Skip to main content

Lund University Publications

LUND UNIVERSITY LIBRARIES

Event-related potentials during word mapping to object shape predict toddlers’ vocabulary size

Borgström, Kristina LU ; Torkildsen, Janne von Koss and Lindgren, Magnus LU (2015) In Frontiers in Psychology 6.
Abstract
What role does attention to different object properties play in early vocabulary development? This longitudinal study using event-related potentials in combination with behavioral measures investigated 20- and 24-month-olds’ (n = 38; n = 34; overlapping n = 24) ability to use object shape and object part information in word-object mapping. The N400 component was used to measure semantic priming by images containing shape or detail information. At 20 months, the N400 to words primed by object shape varied in topography and amplitude depending on vocabulary size, and these differences predicted productive vocabulary size at 24 months. At 24 months, when most of the children had vocabularies of several hundred words, the relation between... (More)
What role does attention to different object properties play in early vocabulary development? This longitudinal study using event-related potentials in combination with behavioral measures investigated 20- and 24-month-olds’ (n = 38; n = 34; overlapping n = 24) ability to use object shape and object part information in word-object mapping. The N400 component was used to measure semantic priming by images containing shape or detail information. At 20 months, the N400 to words primed by object shape varied in topography and amplitude depending on vocabulary size, and these differences predicted productive vocabulary size at 24 months. At 24 months, when most of the children had vocabularies of several hundred words, the relation between vocabulary size and the N400 effect in a shape context was weaker. Detached object parts did not function as word primes regardless of age or vocabulary size, although the part-objects were identified behaviorally. The behavioral measure, however, also showed relatively poor recognition of the part-objects compared to the shape-objects. These three findings provide new support for the link between shape recognition and early vocabulary development. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
N400, vocabulary development, shape bias, object recognition, children
in
Frontiers in Psychology
volume
6
article number
143
publisher
Frontiers Media S. A.
external identifiers
  • wos:000349289000001
  • pmid:25762957
  • scopus:84926463230
  • pmid:25762957
ISSN
1664-1078
DOI
10.3389/fpsyg.2015.00143
project
Thinking in Time: Cognition, Communication and Learning
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
277d45e5-cab0-4dd0-85a2-4c3f225f829e (old id 5010628)
date added to LUP
2016-04-01 14:12:03
date last changed
2022-02-04 19:35:55
@article{277d45e5-cab0-4dd0-85a2-4c3f225f829e,
  abstract     = {{What role does attention to different object properties play in early vocabulary development? This longitudinal study using event-related potentials in combination with behavioral measures investigated 20- and 24-month-olds’ (n = 38; n = 34; overlapping n = 24) ability to use object shape and object part information in word-object mapping. The N400 component was used to measure semantic priming by images containing shape or detail information. At 20 months, the N400 to words primed by object shape varied in topography and amplitude depending on vocabulary size, and these differences predicted productive vocabulary size at 24 months. At 24 months, when most of the children had vocabularies of several hundred words, the relation between vocabulary size and the N400 effect in a shape context was weaker. Detached object parts did not function as word primes regardless of age or vocabulary size, although the part-objects were identified behaviorally. The behavioral measure, however, also showed relatively poor recognition of the part-objects compared to the shape-objects. These three findings provide new support for the link between shape recognition and early vocabulary development.}},
  author       = {{Borgström, Kristina and Torkildsen, Janne von Koss and Lindgren, Magnus}},
  issn         = {{1664-1078}},
  keywords     = {{N400; vocabulary development; shape bias; object recognition; children}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  publisher    = {{Frontiers Media S. A.}},
  series       = {{Frontiers in Psychology}},
  title        = {{Event-related potentials during word mapping to object shape predict toddlers’ vocabulary size}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2015.00143}},
  doi          = {{10.3389/fpsyg.2015.00143}},
  volume       = {{6}},
  year         = {{2015}},
}