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Inferential language processes across adolescence: A test with novel idioms.
Jamila Hattouti1,2, Sandrine Gil1,2, Yves Almecija1,2
1Université de Poitiers, France.
Scandinavian Journal of Psychology
|March 9, 2019
Summary
Adolescents improve in understanding idioms through contextual cues, demonstrating that inferential skills develop beyond childhood. This study highlights the importance of context in language comprehension during development.
Area of Science:
- Psycholinguistics
- Developmental Psychology
- Cognitive Science
Background:
- Idiom comprehension is crucial for effective communication.
- This ability relies on inferring meaning from contextual cues.
- Developmental changes in inferential abilities during adolescence are not fully understood.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the developmental trajectory of idiom comprehension across adolescence.
- To examine how contextual and semantic inferences contribute to idiom understanding.
- To explore the role of narrative context in supporting idiomatic expression interpretation.
Main Methods:
- A computerized system simulating communication situations using short videos.
- Four age groups (11, 13, 15, and adults) participated.
- Idiom familiarity was controlled, and idiom transparency (transparent vs. opaque) and narrative context (supportive vs. nonsupportive) were manipulated.
Main Results:
- Significant improvement in idiom comprehension based on contextual inferences was observed with age.
- No significant differences were found in semantic inferences related to idiom comprehension across age groups.
- Idiom transparency and supportive narrative context influenced comprehension, particularly in younger adolescents.
Conclusions:
- Inferential ability, specifically contextual inference, continues to develop throughout adolescence.
- The findings support the notion that language comprehension skills mature beyond childhood.
- Understanding the developmental progression of inferential skills is key to explaining adolescent language acquisition.
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