Journal article
Using variability to guide dimensional weighting: Associative mechanisms in early word learning
Cognitive science, Vol.35(6), pp.1105-1138
08/2011
DOI: 10.1111/j.1551-6709.2011.01181.x
PMCID: PMC3601333
PMID: 21609356
Abstract
At 14 months, children appear to struggle to apply their fairly well developed speech perception abilities to learning similar sounding words (e.g.\nbih/dih\n;\nStager & Werker, 1997\n). However, variability in non-phonetic aspects of the training stimuli seems to aid word learning at this age. Extant theories of early word learning cannot account for this benefit of variability. We offer a simple explanation for this range of effects based on associative learning. Simulations suggest that if infants encode both non-contrastive information (e.g. cues to speaker voice) and meaningful linguistic cues (e.g. place of articulation or voicing), then associative learning mechanisms predict these variability effects in early word learning. Crucially, this means that despite the importance of task variables in predicting performance, this body of work shows that phonological categories are still developing in this age, and that the structure of non-informative cues has critical influences on word learning abilities.
Details
- Title: Subtitle
- Using variability to guide dimensional weighting: Associative mechanisms in early word learning
- Creators
- Keith S Apfelbaum - Dept. of Psychology, University of IowaBob McMurray - Dept. of Psychology and Delta Center, University of Iowa
- Resource Type
- Journal article
- Publication Details
- Cognitive science, Vol.35(6), pp.1105-1138
- DOI
- 10.1111/j.1551-6709.2011.01181.x
- PMID
- 21609356
- PMCID
- PMC3601333
- ISSN
- 0364-0213
- eISSN
- 1551-6709
- Grant note
- R01 DC008089 || DC / National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders : NIDCD
- Language
- English
- Date published
- 08/2011
- Academic Unit
- Communication Sciences and Disorders; Linguistics; Psychological and Brain Sciences; Iowa Neuroscience Institute; Otolaryngology
- Record Identifier
- 9984070376102771
Metrics
26 Record Views