within the visual word recognition system, which would suggest plasticity. We therefore investigated whether neural change accompanies the behavioural change previously found with LDT practice. If found, these neural changes could be due to processes associated with learning, where performance that is initially unskilled and effortful becomes skilled and efficient, and supported by a more specific, honed, and optimized task network. We replicated the British Lexicon Project (BLP), in which participants completed several days of LDT learning. We additionally recorded EEG at three time points to track neural change during LDT learning, and assessed event-related potentials and brain signal complexity. We found response time decreased during LDT learning, replicating the BLP. We also found neural change occurred through N170, P200, N400, and LPC amplitude effects, suggesting alterations to both the general cognitive and specific lexical processes involved in LDT performance. There was also widespread complexity decreases alongside localized increases, suggesting that with learning, LDT processing became more automatic with specific increases in processing flexibility. These findings suggest that the visual word recognition system is dynamic, flexible, and capable of undergoing plastic changes to support more efficient and automatic task performance.	en_US
dc.identifier.citation	Cnudde, K. D. (2020). Neuroplasticity in Visual Word Recognition: An Exploration of Learning-Related Behavioural and Neural Changes (Master's thesis, University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada). Retrieved from https://prism.ucalgary.ca.	en_US
dc.identifier.doi	http://dx.doi.org/10.11575/PRISM/37937
dc.identifier.uri	http://hdl.handle.net/1880/112203
dc.language.iso	eng	en_US
dc.publisher.faculty	Arts	en_US
dc.publisher.institution	University of Calgary	en
dc.rights	University of Calgary graduate students retain copyright ownership and moral rights for their thesis. You may use this material in any way that is permitted by the Copyright Act or through licensing that has been assigned to the document. For uses that are not allowable under copyright legislation or licensing, you are required to seek permission.	en_US
dc.subject	Plasticity	en_US
dc.subject	Learning	en_US
dc.subject	Visual Word Recognition	en_US
dc.subject	Electroencephalography (EEG)	en_US
dc.subject	Event-Related Potentials (ERPs)	en_US
dc.subject	Brain Signal Complexity	en_US
dc.subject.classification	Neuroscience	en_US
dc.subject.classification	Psychology--Cognitive	en_US
dc.subject.classification	Psychology--Experimental	en_US
dc.title	Neuroplasticity in Visual Word Recognition: An Exploration of Learning-Related Behavioural and Neural Changes	en_US
dc.type	master thesis	en_US
thesis.degree.discipline	Psychology	en_US
thesis.degree.grantor	University of Calgary	en_US
thesis.degree.name	Master of Science (MSc)	en_US
ucalgary.item.requestcopy	true	en_US