The role of executive function in the processing and acquisition of syntax
Language acquisition is multifaceted, relying on cognitive and social abilities in addition to language-specific skills. We hypothesized that executive function (EF) may assist language development by enabling children to revise misinterpretations during online processing, encode language input more...
Saved in:
| Main Authors: | , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
The Royal Society
2025-03-01
|
| Series: | Royal Society Open Science |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/rsos.201497 |
| Tags: |
Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| _version_ | 1850067235653025792 |
|---|---|
| author | Malathi Thothathiri Evan Kidd Caroline Rowland |
| author_facet | Malathi Thothathiri Evan Kidd Caroline Rowland |
| author_sort | Malathi Thothathiri |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Language acquisition is multifaceted, relying on cognitive and social abilities in addition to language-specific skills. We hypothesized that executive function (EF) may assist language development by enabling children to revise misinterpretations during online processing, encode language input more accurately and/or learn non-canonical sentence structures like the passive better over time. One hundred and twenty Dutch preschoolers each completed three sessions of testing (pre-test, exposure and post-test). During pre-test and post-test, we measured their comprehension of passive sentences and performance in three EF tasks. In the exposure session, we tracked children’s eye movements as they listened to passive (and other) sentences. Each child was also assessed for short-term memory and receptive language. Multiple regression evaluated the relationship between EF and online processing and longer-term learning. EF predicted online revision accuracy, while controlling for receptive language, prior passive knowledge and short-term memory, consistent with theories linking EF to the revision of misinterpretations. EF was also associated with longer-term learning, but the results could not disentangle EF from receptive language. These findings broadly support a role for EF in language acquisition, including a specific role in revision during sentence processing and potentially other roles that depend on reciprocal interaction between EF and receptive language. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-77e37d58db0a42f0b385477deeafb094 |
| institution | DOAJ |
| issn | 2054-5703 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-03-01 |
| publisher | The Royal Society |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Royal Society Open Science |
| spelling | doaj-art-77e37d58db0a42f0b385477deeafb0942025-08-20T02:48:24ZengThe Royal SocietyRoyal Society Open Science2054-57032025-03-0112310.1098/rsos.201497The role of executive function in the processing and acquisition of syntaxMalathi Thothathiri0Evan Kidd1Caroline Rowland2Department of Speech, Language and Hearing Sciences, The George Washington University, Washington, DC, USAMax Planck Institute for Psycholinguistics, Nijmegen, Gelderland, The NetherlandsMax Planck Institute for Psycholinguistics, Nijmegen, Gelderland, The NetherlandsLanguage acquisition is multifaceted, relying on cognitive and social abilities in addition to language-specific skills. We hypothesized that executive function (EF) may assist language development by enabling children to revise misinterpretations during online processing, encode language input more accurately and/or learn non-canonical sentence structures like the passive better over time. One hundred and twenty Dutch preschoolers each completed three sessions of testing (pre-test, exposure and post-test). During pre-test and post-test, we measured their comprehension of passive sentences and performance in three EF tasks. In the exposure session, we tracked children’s eye movements as they listened to passive (and other) sentences. Each child was also assessed for short-term memory and receptive language. Multiple regression evaluated the relationship between EF and online processing and longer-term learning. EF predicted online revision accuracy, while controlling for receptive language, prior passive knowledge and short-term memory, consistent with theories linking EF to the revision of misinterpretations. EF was also associated with longer-term learning, but the results could not disentangle EF from receptive language. These findings broadly support a role for EF in language acquisition, including a specific role in revision during sentence processing and potentially other roles that depend on reciprocal interaction between EF and receptive language.https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/rsos.201497executive functionsyntaxeye-trackingchildrensentence processinglanguage acquisition |
| spellingShingle | Malathi Thothathiri Evan Kidd Caroline Rowland The role of executive function in the processing and acquisition of syntax Royal Society Open Science executive function syntax eye-tracking children sentence processing language acquisition |
| title | The role of executive function in the processing and acquisition of syntax |
| title_full | The role of executive function in the processing and acquisition of syntax |
| title_fullStr | The role of executive function in the processing and acquisition of syntax |
| title_full_unstemmed | The role of executive function in the processing and acquisition of syntax |
| title_short | The role of executive function in the processing and acquisition of syntax |
| title_sort | role of executive function in the processing and acquisition of syntax |
| topic | executive function syntax eye-tracking children sentence processing language acquisition |
| url | https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/rsos.201497 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT malathithothathiri theroleofexecutivefunctionintheprocessingandacquisitionofsyntax AT evankidd theroleofexecutivefunctionintheprocessingandacquisitionofsyntax AT carolinerowland theroleofexecutivefunctionintheprocessingandacquisitionofsyntax AT malathithothathiri roleofexecutivefunctionintheprocessingandacquisitionofsyntax AT evankidd roleofexecutivefunctionintheprocessingandacquisitionofsyntax AT carolinerowland roleofexecutivefunctionintheprocessingandacquisitionofsyntax |