Projects
The Language and Cognitive Neuroscience Lab is interested in a wide range of diverse research topics in cognitive development, language, numerical cognition, visual perception and clinical neuropsychology. We use multiple research methods, including EEG, eye tracking, and behavioral research to learn more about the underpinnings of multiple cognitive phenomena. Please click on the project titles on the left to learn more details about them.
*Photo (left): Running an EEG experiment in our lab.
EEG Numbers Project
Research on numerical cognition with infants, children, adults, cross-cultural studies and animal studies converge on the conclusion that there are two distinct systems for the perception of numerical quantity: A small-number system (1~3) invoking parallel individuation, or “subitizing”, and a large-number system (4+) that is based on Weberian magnitude estimation. The present study employed high density EEG to investigate the neural basis of differentiation between small-number (1~3), and large-number (4~6) perception. During EEG data collection, participants were presented with dot pattern stimuli containing 1 to 6 dots of varying size. They were instructed to press a key when they detected a change in the number of dots presented and were rewarded for correctly detecting changes. ERP analyses were conducted over the left and right occipital-temporal-parietal junction. For the early ERP component (N1; 160~180 ms), we observed that there was separation of ERPs within the subitizing range (1~3) but not beyond (4~6). A second later positivity (P3) was found in Cz and neighboring electrodes, that was associated with change detection. Numerical changes were categorized as “within small” (1~2, 2~1, 2~3, 3~2), “within large” (4~5,5~4,5~6,6~5). Changes that crossed the small to large boundary were labeled “small-to-large” and “large-to- small”. The P3 was observed for all change categories except for “within large.” These data, taken together, suggest a neural basis for the differentiation of small vs. large number perception at early stages of processing, and a later stage that involves more semantic numerical processing that is employed in change detection task.
Contact: pgordon@tc.edu
Principal Investigator: Peter Gordon
Research Assistants: Sungbong Kim, Erin (Reddick) Kirby, Jean Tang, Nick Bisbee.
Visual Perceptual Organization in Schizophrenia and Neurotypical Brains
This is a multimodal study (in partnership with Dr. Richard Waxman's Cognitive Neuropsychology Lab) that uses eyetracking and EEG to study how the brain's visual system aids us in organizing perceptual inputs from our environment, in order to perceive reality as it is. In individuals who tend to have impaired vision, such as schizophrenia, autism, or dyslexia, neuroscience research has suggested that their visual impairments could be due to their dorsal stream deficits, which can lead to a less reactive visual system that is not as efficient in organizing visual information being received. Hence, leading to slower reading and inaccurate sight.
Our Perceptual Organization vision study uses a computerized test designed by Dr. Daniel Kurylo (Kurylo et al., 2017) that taps into visual processing of form and texture under varying degrees of noise. We use eye-tracking methods and pupillometry to examine biobehavioral markers associated with perceptual processing in this task. In particular, we study whether pupil diameter --an indicator of processing load--is related to task difficulty levels, and whether this correlates with behavioral performance in terms of reaction time and accuracy. We also examine whether saccades in the horizontal vs. vertical direction are correlated with task difficulty.
To study dorsal stream deficits (specifically, magnocellular activity), we also employ EEG methods to further understand what sort of early processing mechanisms may be at work when individuals are performing an oddball version of the above perceptual organization vision task.
All these research efforts will culminate in a future clinical study in partnership with our collaborators at Mt. Sinai Hospital, where we will employ the above task in patients with schizophrenia and schizotypal personality disorder.
To learn more, please contact Jean Tang at jt2615@tc.columbia.edu.
Principal Investigator: Jean Tang, MS (Neuroscience and Education), Ph.D. Student in Cognitive Science and Education
Research Assistants: Benjamin Bravo, Agrima Dutt, Nick Bisbee.
Development of Numerical Cognition in Young Children
As children acquire meanings of number words, do they display a pattern of numerical cognition abilities and limitations that is comparable to the Pirahã, as found in Gordon (2004) and Frank et al. (2008)?
Contact: pgordon@tc.edu
Principal Investigator: Peter Gordon
Research Assistants: Jean Tang, Erin (Reddick) Kirby, Nancy Freedman, Mary Llenell Paz, Dalynah Maldonado, Sylvie Truong
Autism Spectrum Disorders: An EEG study comparing visual and linguistic stimuli
Neuroscience research has uncovered multiple unique ways in which individuals with Autism use their brain. Here at the Language and Cognition Lab, we are interested in uncovering the diverse ways in which the brain works for individuals on (and off) the spectrum. An upcoming EEG study being run by doctoral student Erin Kirby seeks to further understand what sort of early processing mechanisms may be at work when individuals with high functioning spectrum disorders see words.
To learn more, please contact Erin (Reddick) Kirby at emr2187@tc.columbia.edu.
Principal Investigator: Erin (Reddick) Kirby, MS (Neuroscience and Education), Ph.D. Student in Cognitive Studies and Education
Research Assistants: Dalynah Maldonaldo; Sylvie Truong; Zhamilya Gazman-Yerimbetova, Jean Tang.
Representation of Dual Number systems in Korean Speakers
The current study examines how Korean adults with two number systems within one language process arithmetic problems compared to bilinguals processing arithmetic problems in two distinct languages. Although researchers have agreed that there are often processing costs for bilinguals, the mechanisms are not well understood. Therefore, in our Language and Cognition Lab, we are pursuing insights into the mechanisms that interlink linguistic code-switching and numerical cognition in the context of arithmetic tasks (involving addition, subtraction, and multiplication) and odd-ball paradigm tasks. We are deploying an innovative methodology to assess brain activity, focusing specifically on the application of event-related potential (ERP) technology, led by doctoral student Elizabeth Oh.
Principal Investigator: Elizabeth Oh, M.Ed (Human Development in Psychology), Ph.D. Student in Cognitive Studies and Education
Research Assistants: Erxiao Wang, Minkyung Cha, Xinming Zhou
Mental State Verb Learning and Theory of Mind in Mandarin-Speaking Children
How do children learn words like think and want, when they can rarely observe these inner activities in action? This study explores one possibility: Children may learn mental state verbs by tracking regularities in their grammatical structure – a process called syntactic bootstrapping. Mandarin puts the syntactic bootstrapping hypothesis to a particular stringent test, as the language features few morphological changes and flexible syntactic rules. Moreover, research has shown that mastering the vocabulary and the grammatical structure of mental state verbs may scaffold children in developing theory of mind – the awareness that others have beliefs and desires that may or may not reflect the reality. This study thus employs a novel procedure to experimentally test 3-5 years old Mandarin-speaking children’s syntactic bootstrapping and examines whether their syntactic understanding is associated with theory of mind.
To learn more, please contact Victoria Chang at yc3441@tc.columbia.edu
Principal Investigator: Victoria Chang (M.A. student in Developmental Psychology)
Research Assistants: Yuexin Li, Sining Gao, Haiwei Liu, Tianyi Liu, Chenzi An, Shan An, Estrella Liu, Tracy Zheng.
Numerical Cognition in Mandarin-speaking Children
How may language and culture influence children’s development of numerical cognitive skills? Previous research suggest that since Mandarin Chinese does not mark plural objects with morphological changes, Mandarin-speaking children may have delayed numerical cognition, especially with regard to learning the concept of 1. This study therefore investigated numerical cognition in 2- to 4-year-old Mandarin-speaking children using a battery of verbal and non-verbal tasks adopted from previous research with English-speaking children and Pirahã adults.
Contact: pgordon@tc.edu
Principal Investigator: Peter Gordon, Ph.D.
Research Assistants: Zhiyu Cao, Xinming Zhou, Tongyu Li, Victoria Chang, Erxiao Wang, Tianyi Liu, Shengyue Xiong, Wanjun Xiong, Jean Tang