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Children Make Use of Relationships across Meanings in Word Learning

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Title: Children Make Use of Relationships across Meanings in Word Learning
Language: English
Authors: Floyd, Sammy (ORCID 0000-0003-2011-9191), Goldberg, Adele E.
Source: Journal of Experimental Psychology: Learning, Memory, and Cognition. Jan 2021 47(1):29-44.
Availability: American Psychological Association. Journals Department, 750 First Street NE, Washington, DC 20002. Tel: 800-374-2721; Tel: 202-336-5510; Fax: 202-336-5502; e-mail: order@apa.org; Web site: http://www.apa.org
Peer Reviewed: Y
Page Count: 16
Publication Date: 2021
Document Type: Journal Articles
Reports - Research
Descriptors: Vocabulary Development, Semantics, Task Analysis, Correlation, Preschool Children, Young Children, Adults, Ambiguity (Semantics), Learning Processes, Novelty (Stimulus Dimension), Comparative Analysis, Age Differences, Video Technology, Language Tests, Psycholinguistics
DOI: 10.1037/xlm0000821
ISSN: 0278-7393
Abstract: Many words are associated with more than a single meaning. Words are sometimes "ambiguous," applying to unrelated meanings, but the majority of frequent words are "polysemous" in that they apply to multiple "related" meanings. In a preregistered design that included 2 tasks, we tested adults' and 4.5- to 7-year-old children's ability to learn 4 novel polysemous words or 4 novel ambiguous words. Both children and adults demonstrated a polysemy over ambiguity learning advantage on each task after exposure, showing better learning of novel words with multiple related meanings than novel words with unrelated meanings. Stimuli in the polysemy condition were designed and then normed to guard against learners relying on a simple definition to distinguish the multiple target meanings for each word from foils. We retested available participants after a week-long delay without providing additional exposure and found that adults' performance remained strong in the polysemy condition in 1 task, and children's performance remained strong in the polysemy condition in both tasks. We conclude that participants are adept at learning polysemous words that vary along multiple dimensions. Current results are consistent with the idea that ambiguous meanings of a word compete, but polysemous meanings instead reinforce one another.
Abstractor: As Provided
Entry Date: 2021
Accession Number: EJ1281033
Database: ERIC
FullText Text:
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  Data: Children Make Use of Relationships across Meanings in Word Learning
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Floyd%2C+Sammy%22">Floyd, Sammy</searchLink> (ORCID <externalLink term="https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2011-9191">0000-0003-2011-9191</externalLink>)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Goldberg%2C+Adele+E%2E%22">Goldberg, Adele E.</searchLink>
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="SO" term="%22Journal+of+Experimental+Psychology%3A+Learning%2C+Memory%2C+and+Cognition%22"><i>Journal of Experimental Psychology: Learning, Memory, and Cognition</i></searchLink>. Jan 2021 47(1):29-44.
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  Data: American Psychological Association. Journals Department, 750 First Street NE, Washington, DC 20002. Tel: 800-374-2721; Tel: 202-336-5510; Fax: 202-336-5502; e-mail: order@apa.org; Web site: http://www.apa.org
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  Data: 16
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Vocabulary+Development%22">Vocabulary Development</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Semantics%22">Semantics</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Task+Analysis%22">Task Analysis</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Correlation%22">Correlation</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Preschool+Children%22">Preschool Children</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Young+Children%22">Young Children</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Adults%22">Adults</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Ambiguity+%28Semantics%29%22">Ambiguity (Semantics)</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Learning+Processes%22">Learning Processes</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Novelty+%28Stimulus+Dimension%29%22">Novelty (Stimulus Dimension)</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Comparative+Analysis%22">Comparative Analysis</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Age+Differences%22">Age Differences</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Video+Technology%22">Video Technology</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Language+Tests%22">Language Tests</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Psycholinguistics%22">Psycholinguistics</searchLink>
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  Data: 10.1037/xlm0000821
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  Data: 0278-7393
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  Data: Many words are associated with more than a single meaning. Words are sometimes "ambiguous," applying to unrelated meanings, but the majority of frequent words are "polysemous" in that they apply to multiple "related" meanings. In a preregistered design that included 2 tasks, we tested adults' and 4.5- to 7-year-old children's ability to learn 4 novel polysemous words or 4 novel ambiguous words. Both children and adults demonstrated a polysemy over ambiguity learning advantage on each task after exposure, showing better learning of novel words with multiple related meanings than novel words with unrelated meanings. Stimuli in the polysemy condition were designed and then normed to guard against learners relying on a simple definition to distinguish the multiple target meanings for each word from foils. We retested available participants after a week-long delay without providing additional exposure and found that adults' performance remained strong in the polysemy condition in 1 task, and children's performance remained strong in the polysemy condition in both tasks. We conclude that participants are adept at learning polysemous words that vary along multiple dimensions. Current results are consistent with the idea that ambiguous meanings of a word compete, but polysemous meanings instead reinforce one another.
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        Value: 10.1037/xlm0000821
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      – Text: English
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        PageCount: 16
        StartPage: 29
    Subjects:
      – SubjectFull: Vocabulary Development
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      – SubjectFull: Semantics
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      – SubjectFull: Task Analysis
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      – SubjectFull: Preschool Children
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      – SubjectFull: Learning Processes
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      – SubjectFull: Novelty (Stimulus Dimension)
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      – SubjectFull: Language Tests
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      – SubjectFull: Psycholinguistics
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      – TitleFull: Children Make Use of Relationships across Meanings in Word Learning
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