A Linguistically Constrained Model of Short-Term Memory for Nonwords

Abstract

Errors in the repetition and serial recall of nonwords indicate that structural properties of the syllable are represented in short-term memory. We develop a connectionist model of short-term memory for such unfamiliar phonological sequences, based on insights from existing models of speech production and short-term memory. The results of simulations of experiments involving nonword recall and repetition are presented, and the mechanisms which produce the common error types are discussed. We also show how the proposed model can be extended to develop and make use of long-term representations of phonological forms, and how a global reduction in short-term memory capacity (such as is commonly observed in developmental dyslexia, and acquired disorders of output phonology) could differentially affect performance on tasks involving familiar and unfamiliar materials.