Journal article
Visual and haptic responses as measures of word comprehension and speed of processing in toddlers: Relative predictive utility
Journal of experimental child psychology, Vol.203, pp.105032-105032
03/2021
DOI: 10.1016/j.jecp.2020.105032
PMCID: PMC7855197
PMID: 33221662
Abstract
•Toddlers’ vocabulary size and speed of word processing predict later vocabulary.•This pattern holds for visual but not haptic speed of processing.•Vocabulary remains significant when controlling for speed but not vice versa.•Vocabulary and speed of processing vary in their relative predictive strength.
Early vocabulary knowledge and speed of word processing are important foundational skills for the development of preschool and school-age language and cognition. However, the variance in outcomes accounted for by parent-reported receptive or expressive vocabulary is generally modest. Recent research suggests that directly assessed, decontextualized vocabulary predicts developmental outcomes, including general language ability and kindergarten readiness, accounting for additional variance above and beyond parent-reported vocabulary. The current research extends this finding by exploring prediction from both decontextualized vocabulary and speed of word processing at 2 years of age to vocabulary during the preschool period. At age 2, children completed a two-alternative forced-choice task that yielded a measure of decontextualized vocabulary (number of correct touch responses) and two measures of speed of processing: latency to fixate the target (visual response latency) and latency to touch (haptic response latency). Results reveal that age 2 vocabulary and visual response latency, but not haptic response latency, independently predict vocabulary at ages 3 and 4. Furthermore, only decontextualized vocabulary remains a significant predictor when controlling for speed of processing, but not vice versa. This suggests that the number of early, stable word–referent associations and the efficiency with which these are processed are important to vocabulary outcomes. However, it also suggests that decontextualized vocabulary may be a more robust unique predictor of downstream outcomes.
Details
- Title: Subtitle
- Visual and haptic responses as measures of word comprehension and speed of processing in toddlers: Relative predictive utility
- Creators
- Erin Smolak - San Diego State UniversityKristi Hendrickson - University of IowaPascal Zesiger - University of GenevaDiane Poulin-Dubois - Concordia UniversityMargaret Friend - San Diego State University
- Resource Type
- Journal article
- Publication Details
- Journal of experimental child psychology, Vol.203, pp.105032-105032
- DOI
- 10.1016/j.jecp.2020.105032
- PMID
- 33221662
- PMCID
- PMC7855197
- NLM abbreviation
- J Exp Child Psychol
- ISSN
- 0022-0965
- eISSN
- 1096-0457
- Publisher
- Elsevier Inc
- Language
- English
- Date published
- 03/2021
- Academic Unit
- Communication Sciences and Disorders; Center for Social Science Innovation
- Record Identifier
- 9984258854002771
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