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Word Learning in the Developing Brain : ERP Dynamics of Learning Word-Object Associations

Author

  • Kristina Borgström

Summary, in English

This dissertation investigated electrophysiological measures of individual differences in toddlers’ ability to learn novel object labels and process familiar object words and their referents. The studies measured both visual and auditory event-related potentials (ERPs) in response to pictures of objects and words in a longitudinal sample of 20- to 24-month-olds, an age of dynamic vocabulary development. These ERP measures were related to the children’s productive vocabulary size as well as behavioral measures of word comprehension and object recognition.

Study I aimed to test children’s ability to map familiar words to versions of their referents displaying reduced visual information (only overall shape or isolated parts), and whether this ability correlated with vocabulary size. Children with larger vocabularies showed a stronger N400 incongruity effect in response to words paired with correct vs. incorrect shape referents specifically, and the N400 effect in the shape condition also correlated with the children’s ability to overtly identify objects from their overall shape in a behavioral test. These results are discussed in relation to previous research demonstrating the emergence of a shape bias in children’s Word extension, as well as improvements in object shape recognition, during the second year of life.

Study II investigated individual differences in novel word-object mapping and
changes with age in this ability. The overall sample showed ERP evidence of novel word learning (an N400 semantic incongruity effect) after five consistent word-object pairings at 24 months but not at 20 months. Children with large vocabularies demonstrated the same linear attenuation of N400 amplitude during novel word repetition as is commonly seen in adults, while children with smaller vocabularies did not show such attenuation until the end of the learning phase.

Study III focused on the 20 month data set and explored how visual ERPs were
modulated as object-word pairs were presented repeatedly, and how these measures of visual object processing related to successful fast mapping of the novel words to the objects. A larger attenuation of the Nc component (associated with attention) predicted successful word learning, measured as a larger N400 incongruity effect to the novel words after training. Furthermore, better initial recognition of familiar objects correlated with a stronger N400 effect to the words for those objects. The results present novel evidence for a link between efficient visual processing of objects and word learning ability.

Taken together, these findings demonstrate that the rapid vocabulary growth and striking individual differences in productive vocabulary development seen during children’s second year are linked to the dynamics of specific brain mechanisms involved in semantic processing of words and their referents.

Publishing year

2016

Language

English

Document type

Dissertation

Publisher

Lund University

Topic

  • Psychology

Keywords

  • Word Learning
  • Language development
  • EEG
  • ERP
  • N400

Status

Published

Supervisor

  • Magnus Lindgren
  • Janne von Koss Torkildsen

ISBN/ISSN/Other

  • ISBN: 978-91-7623-495-2
  • ISBN: 978-91-7623-494-5

Defence date

15 January 2016

Defence time

10:00

Defence place

Edens hörsal, Paradisgatan 5 H, Lund

Opponent

  • Jessica Horst (Dr)