ERIC Number: EJ1146604
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2017
Pages: 17
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1547-5441
EISSN: N/A
2.5-Year-Olds' Retention and Generalization of Novel Words across Short and Long Delays
Language Learning and Development, v13 n3 p300-316 2017
Two experiments investigated two-year-olds' retention and generalization of novel words across short and long time delays. Specifically, retention of newly learned words and generalization to novel exemplars or novel contexts were tested 1 min or 1 week after learning. Experiment 1 revealed successful retention as well as successful generalization to both new exemplars and new contexts after a one-minute delay, with no statistical differences between retention and generalization performance for either generalization type. Toddlers tested after a week delay (Experiment 2) showed successful retention and generalization as well, but while context generalization was statistically equivalent to retention accuracy, exemplar generalization was significantly lower than retention accuracy. The overall success in both retention and generalization suggests that toddlers' newly learned words are robust and flexible. However, the lower exemplar generalization performance compared to retention after a weeklong delay suggests that novel words may become less flexible across exemplar characteristics over time.
Descriptors: Toddlers, Generalization, Vocabulary Development, Retention (Psychology), Accuracy, Statistical Analysis, English, Language Acquisition, Language Processing, Language Tests
Psychology Press. Available from: Taylor & Francis, Ltd. 325 Chestnut Street Suite 800, Philadelphia, PA 19106. Tel: 800-354-1420; Fax: 215-625-2940; Web site: http://www.tandf.co.uk/journals
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) (NIH); National Science Foundation (NSF)
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Wisconsin
Grant or Contract Numbers: P30HD03352