Mathematics

Research

21 pages, 1117 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Influence of Service Quality on User’s Perceived Satisfaction with Light Rail Transit Service in Klang Valley, Malaysia

by Ahmad Nazrul Hakimi Ibrahim, Muhamad Nazri Borhan, Mohd Haniff Osman, Muhamad Razuhanafi Mat Yazid and Munzilah Md. Rohani

Mathematics 2022, 10(13), 2213; https://doi.org/10.3390/math10132213 - 24 Jun 2022

Cited by 5 | Viewed by 2867

Abstract

Light rail transit (LRT) systems are vital aspects of the worldwide endeavor to achieve transport sustainability and have been essential in enhancing the economies of urban areas. Issues such as pollution, the risk of road accidents, and traffic congestion could be resolved using [...] Read more.

Light rail transit (LRT) systems are vital aspects of the worldwide endeavor to achieve transport sustainability and have been essential in enhancing the economies of urban areas. Issues such as pollution, the risk of road accidents, and traffic congestion could be resolved using this progressive alternative. The statistics showed that only 20% of the commuters in Malaysia use public transport, including LRT, and 80% use private transportation. It is relatively low compared to other Asian countries. High-quality service is essential to improve users’ perceived satisfaction with the provided services and increase LRT ridership. The objective of the present study is to acquire an understanding of which factors are crucially influential on users’ perceptions of satisfaction. In-person questionnaires were utilized to obtain the information for this paper, with a total of 417 LRT riders in Malaysia’s Klang Valley surveyed. This study adopted the factor analysis, correlation test, and artificial neural network (ANN) model. Eight elements related to the quality of service were extracted to ascertain how they influenced the perceived satisfaction of users: information signs, ticket-based services, amenities, safety, employee performance, speed, comfort, and the service details available to riders. Each factor was significantly related to the perceptions of satisfaction, according to the correlation test. Finally, the ANN model shows that the dominant factors determining the LRT users’ perceived satisfaction are the signage, amenities, and provision of information. The findings of this research should benefit the providers of services, policy makers, and planning departments by enabling them to formulate successful approaches that ensure user satisfaction is enhanced and the number of riders on the LRT increases. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Quantitative Methods for Social Sciences)

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23 pages, 4338 KiB

Open AccessArticle

A Coupled Mathematical Model of the Dissemination Route of Short-Term Fund-Raising Fraud

by Shan Yang, Kaijun Su, Bing Wang and Zitong Xu

Mathematics 2022, 10(10), 1709; https://doi.org/10.3390/math10101709 - 17 May 2022

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1599

Abstract

To effectively protect citizens’ property from the infringement of fund-raising fraud, it is necessary to investigate the dissemination, identification, and causation of fund-raising fraud. In this study, the Susceptible Infected Recovered (SIR) model, Back-Propagation (BP) neural network, Fault tree, and Bayesian network were [...] Read more.

To effectively protect citizens’ property from the infringement of fund-raising fraud, it is necessary to investigate the dissemination, identification, and causation of fund-raising fraud. In this study, the Susceptible Infected Recovered (SIR) model, Back-Propagation (BP) neural network, Fault tree, and Bayesian network were used to analyze the dissemination, identification, and causation of fund-raising fraud. Firstly, relevant data about fund-raising fraud were collected from residents in the same area via a questionnaire survey. Secondly, the SIR model was used to simulate the dissemination of victims, susceptibles, alerts, and fraud amount; the BP neural network was used to identify the data of financial fraud and change the accuracy of the number analysis of neurons and hidden layers; the fault-tree model and the Bayesian network model were employed to analyze the causation and importance of basic events. Finally, the security measures of fund-raising fraud were simulated by changing the dissemination parameters. The results show that (1) for the spread of the scam, the scale of the victims expands sharply with the increase of the fraud cycle, and the victims of the final fraud cycle account for 12.5% of people in the region; (2) for the source of infection of the scam, the initial recognition rate of fraud by the BP neural network varies from 90.9% to 93.9%; (3) for the victims of the scam, reducing fraud publicity, improving risk awareness, and strengthening fraud supervision can effectively reduce the probability of fraud; and (4) reducing the fraud rate can reduce the number of victims and delay the outbreak time. Improving the alert rate can reduce victims on a large scale. Strengthening supervision can restrict the scale of victims and prolong the duration of fraud. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Quantitative Methods for Social Sciences)

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11 pages, 1539 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Utility of Receiver Operating Characteristic Curve in Educational Assessment: Performance Prediction

by Hyunsuk Han

Mathematics 2022, 10(9), 1493; https://doi.org/10.3390/math10091493 - 30 Apr 2022

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1562

Abstract

When examinees are classified into groups based on scores from educational assessment, two indices are widely used to gauge the psychometric quality of the classifications: accuracy and consistency. The two indices take correct classifications into consideration while overlooking incorrect ones, where unbalanced class [...] Read more.

When examinees are classified into groups based on scores from educational assessment, two indices are widely used to gauge the psychometric quality of the classifications: accuracy and consistency. The two indices take correct classifications into consideration while overlooking incorrect ones, where unbalanced class distribution threatens the validity of results from the accuracy and consistency indices. The single values produced from the two indices also fail to address the inconsistent accuracy of the classifier across different cut score locations. The current study proposed the concept of classification quality, which utilizes the receiver operating characteristics (ROC) graph to comprehensively evaluate the performance of classifiers. The ROC graph illustrates the tradeoff between benefits (true positive rate) and costs (false positive rate) in classification. In this article, a simulation study was conducted to demonstrate how to generate and interpret ROC graphs in educational assessment and the benefits of using ROC graphs to interpret classification quality. The results show that ROC graphs provide an efficient approach to (a) visualize the fluctuating performance of scoring classifiers, (b) address the unbalanced class distribution issue inherent in the accuracy and consistency indices, and (c) produce more accurate estimation of the classification results. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Quantitative Methods for Social Sciences)

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14 pages, 429 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Intangible ICT and Their Importance within Global Value Chains: An Empirical Analysis Based on Longitudinal Data Regression

by Marek Pekarčík, Júlia Ďurčová and Jozef Glova

Mathematics 2022, 10(7), 1198; https://doi.org/10.3390/math10071198 - 06 Apr 2022

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1680

Abstract

The rising global importance of global value chains was enabled by developing information and communication technologies, ICT. A correct understanding of ICT roles determines a country’s global competitiveness. The study aims to examine the role of intangible ICT assets in creating domestic and [...] Read more.

The rising global importance of global value chains was enabled by developing information and communication technologies, ICT. A correct understanding of ICT roles determines a country’s global competitiveness. The study aims to examine the role of intangible ICT assets in creating domestic and foreign value added in export. Based on a sample of available longitudinal data from the EU-KLEMS database, for the period 2000–2015, 10 EU countries have been selected and analysed. We applied several panel regression models to confirm the important role of ICT capital, specific to intangible ICT, in creating domestic added value in exports and participation in the global value chains. Our results show that intangible ICT assets have a higher impact on the global value chain participation than tangible ICT assets. Moreover, the analysis at the sectoral level reveals a stronger effect of total ICT assets in the case of total business sectors. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Quantitative Methods for Social Sciences)

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18 pages, 1108 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Modeling Local Variations in Intermarriage

by Albert Esteve, Coro Chasco and Antonio López-Gay

Mathematics 2022, 10(7), 1106; https://doi.org/10.3390/math10071106 - 29 Mar 2022

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2269

Abstract

We utilized all Spanish marriage records available at the municipality level from 2005–2007 to model spatial variations in intermarriage. We constructed a spatial regime zero-inflated Poisson model and grouped-data probit model, with spatially lagged regressors, to predict the absolute and relative presence of [...] Read more.

We utilized all Spanish marriage records available at the municipality level from 2005–2007 to model spatial variations in intermarriage. We constructed a spatial regime zero-inflated Poisson model and grouped-data probit model, with spatially lagged regressors, to predict the absolute and relative presence of intermarriage between Spaniards and migrants based on structural characteristics of the local marriage markets and their neighboring areas (i.e., relative group size, homogeneity of national origins, and sex ratio indicators). Our models do not assume collapsibility of the marriage market. Instead, they incorporate the local dimension of the marriage market and examine the association between intermarriage and structural variables at the spatial local level. The model also investigates intermarriage variation by size of place. The local characteristics of the marriage markets are robust indicators of both the absolute and relative importance of intermarriage, but their impact varies by size of municipality. The relative size of the migrant community positively impacts intermarriage. The homogeneity of the origins of migrants is negatively related to it. The impact of sex ratios in the migrant and native communities on intermarriage is not uniform across all municipalities and is not always related to more intermarriage. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Quantitative Methods for Social Sciences)

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20 pages, 21241 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Understanding the Willingness of Students to Use Bicycles for Sustainable Commuting in a University Setting: A Structural Equation Modelling Approach

by Ahmad Nazrul Hakimi Ibrahim, Muhamad Nazri Borhan, Nur Shaeza Darus, Nor Aznirahani Mhd Yunin and Rozmi Ismail

Mathematics 2022, 10(6), 861; https://doi.org/10.3390/math10060861 - 08 Mar 2022

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 2489

Abstract

The bicycle is a forgotten and neglected mode of transport even though it offers numerous individual, social, and environmental benefits over motorised transport. This research seeks to determine the factors influencing students to use bicycles for commuting and focuses on the strategies that [...] Read more.

The bicycle is a forgotten and neglected mode of transport even though it offers numerous individual, social, and environmental benefits over motorised transport. This research seeks to determine the factors influencing students to use bicycles for commuting and focuses on the strategies that encourage bicycling in a university setting. This study proposes the novel model framework by adopting Ajzen’s theory of planned behaviour. We modified the theory of planned behaviour by adding two new constructs, perceived barriers and habit. The respondents in this study are 422 students from Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia in Selangor, Malaysia. The structural equation model in this study showed that the main attitudinal constructs, namely attitudes, subjective norms and perceived behavioural control, have a significant positive and direct influence on the students’ willingness to cycle. In addition, the perceived barriers have a profound negative and indirect impact on behaviour intention through attitude, perceived behavioural control and habit. The perceived barriers did not have a significant influence on the subjective norms. However, habit has a profound positive and direct effect on three main attitudinal constructs (attitude, subjective norms and perceived behavioural control). This element could indirectly influence the behaviour intention of cycling in a university setting. Finally, this study has identified the physical, educational and economic policies for promoting bicycle use on university setting. It also contributes beneficial information that authorities, policymakers, planners and researchers could use to formulate effective strategies for increasing bicycle use on university setting and promote green and sustainable university settings. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Quantitative Methods for Social Sciences)

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23 pages, 2444 KiB

Open AccessArticle

A More Realistic Markov Process Model for Explaining the Disjunction Effect in One-Shot Prisoner’s Dilemma Game

by Xiaoyang Xin, Mengdan Sun, Bo Liu, Ying Li and Xiaoqing Gao

Mathematics 2022, 10(5), 834; https://doi.org/10.3390/math10050834 - 06 Mar 2022

Viewed by 2111

Abstract

The quantum model has been considered to be advantageous over the Markov model in explaining irrational behaviors (e.g., the disjunction effect) during decision making. Here, we reviewed and re-examined the ability of the quantum belief–action entanglement (BAE) model and the Markov belief–action (BA) [...] Read more.

The quantum model has been considered to be advantageous over the Markov model in explaining irrational behaviors (e.g., the disjunction effect) during decision making. Here, we reviewed and re-examined the ability of the quantum belief–action entanglement (BAE) model and the Markov belief–action (BA) model in explaining the disjunction effect considering a more realistic setting. The results indicate that neither of the two models can truly represent the underlying cognitive mechanism. Thus, we proposed a more realistic Markov model to explain the disjunction effect in the prisoner’s dilemma game. In this model, the probability transition pattern of a decision maker (DM) is dependent on the information about the opponent’s action, Also, the relationship between the cognitive components in the evolution dynamics is moderated by the DM’s degree of subjective uncertainty (DSN). The results show that the disjunction effect can be well predicted by a more realistic Markov model. Model comparison suggests the superiority of the proposed Markov model over the quantum BAE model in terms of absolute model performance, relative model performance, and model flexibility. Therefore, we suggest that the key to successfully explaining the disjunction effect is to consider the underlying cognitive mechanism properly. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Quantitative Methods for Social Sciences)

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16 pages, 809 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Impact of Secondary Education Choices on Mathematical Performance in University: The Role of Non-Cognitive Skills

by Carlos Arias, Javier Valbuena and Jose Manuel Garcia

Mathematics 2021, 9(21), 2744; https://doi.org/10.3390/math9212744 - 28 Oct 2021

Viewed by 1508

Abstract

(1) Background: this study evaluates the most relevant factors affecting the performance in mathematics of university undergraduates. Precisely, the mathematical background of students. Spanish secondary education provides an opportunity to develop this analysis since students can choose between two secondary education tracks with [...] Read more.

(1) Background: this study evaluates the most relevant factors affecting the performance in mathematics of university undergraduates. Precisely, the mathematical background of students. Spanish secondary education provides an opportunity to develop this analysis since students can choose between two secondary education tracks with different mathematical content and depth. (2) Methods: a survey was conducted covering personal characteristics, socioeconomic status, academic choices and academic achievement as well as a set of questions aimed to uncover attitudes towards mathematics. Students that show preferences regarding mathematics are prone to choose the track with more mathematical content, creating a potential confusion between training and attitudes towards mathematics. We propose an index of non- cognitive skills related to mathematics to account for this problem. (3) Results: prior background in mathematics plays a role in mathematical performance at university even after correcting for non-cognitive skills related to mathematics. The effects are heterogeneous with respect to gender. (4) Conclusions: choosing a more mathematical-oriented itinerary in secondary education seems to give an edge to students. Our results shed light on the implications associated with the decision of secondary school track choice made by students. Furthermore, they are meant to serve as a guide to improve the design of remedial courses. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Quantitative Methods for Social Sciences)

11 pages, 604 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Fear of Covid-19 Scale (FCV-19S) in Spain: Adaptation and Confirmatory Evidence of Construct and Concurrent Validity

by Begoña Espejo and Irene Checa

Mathematics 2021, 9(19), 2512; https://doi.org/10.3390/math9192512 - 07 Oct 2021

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2292

Abstract

Fear of the coronavirus has important implications on mental health. In western countries, a significant degree of vaccination has been achieved, but in Spain, less than 75% of the population has received both doses. The current situation is still seen as a threat [...] Read more.

Fear of the coronavirus has important implications on mental health. In western countries, a significant degree of vaccination has been achieved, but in Spain, less than 75% of the population has received both doses. The current situation is still seen as a threat by many people. Therefore, it is important to have reliable and valid measurement instruments to assess the impact of COVID-19 on the population. In this study, the Fear of COVID-19 Scale has been adapted to Spain, and its psychometric properties have been studied in a Spanish sample using Structural Equation Modeling. This methodology allows obtaining more reliable estimates, regardless of the measurement scale of the variables. The unifactorial structure was confirmed. The correlations with Neuroticism were statistically significant, and the concurrent validity structural equation model yielded good fit indices. However, neither age nor belonging to a risk group directly predict fear of the coronavirus in this sample, but gender and neuroticism are direct predictors. Likewise, neuroticism mediates the relationship between age and fear of COVID-19, and between gender and fear of COVID-19. So being young and being a woman show high scores on neuroticism, leading to their most intense fear of COVID-19. With this reliable and valid measurement instrument, it will be possible to assess the degree of fear of the coronavirus in the Spanish population and improve psychological interventions. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Quantitative Methods for Social Sciences)

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12 pages, 1540 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Is Happiness Linked to Subjective Life Expectancy? A Study of Chilean Senior Citizens

by Gregorio Gimenez, Ana Isabel Gil-Lacruz and Marta Gil-Lacruz

Mathematics 2021, 9(17), 2050; https://doi.org/10.3390/math9172050 - 25 Aug 2021

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2382

Abstract

The main goal of this research is to determine the link between happiness and individual subjective life expectancy (SLE) among Chilean senior citizens. We use data from the 2015 edition of the Chilean Social Protection Survey. Our sample consists of 1298 seniors: 700 [...] Read more.

The main goal of this research is to determine the link between happiness and individual subjective life expectancy (SLE) among Chilean senior citizens. We use data from the 2015 edition of the Chilean Social Protection Survey. Our sample consists of 1298 seniors: 700 aged 65–74, 421 aged 75–84, and 177 aged 85 and older. We provide a novel methodological approach that allows us to measure the relative contribution of happiness to SLE, by combining the Shapley–Owen–Shorrocks decomposition with contrasts of marginal linear predictions of the equality of the means by groups. Results reveal that happiness is the most important determinant of seniors’ SLE, and the effect is stronger the older the people are. Addressing varying levels of happiness is important because both happiness and unhappiness have a significant impact. In an ageing population, social agents should consider that these variables (happiness and SLE) are related to engagement in healthy lifestyles. If prevention programs integrated this interaction, welfare systems could save scarce resources. Therefore, governments should foster happiness to support active ageing. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Quantitative Methods for Social Sciences)

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15 pages, 2236 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Factors Influencing Passengers’ Satisfaction with the Light Rail Transit Service in Alpha Cities: Evidence from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia Using Structural Equation Modelling

by Ahmad Nazrul Hakimi Ibrahim, Muhamad Nazri Borhan, Muhamad Razuhanafi Mat Yazid, Riza Atiq Rahmat and Sotaro Yukawa

Mathematics 2021, 9(16), 1954; https://doi.org/10.3390/math9161954 - 16 Aug 2021

Cited by 14 | Viewed by 4807

Abstract

Policy makers and service providers must have a good understanding of the determinants of passengers’ satisfaction with light rail transit (LRT) in order to be able to formulate effective strategies that ensure passenger satisfaction, which would in turn help to retain existing passengers [...] Read more.

Policy makers and service providers must have a good understanding of the determinants of passengers’ satisfaction with light rail transit (LRT) in order to be able to formulate effective strategies that ensure passenger satisfaction, which would in turn help to retain existing passengers and attract new ones. This is seen as the most important determinant of the long-term financial performance of LRT service. In this context, the present study seeks to establish the influence of passenger expectation, perceived quality and perceived value on their satisfaction with the service provided. A total of 417 responses from a self-administrated questionnaire were collected from LRT passengers in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The proposed model was tested using a structural equation model. The results proved the significant and direct effect of perceived quality and perceived value on passenger satisfaction. Of the factors, perceived quality is the most critical construct determining the satisfaction level of LRT passengers. The present study concludes by deriving the theoretical and managerial implications on the field of transport. This study provides beneficial information which helps service providers, authorities, policy makers, planners, and researchers formulate effective strategies to increase the use of LRT service, especially in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, and other alpha and metropolitan cities in general. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Quantitative Methods for Social Sciences)

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17 pages, 721 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Statistical Analysis for Contract Cheating in Chinese Universities

by Yuexia Wang and Zhihuo Xu

Mathematics 2021, 9(14), 1684; https://doi.org/10.3390/math9141684 - 17 Jul 2021

Cited by 8 | Viewed by 3018

Abstract

Contract cheating refers to students using third-party online resources to complete their coursework. It is not only a unilateral result of the student, but also has a relationship with educators, as well as social resources. However, little work has been performed to analyze [...] Read more.

Contract cheating refers to students using third-party online resources to complete their coursework. It is not only a unilateral result of the student, but also has a relationship with educators, as well as social resources. However, little work has been performed to analyze the complex behavioral aspects behind contract cheating in Chinese universities. To this end, this article presents a statistical analysis of contract cheating in Chinese universities. First, a unique parallel survey of educators and students was conducted to collect data from August 2018 to August 2020. Next, statistical analyses were performed to explore students’ experiences and attitudes toward contract cheating and the contextual factors that relate to these behaviors. Additionally, Pearson correlation tests were conducted on the survey data to find potential factors for contract cheating. Finally, a multivariate statistical technique, partial-least-squares regression (PLSR), was applied to interpret the results. The results of the statistical analysis showed that the main motivation for contract cheating is to receive good grades (the correlation coefficient

ρ

is 0.1309) from the perspective of students’ personal learning; from the side of university management, clear regulations (

ρ = - 0.1378

), penalties for cheating (

ρ = - 0.1275

), and the use of cheating-detection software (

ρ = - 0.1186

) can directly reduce cheating; from the perspective of teachers’ teaching, lecturers’ feedback on cheating on assignments (

ρ = - 0.1510

) can effectively reduce students’ cheating behavior; in addition, increasing students’ sense of achievement in course learning (

ρ = - 0.2619

) also helps to reduce the probability of cheating. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Quantitative Methods for Social Sciences)

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21 pages, 1322 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Application of Psychometric Approach for ASD Evaluation in Russian 3–4-Year-Olds

by Andrey Nasledov, Sergey Miroshnikov, Liubov Tkacheva, Kirill Miroshnik and Meriam Uld Semeta

Mathematics 2021, 9(14), 1608; https://doi.org/10.3390/math9141608 - 08 Jul 2021

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 2238

Abstract

Background: Autistic spectrum disorder (ASD) is a significant socio-biological problem due to its wide prevalence and negative outcomes. In the current study, we aimed to develop an autism scale for early and accurate differentiation of 3- to 4-year-olds at risk for ASD since [...] Read more.

Background: Autistic spectrum disorder (ASD) is a significant socio-biological problem due to its wide prevalence and negative outcomes. In the current study, we aimed to develop an autism scale for early and accurate differentiation of 3- to 4-year-olds at risk for ASD since there is no systematic monitoring of young children in Russia yet. Methods: The total sample (N = 324) included 116 children with ASD, 131 children without ASD (healthy controls), and 77 children with developmental delay (DD). An online survey of specialists working with children was conducted based on a specially designed autism questionnaire consisting of 85 multiple-choice tasks distributed across 12 domains. Initially, each child was assessed by 434 items using a dichotomous scale (0 = no, 1 = yes). Factor and discriminant analyses were performed to identify a compact set of subscales that most accurately and with sufficient reliability predicted whether a child belongs to the ASD group. Results: As a result, four subscales were obtained: Sensorics, Emotions, Hyperactivity, and Communication. The high discriminability of the subscales in distinguishing the ASD group from the non-ASD group was revealed (accuracy 85.5–87.0%). Overall, the obtained subscales meet psychometric requirements and allow for creating an online screening system for wide application. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Quantitative Methods for Social Sciences)

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14 pages, 569 KiB

Open AccessFeature PaperArticle

Iconicity and Second Language Visual Perception: A Psycholinguistic Study of English Imitative Words at Different De-iconization Stages

by Liubov Tkacheva, Maria Flaksman, Andrey Nasledov, Yulia Sedelkina and Yulia Lavitskaya

Mathematics 2021, 9(12), 1331; https://doi.org/10.3390/math9121331 - 09 Jun 2021

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2258

Abstract

The study of iconicity, i.e., of a link between form and meaning in a word based on similarity, has gained increased attention in recent years. Although recent research has shown an important role of iconicity for first language acquisition, its role for the [...] Read more.

The study of iconicity, i.e., of a link between form and meaning in a word based on similarity, has gained increased attention in recent years. Although recent research has shown an important role of iconicity for first language acquisition, its role for the second language (L2) acquisition is still unclear, neither is it understood how the perception of imitative words depends on their iconic expressiveness. We applied a multivariate experimental plan with repeated measurements and experimental and control stimuli to study visual recognition of English iconic (imitative) words at four stages of de-iconization (SDs) by native speakers of Russian (N = 106) using a lexical decision task. The participants were presented with an experimental stimulus and had to decide as rapidly as possible whether a visually presented letter string was a word or not. The method of diachronic evaluation was used to group the pre-selected imitative words into four categories where SD-1 words are the most vivid imitative words with an evident (iconic) link between form and meaning, and SD-4 words are the words which have lost this link in the course of language (semantic and phonetic) evolution. The findings have revealed that proceeding speed and accuracy rates are strongly connected to SDs: the less iconic (imitative) a word is, the faster and more accurately it is recognized; most iconic words (SD-1) are characterized by the slowest RTs and lowest accuracy rates. The results suggest that iconicity does affect visual recognition of imitative words by second language learners. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Quantitative Methods for Social Sciences)

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