M Gareth Gaskell
Biographic Data
| ID | 1692200 |
|---|---|
| NAME | M Gareth Gaskell |
| GIVEN NAMES | M Gareth |
| FAMILY NAME | Gaskell |
| SIGNATURE | GASKELL M G |
| AFFILIATIONS | University of York |
| ORCID | 0000-0001-8325-1427 |
| VERIFIED | Yes |
| TOTAL WORKS | 24 |
| TOTAL CITATIONS | 25 |
| AUTHOR COUNT | 23 |
| EDITOR COUNT | 1 |
| FIRST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2002 |
| LATEST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2025 |
| H-INDEX | 3 |
The Effects of Sleep on Learning and Consolidation in Second Language Acquisition
Sleep has been shown to play an important role in the acquisition of novel vocabulary in an individual's first language. In this entry, we review evidence suggesting that sleep also supports the learning and consolidation of novel second language words, enabling their integration into existing lexical networks. However, there are several differences between the consolidation processes of first and second language material. While prior studies hav…
Involvement of episodic memory in language comprehension: Naturalistic comprehension pushes unrelated words closer in semantic space for at least 12 h
Recent experience with a word significantly influences its subsequent interpretation. For instance, encountering bank in a river-related context biases future interpretations toward 'side of a river' (vs. 'financial bank'). To explain this effect, the episodic context account posits that episodic memory helps bind word meanings in the language input, creating a temporary, context-specific representation that can bias subsequent lexical interpreta…
Does overnight memory consolidation support next-day learning
Sleep supports memory consolidation and next-day learning. The Active Systems model of consolidation proposes that sleep facilitates a shift in the memory retrieval network from hippocampus to neocortex in service of long-term storage. Accordingly, overnight consolidation may support efficient next-day learning. We tested this hypothesis across two preregistered behavioural experiments. In both experiments, participants learned a set of word pair…
The contribution of learning and memory processes to verb-specific syntactic processing
We exposed specific verbs towards their dispreferred syntactic interpretations. • Primed interpretations were more preferable ∼ 20 min after encountering them. • There is some evidence that this enhanced preferability was present 12 h later. • Verb-bias priming is underpinned by memory systems. • Results are consistent with an episodic context account of language processing. Certain aspects of lexical knowledge can be primed by recent usage, with…
Recall and recognition of discourse memory across sleep and wake
The episodic context account (Gaskell et al., 2019) proposes that the act of language comprehension gives rise to an episodic discourse representation, and that this representation is prone to sleep-related memory effects. In three experiments, we tested this prediction by asking participants to read/listen to naturalistic stories before their memory was tested after a 12-hr interval, which included either daytime wakefulness or overnight sleep. …
Influences of learned verbal labels and sleep on temporal event memory
Conceptual knowledge is known to modulate episodic memory, but it remains unclear whether and how verbal labels shape event learning and recollection over time. To investigate this issue, we asked participants to study and memorise unfamiliar animations and their titles. The titles conveyed fast or slow motion speed (e.g., a bus vs ambulance travelling). Event memory was assessed at different time points—soon after learning and after 12 h of slee…
Schematic information influences memory and generalisation behaviour for schema-relevant and -irrelevant information
Schemas modulate memory performance for schema-congruent and -incongruent information. However, it is assumed they do not influence behaviour for information irrelevant to themselves. We assessed memory and generalisation behaviour for information related to an underlying pattern, where a schema could be extracted (schema-relevant), and information that was unrelated and therefore irrelevant to the extracted schema (schema-irrelevant). Using prec…
Word-meaning priming extends beyond homonyms
When a homonym (e.g., bark) is encountered in a sentential context that biases its interpretation towards a less frequent meaning, subsequent interpretations of the word are more likely to favour that subordinate meaning. Such word-meaning priming effects have been shown to be maintained via sleep-related consolidation, leading some to suggest that declarative memory systems play a crucial role in language comprehension, providing a relatively en…
Nap effects on preschool children’s learning of letter-sound mappings
This study explored whether a daytime nap aids children's acquisition of letter-sound knowledge, which is a fundamental component for learning to read. Thirty-two preschool children in Sydney, Australia (Mage = 4 years;3 months) were taught letter-sound mappings in two sessions: one followed by a nap and the other by a wakeful period. Learning was assessed by explicit letter-sound mappings (“Which sound does this letter make?”) and knowledge gene…
Does the maturation of early sleep patterns predict language ability at school entry? A Born in Bradford study
Children's vocabulary ability at school entry is highly variable and predictive of later language and literacy outcomes. Sleep is potentially useful in understanding and explaining that variability, with sleep patterns being predictive of global trajectories of language acquisition. Here, we looked to replicate and extend these findings. Data from 354 children (without English as an additional language) in the Born in Bradford study were analysed…
UK children’s sleep and anxiety during the Covid-19 pandemic
These findings further support calls for sleep quality (in particular, time taken to fall asleep) to be taken as a key indicator of mental health in children, particularly under usual circumstances when schools are open and sleep duration may be less resilient
The relationship between sentence comprehension and lexical-semantic retuning
A single encounter with an ambiguous word (e.g. bark, ball) in the context of a less-frequent meaning (e.g. “Sally worried about how crowded the ball would be.”) can shift the later interpretation of the word toward the same subordinate meaning. This lexical-semantic retuning functions to improve future comprehension of ambiguous words. The present paper investigates the relationship between this form of learning and the specific processes that o…
Phonetic detail is used to predict a word's morphological composition
Sleep‐dependent consolidation in children with comprehension and vocabulary weaknesses: It’ll be alright on the night
BACKGROUND: Vocabulary is crucial for an array of life outcomes and is frequently impaired in developmental disorders. Notably, 'poor comprehenders' (children with reading comprehension deficits but intact word reading) often have vocabulary deficits, but underlying mechanisms remain unclear. Prior research suggests intact encoding but difficulties consolidating new word knowledge. We test the hypothesis that poor comprehenders' sleep-associated …
A consensus-based transparency checklist
We present a consensus-based checklist to improve and document the transparency of research reports in social and behavioural research. An accompanying online application allows users to complete the form and generate a report that they can submit with their manuscript or post to a public repository
Author Correction: A consensus-based transparency checklist
An amendment to this paper has been published and can be accessed via a link at the top of the paper
When the daffodat flew to the intergalactic zoo: Off-line consolidation is critical for word learning from stories
Previous studies using direct forms of vocabulary instruction have shown that newly learned words are integrated with existing lexical knowledge only after off-line consolidation (as measured by competition between new and existing words during spoken word recognition). However, the bulk of vocabulary acquisition during childhood occurs through incidental exposure to verbal material; hence, the role of consolidation may be different or limited wh…
A Complementary Systems Account of Word Learning in L1 and L2
We review a body of behavioral and neuroimaging research relating to the acquisition and integration of novel words. An important outcome from this research is that different aspects of knowledge associated with learning a new word become established over different time scales. We suggest that the temporal dissociations found in word learning are due to the application of and interaction between complementary learning systems in the brain, with r…
A complementary systems account of word learning: Neural and behavioural evidence
In this paper we present a novel theory of the cognitive and neural processes by which adults learn new spoken words. This proposal builds on neurocomputational accounts of lexical processing and spoken word recognition and complementary learning systems (CLS) models of memory. We review evidence from behavioural studies of word learning that, consistent with the CLS account, show two stages of lexical acquisition: rapid initial familiarization f…
Sleep-Associated Changes in the Mental Representation of Spoken Words
The integration of a newly learned spoken word form with existing knowledge in the mental lexicon is characterized by the word form's ability to compete with similar-sounding entries during auditory word recognition. Here we show that although the mere acquisition of a spoken form is swift, its engagement in lexical competition requires an incubation-like period that is crucially associated with sleep. Words learned at 8 p.m. do not induce (inhib…
The Oxford Handbook of Psycholinguistics
This book examines the young science of psycholinguistics, which attempts to uncover the mechanisms and representations underlying human language. This interdisciplinary field has seen massive developments over the past decade, with a broad expansion of the research base, and the incorporation of new experimental techniques such as brain imaging and computational modelling. The result is that real progress is being made in the understanding of th…
Lexical competition and the acquisition of novel words
Modelling regressive and progressive effects of assimilation in speech perception
Making Sense of Semantic Ambiguity: Semantic Competition in Lexical Access
Modelling regressive and progressive effects of assimilation in speech perception
A Complementary Systems Account of Word Learning in L1 and L2
We review a body of behavioral and neuroimaging research relating to the acquisition and integration of novel words. An important outcome from this research is that different aspects of knowledge associated with learning a new word become established over different time scales. We suggest that the temporal dissociations found in word learning are due to the application of and interaction between complementary learning systems in the brain, with r…
A consensus-based transparency checklist
We present a consensus-based checklist to improve and document the transparency of research reports in social and behavioural research. An accompanying online application allows users to complete the form and generate a report that they can submit with their manuscript or post to a public repository
When the daffodat flew to the intergalactic zoo: Off-line consolidation is critical for word learning from stories
Previous studies using direct forms of vocabulary instruction have shown that newly learned words are integrated with existing lexical knowledge only after off-line consolidation (as measured by competition between new and existing words during spoken word recognition). However, the bulk of vocabulary acquisition during childhood occurs through incidental exposure to verbal material; hence, the role of consolidation may be different or limited wh…
Phonetic detail is used to predict a word's morphological composition
Making Sense of Semantic Ambiguity: Semantic Competition in Lexical Access
Lexical competition and the acquisition of novel words
Modelling regressive and progressive effects of assimilation in speech perception
Sleep-Associated Changes in the Mental Representation of Spoken Words
The integration of a newly learned spoken word form with existing knowledge in the mental lexicon is characterized by the word form's ability to compete with similar-sounding entries during auditory word recognition. Here we show that although the mere acquisition of a spoken form is swift, its engagement in lexical competition requires an incubation-like period that is crucially associated with sleep. Words learned at 8 p.m. do not induce (inhib…
The Oxford Handbook of Psycholinguistics
This book examines the young science of psycholinguistics, which attempts to uncover the mechanisms and representations underlying human language. This interdisciplinary field has seen massive developments over the past decade, with a broad expansion of the research base, and the incorporation of new experimental techniques such as brain imaging and computational modelling. The result is that real progress is being made in the understanding of th…
A complementary systems account of word learning: Neural and behavioural evidence
In this paper we present a novel theory of the cognitive and neural processes by which adults learn new spoken words. This proposal builds on neurocomputational accounts of lexical processing and spoken word recognition and complementary learning systems (CLS) models of memory. We review evidence from behavioural studies of word learning that, consistent with the CLS account, show two stages of lexical acquisition: rapid initial familiarization f…
A Complementary Systems Account of Word Learning in L1 and L2
We review a body of behavioral and neuroimaging research relating to the acquisition and integration of novel words. An important outcome from this research is that different aspects of knowledge associated with learning a new word become established over different time scales. We suggest that the temporal dissociations found in word learning are due to the application of and interaction between complementary learning systems in the brain, with r…
When the daffodat flew to the intergalactic zoo: Off-line consolidation is critical for word learning from stories
Previous studies using direct forms of vocabulary instruction have shown that newly learned words are integrated with existing lexical knowledge only after off-line consolidation (as measured by competition between new and existing words during spoken word recognition). However, the bulk of vocabulary acquisition during childhood occurs through incidental exposure to verbal material; hence, the role of consolidation may be different or limited wh…
A consensus-based transparency checklist
We present a consensus-based checklist to improve and document the transparency of research reports in social and behavioural research. An accompanying online application allows users to complete the form and generate a report that they can submit with their manuscript or post to a public repository
Author Correction: A consensus-based transparency checklist
An amendment to this paper has been published and can be accessed via a link at the top of the paper
Sleep‐dependent consolidation in children with comprehension and vocabulary weaknesses: It’ll be alright on the night
BACKGROUND: Vocabulary is crucial for an array of life outcomes and is frequently impaired in developmental disorders. Notably, 'poor comprehenders' (children with reading comprehension deficits but intact word reading) often have vocabulary deficits, but underlying mechanisms remain unclear. Prior research suggests intact encoding but difficulties consolidating new word knowledge. We test the hypothesis that poor comprehenders' sleep-associated …
The relationship between sentence comprehension and lexical-semantic retuning
A single encounter with an ambiguous word (e.g. bark, ball) in the context of a less-frequent meaning (e.g. “Sally worried about how crowded the ball would be.”) can shift the later interpretation of the word toward the same subordinate meaning. This lexical-semantic retuning functions to improve future comprehension of ambiguous words. The present paper investigates the relationship between this form of learning and the specific processes that o…
Phonetic detail is used to predict a word's morphological composition
Schematic information influences memory and generalisation behaviour for schema-relevant and -irrelevant information
Schemas modulate memory performance for schema-congruent and -incongruent information. However, it is assumed they do not influence behaviour for information irrelevant to themselves. We assessed memory and generalisation behaviour for information related to an underlying pattern, where a schema could be extracted (schema-relevant), and information that was unrelated and therefore irrelevant to the extracted schema (schema-irrelevant). Using prec…
Word-meaning priming extends beyond homonyms
When a homonym (e.g., bark) is encountered in a sentential context that biases its interpretation towards a less frequent meaning, subsequent interpretations of the word are more likely to favour that subordinate meaning. Such word-meaning priming effects have been shown to be maintained via sleep-related consolidation, leading some to suggest that declarative memory systems play a crucial role in language comprehension, providing a relatively en…
Nap effects on preschool children’s learning of letter-sound mappings
This study explored whether a daytime nap aids children's acquisition of letter-sound knowledge, which is a fundamental component for learning to read. Thirty-two preschool children in Sydney, Australia (Mage = 4 years;3 months) were taught letter-sound mappings in two sessions: one followed by a nap and the other by a wakeful period. Learning was assessed by explicit letter-sound mappings (“Which sound does this letter make?”) and knowledge gene…
Does the maturation of early sleep patterns predict language ability at school entry? A Born in Bradford study
Children's vocabulary ability at school entry is highly variable and predictive of later language and literacy outcomes. Sleep is potentially useful in understanding and explaining that variability, with sleep patterns being predictive of global trajectories of language acquisition. Here, we looked to replicate and extend these findings. Data from 354 children (without English as an additional language) in the Born in Bradford study were analysed…
UK children’s sleep and anxiety during the Covid-19 pandemic
These findings further support calls for sleep quality (in particular, time taken to fall asleep) to be taken as a key indicator of mental health in children, particularly under usual circumstances when schools are open and sleep duration may be less resilient
Recall and recognition of discourse memory across sleep and wake
The episodic context account (Gaskell et al., 2019) proposes that the act of language comprehension gives rise to an episodic discourse representation, and that this representation is prone to sleep-related memory effects. In three experiments, we tested this prediction by asking participants to read/listen to naturalistic stories before their memory was tested after a 12-hr interval, which included either daytime wakefulness or overnight sleep. …
Influences of learned verbal labels and sleep on temporal event memory
Conceptual knowledge is known to modulate episodic memory, but it remains unclear whether and how verbal labels shape event learning and recollection over time. To investigate this issue, we asked participants to study and memorise unfamiliar animations and their titles. The titles conveyed fast or slow motion speed (e.g., a bus vs ambulance travelling). Event memory was assessed at different time points—soon after learning and after 12 h of slee…
The Effects of Sleep on Learning and Consolidation in Second Language Acquisition
Sleep has been shown to play an important role in the acquisition of novel vocabulary in an individual's first language. In this entry, we review evidence suggesting that sleep also supports the learning and consolidation of novel second language words, enabling their integration into existing lexical networks. However, there are several differences between the consolidation processes of first and second language material. While prior studies hav…
Involvement of episodic memory in language comprehension: Naturalistic comprehension pushes unrelated words closer in semantic space for at least 12 h
Recent experience with a word significantly influences its subsequent interpretation. For instance, encountering bank in a river-related context biases future interpretations toward 'side of a river' (vs. 'financial bank'). To explain this effect, the episodic context account posits that episodic memory helps bind word meanings in the language input, creating a temporary, context-specific representation that can bias subsequent lexical interpreta…
Does overnight memory consolidation support next-day learning
Sleep supports memory consolidation and next-day learning. The Active Systems model of consolidation proposes that sleep facilitates a shift in the memory retrieval network from hippocampus to neocortex in service of long-term storage. Accordingly, overnight consolidation may support efficient next-day learning. We tested this hypothesis across two preregistered behavioural experiments. In both experiments, participants learned a set of word pair…
The contribution of learning and memory processes to verb-specific syntactic processing
We exposed specific verbs towards their dispreferred syntactic interpretations. • Primed interpretations were more preferable ∼ 20 min after encountering them. • There is some evidence that this enhanced preferability was present 12 h later. • Verb-bias priming is underpinned by memory systems. • Results are consistent with an episodic context account of language processing. Certain aspects of lexical knowledge can be primed by recent usage, with…
Psychology (21 works) · Cognitive psychology (18 works) · Linguistics (14 works) · Cognition (11 works) · Neurobiology of Language and Bilingualism (11 works) · Reading and Literacy Development (9 works) · Computer Science (8 works) · Neuroscience (8 works) · Child and Animal Learning Development (7 works) · Developmental psychology (7 works)