TY - JOUR
T1 - Functional reorganization in the developing lexicon
T2 - Separable and changing influences of lexical and phonological variables on children's fast-mapping
AU - McKean, Cristina
AU - Letts, Carolyn
AU - Howard, David
PY - 2013/3
Y1 - 2013/3
N2 - Neighbourhood Density (ND) and Phonotactic Probability (PP) influence word learning in children. This influence appears to change over development but the separate developmental trajectories of influence of PP and ND on word learning have not previously been mapped. This study examined the cross-sectional developmental trajectories of influence of PP and ND on fast-mapping in thirty-eight English-speaking children aged 3 ; 01-5 ; 02, in a task varying PP and ND orthogonally. PP and ND exerted separable influences on fast-mapping. Overall, low ND supported better fast-mapping. The influence of PP changed across the developmental trajectory, 'switching' from a high to a low PP advantage. A potential explanation for this 'switch' is advanced, suggesting that it represents functional reorganization in the developing lexicon, which emerges from changes in the developing lexicon, as phonological knowledge is abstracted from lexical knowledge, over development.
AB - Neighbourhood Density (ND) and Phonotactic Probability (PP) influence word learning in children. This influence appears to change over development but the separate developmental trajectories of influence of PP and ND on word learning have not previously been mapped. This study examined the cross-sectional developmental trajectories of influence of PP and ND on fast-mapping in thirty-eight English-speaking children aged 3 ; 01-5 ; 02, in a task varying PP and ND orthogonally. PP and ND exerted separable influences on fast-mapping. Overall, low ND supported better fast-mapping. The influence of PP changed across the developmental trajectory, 'switching' from a high to a low PP advantage. A potential explanation for this 'switch' is advanced, suggesting that it represents functional reorganization in the developing lexicon, which emerges from changes in the developing lexicon, as phonological knowledge is abstracted from lexical knowledge, over development.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84873419620&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1017/S0305000911000444
DO - 10.1017/S0305000911000444
M3 - Article
VL - 40
SP - 307
EP - 335
JO - Journal of Child Language
JF - Journal of Child Language
SN - 0305-0009
IS - 2
ER -