We present a critical examination of phonological effects in a picture–word interference task. Using a methodology minimizing stimulus repetition, English/Spanish and Spanish/English bilinguals named pictures in either L1 or L2 (blocked contexts) or in both (mixed contexts) while ignoring word distractors in L1 or L2. Distractors were either phonologically related to the picture name (direct; FISH–fist), or related through translation to the picture name (TT; LEG–milk–leche), or they were unrelated (bear–peach). Results demonstrate robust activation of phonological representations by translation equivalents of word distractors. Although both direct and TT distractors facilitated naming, TT facilitation was more consistent in L2 naming and under mixed contexts.
Although previous research has demonstrated a number of factors that affect the linguistic style of e-mails (e.g., sex of the sender and recipient), the present study emphasized the important role of recipient status on the personalization and politeness of educational e-mails. A total of 66 female undergraduates were asked to compose e-mails to a male or female peer or professor requesting study help for an upcoming exam. Results showed that participants wrote significantly more personalized and polite e-mails to peers, although e-mails to professors displayed significantly more written complexity.
Research on Theory of Mind explores how we develop the capacity to understand that others have thoughts and feelings that differ from our own and how we are compelled to “read” them. However, a preponderance of evidence from the cognitive humanities and cognitive neurosciences tells us that our readings are often misguided or just plain wrong. None of this work has considered how teachers and learners might engage in open conversations about theory to mind to identify misperceptions and enhance their understanding of one another’s thoughts and reactions in the classroom. In this essay, we explore how using what we call “Theory of Minding” as a rhetorical device may invite moments of vulnerability and of clarification when we engage in learning with our students, thus enhancing classroom dynamics. We describe how the idea of Theory of Minding developed, present an initial evaluation of it by students, and situate this technique in the rich literature about affect and pedagogy. We propose that using Theory of Minding in the classroom can be used to encourage more authentic and interactive engagement.
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