ERIC Number: EJ1015063
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2013-Aug
Pages: 11
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1525-7401
EISSN: N/A
Available Date: N/A
An Exploratory Study of "Quantitative Linguistic Feedback": Effect of LENA Feedback on Adult Language Production
Suskind, Dana; Leffel, Kristin R.; Hernandez, Marc W.; Sapolich, Shannon G.; Suskind, Elizabeth; Kirkham, Erin; Meehan, Patrick
Communication Disorders Quarterly, v34 n4 p199-209 Aug 2013
A child's early language environment is critical to his or her life-course trajectory. Quantitative linguistic feedback utilizes the Language ENvironment Analysis (LENA) technology as a tool to analyze verbal interactions and reinforce behavior change. This exploratory pilot study evaluates the feasibility and efficacy of a novel behavior-change strategy, quantitative linguistic feedback, to influence adult linguistic behavior and, as a result, a child's early language environment. Baseline LENA outcome measures (i.e., adult word count [AWC] and conversational turn count [CTC]) were obtained from a diverse sample of 17 nonparental caregivers and their typically developing children (charges) ages 10 to 40 months. Caregivers participated in a one-time educational intervention focusing on enriching a child's home language environment, interpreting feedback from the baseline LENA recordings, and setting language goals for the following session. Post-intervention, six additional LENA recordings were obtained weekly to measure linguistic behavior. Caregivers showed a significant and prolonged increase from mean baseline to mean postintervention AWC and CTC as measured by LENA-AWC: mean difference = 395 words per hour, 31.6% increase, t = 3.29, p less than 0.01; CTC: mean difference = 14 turns per hour, 24.9% increase, t = 3.54, p less than 0.01. Preliminary results indicate that a one-time educational intervention combined with quantitative linguistic feedback may have a positive effect on caregiver language output, thus enhancing the child's language environment. This study represents an "initial" step in the development and evaluation of a novel behavior-change strategy. We propose that quantitative linguistic feedback will add significantly to the arsenal of clinical and research tools used to evaluate and enrich a child's early language environment. (Contains 3 tables, 4 figures, and 1 note.)
Descriptors: Feedback (Response), Verbal Communication, Behavior Change, Language Skills, Outcome Measures, Toddlers, Vocabulary Development, Child Caregivers, Goal Orientation, Intervention, Computer Software, Speech Therapy, Parent Education, Language Impairments, Family Characteristics
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Illinois
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Author Affiliations: N/A