Analogical reasoning in children with specific language impairment
Sandrine Leroy1, Christophe Parisse, Christelle Maillart
1University of Liège, Department of Psychology: Cognition and Behaviour, Liège, Belgium. Sandrine.Leroy@ulg.ac.be
Abstract:
Usage-based theory considers analogical reasoning as a cognitive process required in language development. We hypothesized that difficulties with analogical reasoning could hinder the abstraction of construction schemas, thus slowing down morphosyntactic development for children with specific language impairment (SLI). We also hypothesized, in accordance with usage-based theory, that the same analogy mechanism is shared by linguistic and non-linguistic processes. The current study investigated the performance of 15 children with SLI in comparison with age-matched peers on a non-linguistic analogical reasoning task. Our experimental setting targeted two prerequisites of analogical reasoning: structural alignment and the discovery of relational similarity in comparison with perceptual similarity. The results obtained are compatible with our hypotheses according to which children with SLI would encounter problems building more abstract construction schemas, related to difficulties with analogical reasoning. The study also shows that children with SLI have specific cognitive difficulties regardless of their linguistic development.
Related Concept Videos
Language Development
The critical period for language acquisition suggests that the ability to acquire language is at its peak early in life. As people age, this proficiency decreases. Language development begins very...
Language and Cognition
Piaget's Stage 2 of Cognitive Development
Inductive Reasoning
Inductive reasoning is common in descriptive science. A life scientist makes observations and records them. This data can be qualitative or...
Piaget's Stage 3 of Cognitive Development
Conservation and Constancy of Quantity
A significant cognitive milestone in the concrete...
Deductive Reasoning
For example, a researcher can deduce specific predictions...


