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Updated: Jul 16, 2026
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Experience is Instrumental in Tuning a Link Between Language and Cognition: Evidence from 6- to 7- Month-Old Infants' Object Categorization
Published on: April 19, 2017
Lexical exposure and word-form encoding in 1.5-year-olds
1Department of Psychology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA. swingley@psych.upenn.edu
Developmental Psychology
|March 14, 2007
Summary
Infants
Area of Science:
- Developmental Psychology
- Linguistics
- Cognitive Science
Background:
- Early word learning in infants is crucial for language acquisition.
- Understanding the fidelity of phonological encoding is key to deciphering learning mechanisms.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate phonological encoding fidelity in 1.5-year-old infants.
- To determine the impact of familiarization with phonological forms on word recognition.
- To explore the relationship between word exposure and encoding accuracy.
Main Methods:
- A novel word was taught to 1.5-year-olds.
- Phonological form familiarization preceded word-meaning learning for some infants.
- A picture-fixation task assessed phonological encoding fidelity using correct and mispronounced stimuli.
Main Results:
- Infants with additional phonological familiarization showed reduced recognition of mispronounced words.
- Infants with less familiarization did not exhibit this reduced recognition.
- Mathematical modeling suggested frequent word exposure can support accurate encoding.
Conclusions:
- Evidence suggests partial failure in phonological encoding around 19 months of age.
- This encoding limitation does not invariably impede word recognition.
- Infants' word-form encoding plays a vital role in early lexical development.
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