LSLT: Rachel Romeo (HDQM)

LSLT: Upon Reflection. This semester, we've asked presenters to give reflective talks about their most prominent work from the past. How did they understand the question then, and how do they see it now? See the full lineup here! Lunch will be served starting at 12:15. Vegetarian options available. Let us know if you have other dietary restrictions!

This week: Rachel Romeo, Assistant Professor in Human Development & Quantitative Methodology

Revisiting "Beyond the 30 million word gap" and what it means for experience-related brain development

Abstract: In Romeo et al., 2018, we found that children's day-to-day language experience correlated with brain activation during language processing, which statistically explained socioeconomic differences in children's scores on language assessments. This was both hailed as a "seminal paper" revealing the biological mechanisms linking language experience to language development for the first time, and simultaneously lamented as a "radical ethical position that certain forms of communication are a biological imperative." In this talk, I will re-examine the findings and the underlying assumptions through a framework of adaptive neurobiological development. I will also discuss the importance of clarity and bidirectionality in science communication.