Linking verbal and non-verbal representations: Computer analysis of referential activity

The objective of this study was to develop a computer assisted procedure to model the Referential Activity scales as scored by raters. Referential Act ivity is defined as the function of connecting non-verbal experience with l anguage. Using a large text corpus that had been rated by experienced and r eliable judges, extreme samples from both ends of the Referential Activity Scales were selected. The Characteristic Vocabularies for each of these cor pora, words that were significantly more frequent in each corpus as compare d ro the other, were then identified. A small sec of 181 frequent words was derived that accounted for half of all words in the text corpora. These wo rds were used as dictionaries for a Computerized Referential Activity measu re based on computer assisted content analysis techniques. The new measure showed a correlation with judge-scored Referential Activity of around .50 a cross both the development and test corpora.