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Quantifying the structure of free association networks across the lifespan
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Dubossarsky, H., De Deyne, S. and Hills, T. (2017) Quantifying the structure of free association networks across the lifespan. Developmental Psychology, 53 (8). pp. 1560-1570. doi:10.1037/dev0000347 ISSN 0012-1649.
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Official URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/dev0000347
Abstract
We investigate how the mental lexicon changes over the lifespan using free association data from over 8,000 individuals, ranging from 10 to 84 years of age, with more than 400 cue words per age group. Using network analysis, with words as nodes and edges defined by the strength of shared associations, we find that associative networks evolve in a nonlinear (U-shaped) fashion over the lifespan. During early life, the network converges and becomes increasingly structured, with reductions in average path length, entropy, clustering coefficient, and small world index. Into late life, the pattern reverses but shows clear differences from early life. The pattern is independent of the increasing number of word types produced per cue across the lifespan, consistent with a network encoding an increasing number of relations between words as individuals age. Lifetime variability is dominantly driven by associative change in the least well-connected words.
Item Type: | Journal Article | ||||||
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Subjects: | B Philosophy. Psychology. Religion > BF Psychology | ||||||
Divisions: | Faculty of Science, Engineering and Medicine > Science > Psychology | ||||||
Library of Congress Subject Headings (LCSH): | Aging -- Psychological aspects -- network analysis, Free association (Psychology) | ||||||
Journal or Publication Title: | Developmental Psychology | ||||||
Publisher: | American Psychological Association | ||||||
ISSN: | 0012-1649 | ||||||
Official Date: | 1 August 2017 | ||||||
Dates: |
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Volume: | 53 | ||||||
Number: | 8 | ||||||
Page Range: | pp. 1560-1570 | ||||||
DOI: | 10.1037/dev0000347 | ||||||
Status: | Peer Reviewed | ||||||
Publication Status: | Published | ||||||
Access rights to Published version: | Restricted or Subscription Access | ||||||
Date of first compliant deposit: | 30 March 2017 | ||||||
Date of first compliant Open Access: | 11 August 2017 | ||||||
Funder: | British Academy (BA). Mid-Career Fellowship, Australian Research Council. Discovery Early Career Researcher Award (ARCDECRA) | ||||||
Grant number: | MD130030 (BA), 140101749 (ARCDECRA) | ||||||
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