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Children aged 2;1 use transitive syntax to make a semantic-role interpretation in a pointing task

Dittmar, Miriam, Abbot-Smith, Kirsten, Lieven, Elena, Tomasello, Michael (2011) Children aged 2;1 use transitive syntax to make a semantic-role interpretation in a pointing task. Journal of Child Language, 38 (5). pp. 1-15. ISSN 0305-0009. (doi:10.1017/S0305000910000747) (KAR id:28066)

Abstract

The current study used a forced choice pointing paradigm to examine whether English children aged 2;1 can use abstract knowledge of the relationship between word order position and semantic roles to make an active behavioural decision when interpreting active transitive sentences with novel verbs, when the actions are identical in the target and foil video clips. The children pointed significantly above chance with novel verbs but only if the final trial was excluded. With familiar verbs the children pointed consistently above chance. Children aged 2;7 did not show these tiring effects and their performance in the familiar and novel verb conditions was always equivalent.

Item Type: Article
DOI/Identification number: 10.1017/S0305000910000747
Subjects: B Philosophy. Psychology. Religion
Divisions: Divisions > Division of Human and Social Sciences > School of Psychology
Depositing User: Kirsten Abbot-Smith
Date Deposited: 21 Aug 2011 14:33 UTC
Last Modified: 16 Nov 2021 10:06 UTC
Resource URI: https://kar.kent.ac.uk/id/eprint/28066 (The current URI for this page, for reference purposes)

University of Kent Author Information

Abbot-Smith, Kirsten.

Creator's ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8623-0664
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