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Examining the link between productive vocabulary and the shape bias: An ERP study

Arlock, Karen LU (2011) PSPT02 20102
Department of Psychology
Abstract
It is during a child’s second year that the rate of word learning increases drastically and they start to pay more attention to the property of shape when categorizing new objects. The present study set out to investigate the relationship between productive vocabulary size and the shape bias when children learn novel words. In order to better understand the neural mechanisms behind this process, event related brain potentials (ERPs) were recorded in an experiment with a group of 14 twenty-month olds. They were shown a series of real and novel picture/word pairs presented as a whole picture, a cluster of details or a black silhouette. After associations were learned, the objects were paired with the wrong names to see if a difference... (More)
It is during a child’s second year that the rate of word learning increases drastically and they start to pay more attention to the property of shape when categorizing new objects. The present study set out to investigate the relationship between productive vocabulary size and the shape bias when children learn novel words. In order to better understand the neural mechanisms behind this process, event related brain potentials (ERPs) were recorded in an experiment with a group of 14 twenty-month olds. They were shown a series of real and novel picture/word pairs presented as a whole picture, a cluster of details or a black silhouette. After associations were learned, the objects were paired with the wrong names to see if a difference between congruent and incongruent presentations as indexed by N400 amplitudes could be discerned. The N400 is a component that is known to reflect the mechanisms underlying semantic integration and signifies that learning has taken place.
Results showed that subjects with high productive vocabularies displayed an N400 incongruity effect for silhouette presentations (that represent shape) for both real words and pseudowords, indicating that children in the second year with large productive vocabularies show a sensitivity to shape when learning associations between new words and their referents. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
Arlock, Karen LU
supervisor
organization
course
PSPT02 20102
year
type
H3 - Professional qualifications (4 Years - )
subject
keywords
ERP, N400, vocabulary spurt, shape bias, pseudowords, toddlers, silhouette
language
English
id
2153314
date added to LUP
2011-09-12 10:22:29
date last changed
2011-09-12 10:22:29
@misc{2153314,
  abstract     = {{It is during a child’s second year that the rate of word learning increases drastically and they start to pay more attention to the property of shape when categorizing new objects. The present study set out to investigate the relationship between productive vocabulary size and the shape bias when children learn novel words. In order to better understand the neural mechanisms behind this process, event related brain potentials (ERPs) were recorded in an experiment with a group of 14 twenty-month olds. They were shown a series of real and novel picture/word pairs presented as a whole picture, a cluster of details or a black silhouette. After associations were learned, the objects were paired with the wrong names to see if a difference between congruent and incongruent presentations as indexed by N400 amplitudes could be discerned. The N400 is a component that is known to reflect the mechanisms underlying semantic integration and signifies that learning has taken place.
Results showed that subjects with high productive vocabularies displayed an N400 incongruity effect for silhouette presentations (that represent shape) for both real words and pseudowords, indicating that children in the second year with large productive vocabularies show a sensitivity to shape when learning associations between new words and their referents.}},
  author       = {{Arlock, Karen}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  note         = {{Student Paper}},
  title        = {{Examining the link between productive vocabulary and the shape bias: An ERP study}},
  year         = {{2011}},
}