Browsing by study line "ei opintosuuntaa"

Aims of the study. Aphasia can be studied from the aspect of functional communication, in which case the focus is on how a person with aphasia is able to use language in their everyday environment. One way to study the functional communication of people with aphasia is to analyse discourse, as word-finding difficulties, which are common in aphasia, can affect discourse. Discourse can also be studied to determine whether the effects of an intervention are generalized to the level of functional communication. The aim of this thesis is to study the discourse of people with chronic aphasia, elicited using interview questions, in different phases of an intervention consisting of rTMS treatment (repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation) and Intensive Language Action Therapy (ILAT). The discourse features which are analysed include lexical diversity (verbs and nouns) and informativeness (correct information units). The results of the discourse analysis are compared to the results of linguistic tests (Boston Naming Test for nouns and Action Naming Test for verbs). Methods. The data consisted of the discourse of three participants. The discourse was elicited using interview questions. All the participants had chronic fluent aphasia. They participated in the University of Helsinki research project “Treatment-Induced Speech and Language Improvement and Neuroplasticity after Stroke”, during which they received both rTMS treatment and ILAT therapy. They were examined four times during the intervention: at baseline, after rTMS treatment period, after combined rTMS and ILAT period, and at follow-up (3 months after the intervention). The discourse samples were analysed using discourse analysis. The chosen measurements were measures of lexical diversity, i. e. verbs and nouns, and measures of information units. The results were analysed visually. In addition, group effect sizes were calculated. Regression lines were used to compare the results of the discourse analysis to the results of linguistic tests. Results and discussion. No clear changes were detected in lexical diversity and informativeness of the discourse of people with chronic aphasia during rTMS and ILAT. Thus, the intervention did not have effect on functional communication at group level. However, there was much variation between the participants as well as between the results of different measures. The efficiency of informativeness increased for all the participants and it also had the largest group effect size. There was a stronger correlation between the use of nouns in discourse and the results of Boston Naming Test than between the use of verbs in discourse and the results of Action Naming Test

The purpose of this study was to examine how inverting the face upside down impacts the perception of audiovisual speech and especially the integration of sensory information during such speech perception. It is well known that face perception involves specialized mechanisms, and it has been suggested that inverting the face would impair the use of to these mechanisms. On the other hand, speech perception is also known to be a specialized process, categorized by a strong audiovisual summation. The aim of this study was to find out whether the strong integration of sensory information in the perception of audiovisual speech is one such specialized mechanism that impairs when the face is inverted. The potential difference in audiovisual summation between upright and inverted faces was investigated using subthreshold summation paradigm. In this paradigm, single and multisensory discrimination thresholds were measured by presenting subjects video clips of spoken syllables [pa] and [ka] masked with audiovisual noise. The task was to identify which of the syllables were presented. Then, by fitting the Minkowski metric to the separation thresholds it is possible to derive different summation models that describe the strength of summation. The study’s results suggest that visual speech perception was poorer when the faces were perceived upside down. However, the audiovisual summation was equally strong for both upright and inverted faces. These results align with the previous knowledge that visual speech perception is considerably impaired when the face is inverted. While there is limited previous research on the effect of inversion on audiovisual summation using a similar setup, this study indicates that auditory and visual speech are combined in the same manner for both upright and inverted faces. Therefore, it seems, that the mechanisms responsible for the strong summation taken place in audiovisual speech perception appear to be distinct from those processes that are impaired in face inversion.

Aims. In previous studies a link between nonword repetition skills and children’s language skills such as phonological knowledge and reading skills. Musical activity has been found to improve children’s cognitive development and language skills. Nonword repetition and nonword span have been widely used as a measure of phonological skills and working memory. The aim of the study was to find out whether there is a connection between singing at home and phonological skills or working memory in children with hearing impairment. The second aim of the study was to find out whether there is a correlation of performance in these two tasks and is there a decrease in parental singing as the child grows older. Methods. The study was conducted as a multiple case study. The participants were recruited from CIsumusa, a speech-music playschool for hearing-impaired children. The participants were nine Finnish-speaking hearing-impaired children aged 1–6 years who used either cochlear implants or hearing aids or both. The data was comprised of nonword repetition and nonword span tasks completed by the children. The parents of the participants filled some questionnaires about musical activity of the family which were also analyzed in the study. The children were divided into four groups for further paired analysis: 1) the children whose parents sing to them daily, 2) those whose parents sing to them less frequently than daily, 3) the children who sing daily, 4) the children who sing less frequently than daily. Nonparametric methods (such as Mann Whitney U-test) were used for statistical analysis. Results and Conclusions. No statistically significant differences were found between singing groups. A statistically significant correlation was found between performances in nonword repetition and nonword span tasks. It was found that the children over 4 years and 3 months old repeated the nonwords significantly more correctly by the number of syllables than the younger participants. It was also found that the children whose parents sing to them daily were on average 13,45 months younger than the children whose parents sing to them less frequently, even though the age difference was not statistically significant. Due to small number of subjects the results may be considered indicative, but based on them and previous research, singing should be used in speech therapy rehabilitation and home training.

Hearing impairment is a risk factor for speech and language development. Previous studies with hearing-impaired children have shown that their vocabulary development is slower than normal, and they have challenges in the use of inflectional forms. The purpose of this master's thesis is to find out if there is a difference in the proficiency of expressive vocabulary or inflections and sentences in Finnish-speaking, bilaterally hearing-impaired children compared to children with normal hearing. In addition, the effect of singing on the observed language skills is examined. The thesis is part of the MULAPAPU research project, which investigates the effects of music on the language development of hearing-impaired children aged 0-7. The study included both hearing-impaired subjects (n=23) and controls with normal hearing (n=25). The subjects were between 1 and 6 years old. Hearing-impaired subjects were bilaterally using a cochlear implant, a hearing aid, or a combination of these. The exclusion criteria for both the group of hearing impaired and controls were any severe diagnosed comorbid disorders. Expressive vocabulary proficiency was assessed with the Leinikki questionnaire completed by parents, and proficiency in the use of inflectional forms and sentences was assessed with the MCDI questionnaire. Singing was surveyed with the MULAPAPU background survey. Differences in expressive vocabulary proficiency were statistically analyzed using the Mann-Whitney U-test, and the connections between parental singing, child’s singing and singing in a group, and expressive vocabulary proficiency were analyzed using correlation analysis. Very few control subjects had answered the MCDI questionnaire's section of inflectional forms and sentences, so the skills of hearing-impaired children were analyzed on an individual level by comparing their scores to the standard values of the questionnaire. No statistically significant difference in expressive vocabulary proficiency was observed between hearing-impaired and normally hearing children. However, the hearing-impaired group had a two-peaked distribution and some subjects had poor expressive vocabulary proficiency. Hearing-impaired children's proficiency in inflections and sentences fell short of the age norms, although proportionate to hearing age, some of the subjects had a good proficiency in inflections and sentences. Only the child singing was statistically significantly correlated to expressive vocabulary proficiency. The amount of singing by parents was also statistically significantly related to the amount of singing by the child. Guiding the close environment and encouraging children to sing can be a good part of rehabilitating the language skills of hearing-impaired children.

Aims. Past research has shown that hearing impaired adolescents are at a higher risk of experiencing psychosocial difficulties than their hearing peers. The research into the factors related to the psychosocial well-being of hearing-impaired adolescents has not yet come to an unambiguous conclusion. There are indications that the wellbeing of hard-of-hearing youths would be related to their communicative abilities and the functioning of their hearing among other things. This study examines self-perceived psychosocial difficulties and strengths of adolescents with hearing impairment and factors associated with these difficulties and strengths. These results also are being compared to results of psychosocial well-being obtained from Finnish adolescents. Methods. 12 11-17-year-old youths with hearing impairment filled in the Finnish version of the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ-Fin) and a background questionnaire. Adolescents with other sensory deficits or disabilities were excluded from this study. Statistical analysis was performed to search for associations between psychosocial well-being and its related factors. Results and conclusions. The participants experienced more psychosocial difficulties than their Finnish peers. Emotional symptoms and peer problems were emphasized in the reports of participants. They also experienced more strengths in psychosocial well-being compared to their peers. In this study girls experienced more difficulties than boys. Participants experienced fewer difficulties in psychosocial wellbeing when their communicative abilities were good. These results can be used to improve and develop rehabilitation of hearing-impaired children and youths.

Background and the aims of the study. Previous studies show that adult immigrants face chal-lenges especially in producing diphthongs and differences in Finnish speech sound lengths. However, to date there has been no evaluation method to assess immigrant’s pronunciation in Finnish. The purpose of this study was to determine whether the Phonology test is applicable for assessing adult immigrant’s pronunciation of Finnish. This applicability was assessed by examining what the results of the Phonology test revealed about research subject’s pronun-ciation, how these results differed from the ones of a sentence test, which was developed for this study in particular, how well they recognised the words in the Phonology test. In addition, how and for whom the test could be applicable in future were also studied. Research subjects and methods. The study was carried out as a comperative multi-case stu-dy in which the data was examined both quantitatively and qualitatively. The data was obtai-ned as a part of a PhD dissertation at The University of the Arts Helsinki examining the effects of choir singing in adult immigrant’s Finnish language learning. The research data consisted of ten adult immigrant’s recordings and research forms of the Phonology test and sentence test. The data were statistically analysed with SPSS-program using a dependent sample t-test and the Pearson correlation coefficient. Results and conclusions. All research subjects received rather good scores in the Phonology test and there was not any significant deviation. The results of the Phonology test and the sentence test were quite similar in terms of the mean difference in speech sound length. The pronounciation challenges appeared in the Phonology test were also found in the sentence test and vice versa. The subjects were able to produce short speech sounds distincly shorter than long speech sounds in almost every word in the sentence test. Principally, the subjects recognised the words in the Phonology test well. Based on these results, the Phonology test was moderately applicable to assess adult immigrants’ pronunciation of Finnish.

Tavoitteet. Tässä tutkimuksessa oli tavoitteena tutkia, miten 5- ja 9- vuotiaiden lasten lyhytkestoisen muistin toimintaa mittaavat testien tulokset ovat yhteydessä aikuisena 40- vuotiaiden työmuistisuoriutumiseen sekä visuaaliseen ja verbaaliseen päättelykykyyn. Tutkimuskysymykset olivat: 1) Miten lapsuuden auditiivisen ja visuaalisen sarjamuistin tehtävissä suoriutuminen on yhteydessä aikuisuuden auditiivisverbaaliseen työmuistisuoriutumiseen? 2) Miten lapsuuden auditiivisen ja visuaalisen sarjamuistin tehtävissä suoriutuminen on yhteydessä työmuistisuoriutumiseen, jossa informaatiota manipuloidaan? 3) Miten lapsuuden auditiivisen ja visuaalisen sarjamuistin tehtävissä suoriutuminen on yhteydessä aikuisuuden kielelliseen ja visuaaliseen päättelykykyyn? Menetelmät. Tutkimusaineistona oli Kognition pitkäaikaistutkimus (KOPUTUS), jossa oli vuosina 1971- 1974 syntyneitä syntymäriskiryhmiin kuuluvia lapsia sekä kontrolliryhmä. Tähän tutkimukseen otettiin mukaan 5-, 9-, ja 40- vuotiaiden tutkimustulokset (N=301). Lapsuudessa tutkittavat suorittivat lasten kommunikaatiota ja kielellisiä kykyjä mittaavan The Illinois Test of Psycholinguistic Abilities (ITPA)- testin. Muuttujiksi valittiin lyhytkestoista muistia mittaavat testit: visuaalinen sarjamuisti ja auditiivinen sarjamuisti. Aikuisuudessa tutkittavat suorittivat WAIS- IV:n, josta muuttujiksi valittiin työmuistia mittaava perusosatehtävä Numerosarjat sekä kielellisen ja visuaalisen päättelyn indeksit (VCI ja PRI). Taustamuuttujiksi tutkimukseen otettiin tutkittavien oma korkein koulutus, äidin korkein koulutus ja turvapisteet 9- vuotiaana. Tutkimustulokset analysoitiin rakenneyhtälömallien avulla. Tulokset ja johtopäätökset. Tulokset osoittivat, että 5- vuoden ikäisten ja 9- vuoden ikäisten auditiivisen lyhytkestoisen muistin suoriutumiset erikseen ennustivat aikuisuuden työmuistisuoriutumista. Lisäksi 9- vuoden ikäisten auditiivisella lyhytkestoisella muistilla voitiin ennustaa myös monimutkaisempaa työmuistin toimintaa. Visuaalisella lyhytkestoisella muistilla lapsuudessa taas voitiin ennustaa visuaalista päättelykykyä aikuisena. Tuloksista voidaan päätellä, että lasten lyhytkestoisen muistin tutkiminen on tärkeää, koska sillä voidaan ennustaa aikuisuuden työmuistin toimintaa ja visuaalisen tiedon käsittelyä sekä mahdollisia heikentymiä näissä varhain.

Semantic fluency task is often used as part of an assesment to investigate children’s lexical development. Semantic fluency task measures the ability to generate words within a certain category and within a restricted amount of time. In previous studies, children’s semantic fluency skills have increased as the child grows. In addition, word retrieval strategies have been found to enhance word recall in the semantic fluency task with school-aged children and adults. However, there is only little knowledge regarding the use of word retrieval strategies in the semantic fluency task with preschool aged children. So far, in previous studies word retrieval strategies in the task have not been investigated with children under the age of 4. The aim of this study was to examine whether there are differences in 2 to 5 year old children’s performance in the semantic fluency task and whether children’s gender or their parent’s socioeconomic status had an impact on their performance. In addition, the children’s ability of using word retrieval strategies were explored and the relation between the use of word retrieval strategies and the number of correct words were evaluated. The study sample included 79 children. Children completed two semantic fluency tasks guided by their parents in an online questionnaire. During the tasks, the children generated words belonging to the semantic category of animals and clothes within a minute. The performance was evaluated on the basis of the number of correct words, errors and error types. Word retrieval strategies were studied by examining clusters, semantic subcategories and switches between subcategories. The results of this study showed that age had a strong relation to performance on fluency tasks as measured with a number of correct words, clusters, semantic subcategories and switches. The new result was that even 2 year old children could generate correct words for the task and utilize word retrieval strategies in the tasks. The children’s gender or parents’ socioeconomic status had no effect on performance in the semantic fluency tasks. Number of clusters, semantic subcategories and switches had a positive relation to the number of correct words which indicated that successful word retrieval required use of fluency strategies even with preschool aged children. However, due to the lack of previous research data, more research regarding children’s word retrieval strategies is necessary. This study is the first in which the children’s word fluency task was guided by their parents. Clinical practice and further studies could benefit from these results that such a research design would appear to be suitable for assessing children’s semantic fluency.

The aim of the study. The importance of emotional intelligence in the 21st century has grown considerably, when it comes to the world of work, and has created an emergence of research literature around the topic in the past decades. Especially, when talking about leadership, there is an increasing emphasis on emotional, communication and interpersonal skills that are needed for leaders to navigate in the ever-changing work environment and to tackle different, multidimensional challenges. The current world situation and changes in it has also placed new demands on both employees and managers as well as probably permanently altered the way we do work and have understood it previously. Today, leadership ability is often studied through competences, as they provide an easily understandable and measurable approach to a demanding and complex subject. The purpose of this study was to explore the extent to which emotional intelligence and its different scales are associated with leadership competences and differentiate the most relevant applications these findings have in real life. The impact of gender and job level was also examined. Methods. The data consisted of 482 individuals who took part in competence assessments, as part of recruitment processes, conducted by a private talent management consultancy between 2020 and 2023. Their emotional intelligence was assessed by the EIP3 questionnaire, which measures the overall emotional intelligence and additionally, the 16 subscales of emotional intelligence. Furthermore, the respondents also completed the PAPI3+ questionnaire, which was used to assess their ability in three different leadership competences: ’Coaching and developing’, ’Motivating and engaging’, and ’Resilience’. The relationship between emotional intelligence, gender and job level, and the three leadership competences was examined using regression models. Results. The results of the study showed a statistically significant association between emotional intelligence and leadership competence. When looking at each of the three leadership competences, statistically significant associations were found across a number of different emotional intelligence subscales, indicating that emotional intelligence is indeed an important key factor underlying leadership ability. Conclusions. The findings in this study highlights emotional intelligence as a crucial factor when predicting leadership performance and competence. Future research efforts should focus on understanding this connection in more depth and studying the effect of emotional intelligence on other leadership competences as well.

Children’s language skills can be evaluated by formal testing, parent report or assessing spontaneous speech in recorded language samples. This study focused on measures of lexical diversity determined from children’s spontaneous speech. These measures are one way to assess children’s lexical skills. However, there is only little research on the relation between the most recent lexical diversity measures and validated measures of lexical skills. The first aim of this study was to find out if there is a relation between the lexical diversity assessed from spontaneous speech of preschool children and lexical skills assessed by validated methods. The second aim was to examine if the measures of lexical diversity predict the lexical skills of a child assessed by validated measures and if so, which of the measures is the best predictor of a child’s lexical skills. The data of the study was collected in LEINIKKI research project. The participants (N = 68) were 2;6–4;0-year-old, healthy, Finnish-speaking children. The spontaneous speech of the participants was recorded in free play settings, the speech of the children was transcribed and token, type, type-token ratio (TTR) and moving-average type-token ratio (MATTR) values were determined from the first ten minutes of each language sample. These values were used as measures of the children’s lexical diversity. The following validated methods were used to assess the children’s lexical skills: the lexical skills assessing part of the parent report method LEINIKKI and Wechsler Preschool and Primary Scale of Intelligence 3rd edition subtests Picture Naming and Receptive Vocabulary. The relation between the lexical diversity measures and the validated measures of lexical skills was examined by Spearman’s correlation. It was also researched if the measures of lexical diversity had the ability to differentiate the children who scored the least in the validated lexical measures. Linear regression models were used in examining whether the measures of lexical diversity predicted the lexical skills assessed by validated methods when the age of the children was considered as a background variable. The token values neither correlated with the children’s lexical skills nor differentiated the least scoring quarter in the validated lexical measures. The type and TTR values correlated significantly (p < 0,05) with two out of three validated measures of lexical skills but were not statistically significant predictors of the children’s lexical skills. The type value did not differentiate the least scoring quarter in the validated lexical measures whereas the TTR value did in two out of three validated lexical measures. The relation of the MATTR value to a child’s lexical skills was the most significant: the MATTR value correlated highly significantly (p < 0,001) with all validated measures of lexical skills, differentiated the least scoring quarter in all three validated lexical measures and was a highly significant (p < 0,001) predictor of lexical skills in all regression models. This study supports the use of the MATTR value instead of the more traditional measures of lexical diversity when assessing the lexical diversity of preschool children. The MATTR value can be used especially in supplementing the view of a child’s lexical skills acquired by other measures. However, more research on the topic is needed.