Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Concept Videos

Language and Cognition01:27

Language and Cognition

514
Language serves as a bridge between ideas and communication, influencing how individuals perceive and interact with the world. Psychologists have long debated whether language shapes thought or vice versa. This discussion gained grip with Edward Sapir and Benjamin Lee Whorf in the 1940s, who proposed that language determines thought, a concept known as linguistic determinism. They suggested that the vocabulary and structure of a language influence how its speakers think and perceive reality.
514
Purposive Learning01:22

Purposive Learning

250
E. C. Tolman emphasized the purposiveness of behavior — the idea that much of our behavior is goal-directed. For instance, employees who aim for a promotion work diligently to meet their targets. Tolman argued that when classical conditioning and operant conditioning occur, the organism acquires certain expectations. In classical conditioning, a child might fear a dog because they expect it to bite. In operant conditioning, a person might consistently work overtime because they expect a...
250
Cognitive Learning01:21

Cognitive Learning

732
Cognitive learning is based on purposive behavior, incidental learning, and insight learning.
E. C. Tolman's theory of purposive behavior emphasizes that much behavior is goal-directed. He argued that to understand behavior, we must look at the entire sequence of actions leading to a goal. For instance, high school students study hard, not just due to past reinforcement but also to achieve the goal of getting into a good college.
Tolman introduced the idea that behavior is influenced by...
732
Mnemonic Devices01:23

Mnemonic Devices

214
Mnemonic devices are cognitive tools that facilitate memory retention by linking new information to familiar patterns or organizational strategies. These techniques are beneficial for remembering complex or lengthy sets of information by simplifying and structuring them in easily retrievable ways.
Acronyms
Acronyms are created by using the initial letters of a series of words to form a new word or phrase. This approach condenses complex information into a single, memorable entity. For example,...
214
Associative Learning01:27

Associative Learning

729
Associative learning is a fundamental concept in behavioral psychology, wherein a connection is established between two stimuli or events, leading to a learned response. This process is critical in understanding how behaviors are acquired and modified. Conditioning, the mechanism through which associations are formed, can be divided into two main types: classical conditioning and operant conditioning, each elucidating different aspects of associative learning.
Classical conditioning, also known...
729
Higher Mental Functions of the Brain: Language01:10

Higher Mental Functions of the Brain: Language

2.1K
Language is a system of communication that allows the expression of thoughts, ideas, and feelings. The brain processes language in both hemispheres.
Language formation and comprehension take place in the dominant hemisphere. The dominant hemisphere is responsible for understanding the meaning of spoken, written, or sign language, as well as the ability to communicate. For most people, the left hemisphere is the dominant one. The right hemisphere, then, gives tone and emotional context to the...
2.1K

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Formal theories clarify the complex: Generalizing a neural process account of the interaction of visual exploration and word learning in infancy.

Child development·2023
Same author

Vocabulary and automatic attention: The relation between novel words and gaze dynamics in noun generalization.

Developmental science·2023
Same author

Late bloomer or language disorder? Differences in toddler vocabulary composition associated with long-term language outcomes.

Developmental science·2022
Same author

Word-Object Learning via Visual Exploration in Space (WOLVES): A neural process model of cross-situational word learning.

Psychological review·2021
Same author

Learning words in space and time: Contrasting models of the suspicious coincidence effect.

Cognition·2021
Same author

Fast Mapping but Poor Retention by 24-Month-Old Infants.

Infancy : the official journal of the International Society on Infant Studies·2021

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Oct 25, 2025

Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation tDCS of Wernicke's and Broca's Areas in Studies of Language Learning and Word Acquisition
12:49

Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation tDCS of Wernicke's and Broca's Areas in Studies of Language Learning and Word Acquisition

Published on: July 13, 2019

17.4K

Toward a Precision Science of Word Learning: Understanding Individual Vocabulary Pathways.

Larissa K Samuelson1

  • 1University of East Anglia.

Child Development Perspectives
|August 9, 2021
PubMed
Summary

Children

Area of Science:

  • Developmental Psychology
  • Cognitive Science
  • Linguistics

Background:

  • Toddlers exhibit significant variation in vocabulary acquisition rates.
  • Early vocabulary development predicts later academic success, but individual trajectories remain unclear.
  • Current understanding lacks a theoretical framework for the complex system of word learning.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To propose a theoretical model of the word learning system in toddlers.
  • To investigate the interplay of cognitive processes in individual word learning pathways.
  • To identify factors contributing to varied vocabulary development and predict long-term outcomes.

Main Methods:

  • Theoretical analysis of word learning challenges and supporting cognitive processes.
Keywords:
formal modelsindividual differencesword learning

More Related Videos

Lexical Decision Task for Studying Written Word Recognition in Adults with and without Dementia or Mild Cognitive Impairment
06:48

Lexical Decision Task for Studying Written Word Recognition in Adults with and without Dementia or Mild Cognitive Impairment

Published on: June 25, 2019

9.4K
Measuring Statistical Learning Across Modalities and Domains in School-Aged Children Via an Online Platform and Neuroimaging Techniques
08:05

Measuring Statistical Learning Across Modalities and Domains in School-Aged Children Via an Online Platform and Neuroimaging Techniques

Published on: June 30, 2020

7.8K

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Oct 25, 2025

Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation tDCS of Wernicke's and Broca's Areas in Studies of Language Learning and Word Acquisition
12:49

Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation tDCS of Wernicke's and Broca's Areas in Studies of Language Learning and Word Acquisition

Published on: July 13, 2019

17.4K
Lexical Decision Task for Studying Written Word Recognition in Adults with and without Dementia or Mild Cognitive Impairment
06:48

Lexical Decision Task for Studying Written Word Recognition in Adults with and without Dementia or Mild Cognitive Impairment

Published on: June 25, 2019

9.4K
Measuring Statistical Learning Across Modalities and Domains in School-Aged Children Via an Online Platform and Neuroimaging Techniques
08:05

Measuring Statistical Learning Across Modalities and Domains in School-Aged Children Via an Online Platform and Neuroimaging Techniques

Published on: June 30, 2020

7.8K
  • Discussion of existing evidence on early language development.
  • Development of a formal model for the word learning system and its temporal changes.

    • Main Results:

    • Children face challenges in learning even basic nouns.
    • Multiple general cognitive processes underpin word learning.
    • Significant developmental changes occur in the second year of life.

    Conclusions:

    • A systems-level understanding is needed to explain individual differences in toddler vocabulary development.
    • A formal model can elucidate how cognitive strengths and weaknesses shape unique word learning pathways.
    • This research aims to improve prediction of language outcomes and inform targeted interventions.