The role of semantic context and memory in the acquisition of novel nouns.
Three studies assessed the ability of 2-year-olds to use semantic context to infer the meanings of novel nouns and to retain those meanings a day later. In the first experiment, 24 2-year-olds heard novel nouns in sentences that contained semantically constraining verbs (e.g., "Mommy feeds the ferret"). They chose from a set of four novel object pictures to indicate the referent. Children learned a majority of the novel words. However, they occasionally failed to choose the correct object even when they understood the verb. Experiment 2 examined whether this was due to an inability to identify some of the pictures of novel objects. Experiment 3 tested 24 2-year-olds' memory for the newly learned nouns following a 24 hr delay and found significant retention. Results are discussed in terms of learning mechanisms that facilitate vocabulary acquisition in young children.
Goodman
J C
JC
Department of Communication Science and Disorders, University of Missouri, Columbia 65211, USA. psygoodm@showme.missouri.edu
McDonough
L
L
Brown
N B
NB
D000367:Age Factors; D002657:Child Development; D002663:Child Language; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007804:Language Development; D008297:Male; D008568:Memory / Q000502:physiology*; D012660:Semantics; D014706:Verbal Learning