title: Class matters: 12-month-olds' word-object associations privilege content over function words.
abstract: A fundamental step in learning words is the development of an association between a sound pattern and an element in the environment. Here we explore the nature of this associative ability in 12-month-olds, examining whether it is constrained to privilege particular word forms over others. Forty-eight infants were presented with sets of novel English content-like word-object pairings (e.g. fep) or novel English function-like word-object (e.g. iv) pairings until they habituated. Results indicated that infants associated novel content-like words, but not the novel function-like words, with novel objects. These results demonstrate that the mechanism with which basic word-object associations are formed is remarkably sophisticated by the onset of productive language. That is, mere associative pairings are not sufficient to form mappings. Rather the system requires well-formed noun-like words to co-occur with objects in order for the linkages to arise.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, University of Calgary, Canada.
authors.forename: Heather
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: MacKenzie
authors.forename: Suzanne
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Curtin
authors.forename: Susan A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Graham
mesh_terms: D000161:Acoustic Stimulation; D001245:Association Learning / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007804:Language Development; D008297:Male; D013067:Speech Perception; D014706:Verbal Learning / Q000502:physiology*; D014936:Word Association Tests