Research output: Contribution to Journal/Magazine › Journal article › peer-review
Research output: Contribution to Journal/Magazine › Journal article › peer-review
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TY - JOUR
T1 - That's more like it
T2 - multiple exemplars facilitate word learning
AU - Twomey, Katherine
AU - Ranson, Samantha
AU - Horst, Jessica
PY - 2014/4/30
Y1 - 2014/4/30
N2 - Previous research indicates learning words facilitates categorisation. The current study explores how categorisation affects word learning. In the current study, we investigated whether learning about a category facilitates retention of newly learned words by presenting 2-year-old children with multiple referent selection trials to the same object category. In Experiment 1, children either encountered the same exemplar repeatedly or encountered multiple exemplars across trials. All children did very well on the initial task; however, only children who encountered multiple exemplars retained these mappings after a short delay. Experiment 2 replicated and extended this finding by exploring the effect of within-category variability on children's word retention. Children encountered either narrow or broad exemplars across trials. Again, all children did very well on the initial task; however, only children who encountered narrow exemplars retained mappings after a short delay. Overall, these data offer strong evidence that providing children with the opportunity to compare across exemplars during fast mapping facilitates retention.
AB - Previous research indicates learning words facilitates categorisation. The current study explores how categorisation affects word learning. In the current study, we investigated whether learning about a category facilitates retention of newly learned words by presenting 2-year-old children with multiple referent selection trials to the same object category. In Experiment 1, children either encountered the same exemplar repeatedly or encountered multiple exemplars across trials. All children did very well on the initial task; however, only children who encountered multiple exemplars retained these mappings after a short delay. Experiment 2 replicated and extended this finding by exploring the effect of within-category variability on children's word retention. Children encountered either narrow or broad exemplars across trials. Again, all children did very well on the initial task; however, only children who encountered narrow exemplars retained mappings after a short delay. Overall, these data offer strong evidence that providing children with the opportunity to compare across exemplars during fast mapping facilitates retention.
KW - word learning
KW - categorisation
KW - fast mapping
KW - Language acquisition
U2 - 10.1002/icd.1824
DO - 10.1002/icd.1824
M3 - Journal article
VL - 23
SP - 105
EP - 122
JO - Infant and Child Development
JF - Infant and Child Development
SN - 1522-7227
IS - 2
ER -