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The development of idiom comprehension: an investigation of semantic and contextual processing skills.

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The development of idiom comprehension: an investigation of semantic and contextual processing skills. / Cain, Kate; Towse, Andrea S.; Knight, Rachael S.
In: Journal of Experimental Child Psychology, Vol. 102, No. 3, 03.2009, p. 280-298.

Research output: Contribution to Journal/Magazine › Journal article › peer-review

Harvard

Cain, K, Towse, AS & Knight, RS 2009, 'The development of idiom comprehension: an investigation of semantic and contextual processing skills.', Journal of Experimental Child Psychology, vol. 102, no. 3, pp. 280-298. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jecp.2008.08.001

APA

Cain, K., Towse, A. S., & Knight, R. S. (2009). The development of idiom comprehension: an investigation of semantic and contextual processing skills. Journal of Experimental Child Psychology, 102(3), 280-298. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jecp.2008.08.001

Vancouver

Cain K, Towse AS, Knight RS. The development of idiom comprehension: an investigation of semantic and contextual processing skills. Journal of Experimental Child Psychology. 2009 Mar;102(3):280-298. doi: 10.1016/j.jecp.2008.08.001

Author

Cain, Kate ; Towse, Andrea S. ; Knight, Rachael S. / The development of idiom comprehension: an investigation of semantic and contextual processing skills. In: Journal of Experimental Child Psychology. 2009 ; Vol. 102, No. 3. pp. 280-298.

Bibtex

@article{025b47e41918431381f1d0829dc03fa3,
title = "The development of idiom comprehension: an investigation of semantic and contextual processing skills.",
abstract = "Two experiments compared 7- to 8- and 9- to 10-year-olds{\textquoteright} ability to use semantic analysis and inference from context to understand idioms. We used a multiple-choice task and manipulated whether the idioms were transparent or opaque, familiar or novel, and presented with or without a supportive story context. Performance was compared to adults (Experiment One) and 11- to 12-year-olds (Experiment Two). The results broadly support the Global Elaboration Model of figurative competence (Levorato & Cacciari, 1995) with a notable exception: even the youngest children were able to use semantic analysis to derive the meanings of transparent idioms, as well as being sensitive to meaning in context. The findings show that young children process language at both the small-grained phrasal-level as well as the discourse-level to establish figurative meaning and demonstrate that the language processing skills that aid idiom comprehension, as well as idiom knowledge itself, are still not fully developed in 11- to 12-year-olds.",
keywords = "Children , Idioms, Inference from context , Semantic analysis",
author = "Kate Cain and Towse, {Andrea S.} and Knight, {Rachael S.}",
note = "The final, definitive version of this article has been published in the Journal, Journal of Experimental Child Psychology 102 (3), 2009, {\textcopyright} ELSEVIER.",
year = "2009",
month = mar,
doi = "10.1016/j.jecp.2008.08.001",
language = "English",
volume = "102",
pages = "280--298",
journal = "Journal of Experimental Child Psychology",
issn = "0022-0965",
publisher = "ELSEVIER ACADEMIC PRESS INC",
number = "3",

}

RIS

TY - JOUR

T1 - The development of idiom comprehension: an investigation of semantic and contextual processing skills.

AU - Cain, Kate

AU - Towse, Andrea S.

AU - Knight, Rachael S.

N1 - The final, definitive version of this article has been published in the Journal, Journal of Experimental Child Psychology 102 (3), 2009, © ELSEVIER.

PY - 2009/3

Y1 - 2009/3

N2 - Two experiments compared 7- to 8- and 9- to 10-year-olds’ ability to use semantic analysis and inference from context to understand idioms. We used a multiple-choice task and manipulated whether the idioms were transparent or opaque, familiar or novel, and presented with or without a supportive story context. Performance was compared to adults (Experiment One) and 11- to 12-year-olds (Experiment Two). The results broadly support the Global Elaboration Model of figurative competence (Levorato & Cacciari, 1995) with a notable exception: even the youngest children were able to use semantic analysis to derive the meanings of transparent idioms, as well as being sensitive to meaning in context. The findings show that young children process language at both the small-grained phrasal-level as well as the discourse-level to establish figurative meaning and demonstrate that the language processing skills that aid idiom comprehension, as well as idiom knowledge itself, are still not fully developed in 11- to 12-year-olds.

AB - Two experiments compared 7- to 8- and 9- to 10-year-olds’ ability to use semantic analysis and inference from context to understand idioms. We used a multiple-choice task and manipulated whether the idioms were transparent or opaque, familiar or novel, and presented with or without a supportive story context. Performance was compared to adults (Experiment One) and 11- to 12-year-olds (Experiment Two). The results broadly support the Global Elaboration Model of figurative competence (Levorato & Cacciari, 1995) with a notable exception: even the youngest children were able to use semantic analysis to derive the meanings of transparent idioms, as well as being sensitive to meaning in context. The findings show that young children process language at both the small-grained phrasal-level as well as the discourse-level to establish figurative meaning and demonstrate that the language processing skills that aid idiom comprehension, as well as idiom knowledge itself, are still not fully developed in 11- to 12-year-olds.

KW - Children

KW - Idioms

KW - Inference from context

KW - Semantic analysis

U2 - 10.1016/j.jecp.2008.08.001

DO - 10.1016/j.jecp.2008.08.001

M3 - Journal article

VL - 102

SP - 280

EP - 298

JO - Journal of Experimental Child Psychology

JF - Journal of Experimental Child Psychology

SN - 0022-0965

IS - 3

ER -