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Published on: July 13, 2019
The logical syntax of number words: theory, acquisition and processing
1Department of Psychology and Center for Cognitive Science, Rutgers University, 152 Frelinghuysen Road, Piscataway, NJ 08854-8020, USA. julienm@ruccs.rutgers.edu
Cognition
|February 17, 2009
Summary
Children aged 5 understand number word syntax, but process it differently than adults. This study uses psycholinguistic experiments to reveal these developmental differences in number word acquisition and processing.
Area of Science:
- Linguistics
- Developmental Psychology
- Psycholinguistics
Background:
- Recent research integrates linguistic and developmental views on number word acquisition.
- Experimental data from child language illuminate semantic and pragmatic theories of number terms.
Purpose of the Study:
- Investigate the logico-syntactic properties of number words in English.
- Examine numeral interactions and their combinations with quantifiers.
- Compare number word processing in preschoolers and adults.
Main Methods:
- Conducted psycholinguistic experiments with 32 preschoolers and 32 adults.
- Analyzed sentence interpretations involving number words and quantifiers.
- Utilized a linguistically-based processing model for analysis.
Main Results:
- Adults' linguistic intuitions about number word interpretations were experimentally verified.
- Five-year-old children demonstrate knowledge of core number word logical syntax.
- Systematic differences exist between children's and adults' processing of number words.
Conclusions:
- Children's developmental differences in number word processing can be explained by a processing model.
- This research bridges number vocabulary acquisition with quantification and sentence processing development.
- Findings underscore the importance of integrating formal linguistic theories with developmental perspectives.
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