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Individuals differ in their ability to perceive and learn unfamiliar speech sounds, but we lack a comprehensive theoretical account that predicts individual differences in this skill. Predominant theories largely attribute difficulties of non-native speech perception to the relationships between non-native speech sounds/contrasts and native-language categories. The goal of the current study was to test whether the predictions made by these theories can be extended to predict individual differences in naive perception of non-native speech sounds or learning of these sounds. Specifically, we hypothesized that the internal structure of native-language speech categories is the cause of difficulty in perception of unfamiliar sounds such that learners who show more graded (i.e., less categorical) perception of sounds in their native language would have an advantage for perceiving non-native speech sounds because they would be less likely to assimilate unfamiliar speech tokens to their native-language categories. We tested this prediction in two experiments in which listeners categorized speech continua in their native language and performed tasks of discrimination or identification of difficult non-native speech sound contrasts. Overall, results did not support the hypothesis that individual differences in categorical perception of native-language speech sounds is responsible for variability in sensitivity to non-native speech sounds. However, participants who responded more consistently on a speech categorization task showed more accurate perception of non-native speech sounds. This suggests that individual differences in non-native speech perception are more related to the stability of phonetic processing abilities than to individual differences in phonetic category structure.

In an interplay between the Fundamental Theorem of Arithmetic and topology, this paper presents material for a capstone seminar that expands on ideas from number theory, analysis, and linear algebra. It is designed to generate an immersive way of learning in which students discover new connections between familiar concepts, create definitions, and investigate non-standard questions. The ideas are arranged as a series of questions for students to explore, with expositions to the instructor on how to guide them in looking for answers. The investigations culminate in a satisfying outcome: that partition topologies are the same as unique factorization topologies, those that satisfy our topological version of the Fundamental Theorem of Arithmetic.

This study investigated the utility of four WAIS-IV Digit Span (DS) indices (traditional Reliable Digit Span [RDS], RDS-Working Memory [RDS-WM], RDS-Revised [RDS-R], and DS Age-Corrected Scaled Score [ACSS]) as embedded performance validity tests (PVTs) among a sample of 342 consecutive adults referred for neuropsychological evaluation of ADHD. All DS indices had acceptable classification accuracy (areas under the curve: 0.73-0.76) for detecting invalid performance with optimal cut-scores of RDS [less than or equal to]7 (35% sensitivity/93% specificity), RDS-WM [less than or equal to]7 (56% sensitivity/86% specificity), RDS-R [less than or equal to]12 (48% sensitivity/85% specificity), and ACSS [less than or equal to]7 (46% sensitivity/87% specificity). Although all indices were able to detect invalid performance, DS indices incorporating the more complex working memory trials of the task yielded the best accuracy for identification of invalid test performance among adults referred for ADHD evaluation.

Academia has been characterized as traditional, hierarchical, and selective, founded on patriarchal, imperial, and colonial values that construct and maintain gendered roles and regulations. This has been proposed to disadvantage how women experience, and identify within, academia. A narrative review was conducted to review the literature on women's academic identities and experiences, and critique the dominant ways of knowing, being, and doing in academia. Thematic synthesis was conducted on 56 qualitative studies (published 2010-2019), illustrating the impact of these values on women's academic identities and experiences, and normative gendered stereotypes and practices that impact women academics. Furthermore, existing literature is critiqued, exploring the influence of dominant ways of being and knowing (on how questions are asked, the constructs explored, the design decisions made). By providing this commentary, future research can focus on problematizing the system and dismantling the problematic conditions (e.g., underrepresentation, discrimination, and gendered stereotyping) for women in academia.

In contemporary times, the conceptualisation of marriage has shifted; however, societal attitudes and cultural ideologies regarding its construction remain complex. As such, unique generational perspectives are needed to reflect on how marriage has evolved and to comment on ongoing tensions related to it. This study explores how individuals born in the 1960s conceptualise marriage, examining the complex interplay between traditional values and evolving perspectives. Using an exploratory qualitative design underpinned by a social constructionist epistemology, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 12 participants (7 female, 5 male) aged 56–65. Reflexive thematic analysis revealed three main themes: (1) Unveiling the New Vows: The Shifting Values of Marriage and Family, (2) Breaking Boundaries and Transforming Traditions: Debunking Heteronormativity, and (3) Witnessing Progression: Dismantling Barriers and Embracing Diversity and Equality in Marriage. The findings indicate a significant shift in how marriage is viewed, with participants demonstrating both nostalgia for traditional constructs and support for more inclusive definitions. Notably, many participants positioned themselves as more progressive than their peers, challenging notions of homogenous generational attitudes. This study highlights the ongoing tension between traditional and contemporary views of marriage, suggesting that efforts to promote inclusivity must address both legal barriers and deeply ingrained cultural norms. These findings contribute to our understanding of how social institutions like marriage are reconceptualised over time, emphasising the dynamic nature of social change and the capacity for individuals to evolve in their perspectives on deeply entrenched societal norms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: We investigated speech and nonspeech auditory processing of temporal and spectral cues in people who do and do not stutter. We also asked whether self-reported stuttering severity was predicted by performance on the auditory processing measures. Method: People who stutter (n = 23) and people who do not stutter (n = 28) completed a series of four auditory processing tasks online. These tasks consisted of speech and nonspeech stimuli differing in spectral or temporal cues. We then used independent-samples t-tests to assess differences in phonetic categorization slopes between groups and linear mixed-effects models to test differences in nonspeech auditory processing between stuttering and nonstuttering groups, and stuttering severity as a function of performance on all auditory processing tasks. Results: We found statistically significant differences between people who do and do not stutter in phonetic categorization of a continuum differing in a temporal cue and in discrimination of nonspeech stimuli differing in a spectral cue. A significant proportion of variance in self-reported stuttering severity was predicted by performance on the auditory processing measures. Conclusions: Taken together, these results suggest that people who stutter process both speech and nonspeech auditory information differently than people who do not stutter and may point to subtle differences in auditory processing that could contribute to stuttering. We also note that these patterns could be the consequence of listening to one's own speech, rather than the cause of production differences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper looks at the 2015 use of the Australian rock song Khe Sanh by far-right nationalist group Reclaim Australia and how it points to deeper archetypal dynamics at play, which are driving the appearance and behaviour of groups like this. Drawing from the work of Swiss psychoanalyst Carl Jung, I treat the song as an expression of the archetype of the fallen hero, who confronts darkness but cannot reintegrate back into the social world and, instead, remains fallen. As I discuss, this song resonates deeply with Reclaim Australia members because it reflects their own ideological conceptions of their place in the changing Australian nation. I use a Jungian archetypal approach because it allows us to explore the underlying psychic structure and instinctive patterns that drive the behaviour of groups like this. Where other approaches may simply focus on the behaviour, an archetypal approach goes much deeper, addressing the root of the behaviour. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]