Effects of Input Consistency on Children’s Cross-Situational Statistical Learning of Words and Morphophonological Rules
Children learn linguistic structures from the input they receive. Their learning may depend on several factors such as children’s sensitivity to structure in the input, prior language experience, and the consistency of linguistic structures in the input. In this study, we investigated how inconsiste...
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2025-03-01
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| author | Marica Savarino Merel van Witteloostuijn Josje Verhagen Judith Rispens Imme Lammertink |
| author_facet | Marica Savarino Merel van Witteloostuijn Josje Verhagen Judith Rispens Imme Lammertink |
| author_sort | Marica Savarino |
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| description | Children learn linguistic structures from the input they receive. Their learning may depend on several factors such as children’s sensitivity to structure in the input, prior language experience, and the consistency of linguistic structures in the input. In this study, we investigated how inconsistent input (i.e., substitution errors) in an artificial language affects 7 to 11-year-old Dutch-speaking children’s learning of words and rules. Using a cross-situational statistical learning task (CSL task), we assessed children’s learning of label–referent pairs (word learning) and their generalization of two morphophonological rules. Eighty-nine children were randomly allocated to three input conditions: a fully consistent input condition (<i>n</i> = 31), a 12.5% inconsistent input condition (<i>n</i> = 32), and a 25% inconsistent input condition (<i>n</i> = 26). In the inconsistent input conditions, children were exposed to substitution errors, respectively, 12.5% and 25% of the time. We found evidence that substitution errors in children’s language input hindered their cross-situational statistical language learning. While we have evidence that children learned the words in our artificial language, we have no evidence that children—regardless of input condition—detected the morphophonological rules. This study eventually may inform us on how differences in the quality of children’s language environments (arising from, e.g., speaker variability and language proficiency) affect their language learning. |
| format | Article |
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| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-03-01 |
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| spelling | doaj-art-e183b69668854e6283bedd98edc68f442025-08-20T02:11:08ZengMDPI AGLanguages2226-471X2025-03-011035210.3390/languages10030052Effects of Input Consistency on Children’s Cross-Situational Statistical Learning of Words and Morphophonological RulesMarica Savarino0Merel van Witteloostuijn1Josje Verhagen2Judith Rispens3Imme Lammertink4Amsterdam Center for Language and Communication, University of Amsterdam, 1012 WP Amsterdam, The NetherlandsDerpartment of Development and Education of Youth in Diverse Societies (DEEDS), Utrecht University, Heidelberglaan 8, 3584 CS Utrecht, The NetherlandsAmsterdam Center for Language and Communication, University of Amsterdam, 1012 WP Amsterdam, The NetherlandsAmsterdam Center for Language and Communication, University of Amsterdam, 1012 WP Amsterdam, The NetherlandsCentre for Language Studies, Radboud University, Houtlaan 4, 6525 XZ Nijmegen, The NetherlandsChildren learn linguistic structures from the input they receive. Their learning may depend on several factors such as children’s sensitivity to structure in the input, prior language experience, and the consistency of linguistic structures in the input. In this study, we investigated how inconsistent input (i.e., substitution errors) in an artificial language affects 7 to 11-year-old Dutch-speaking children’s learning of words and rules. Using a cross-situational statistical learning task (CSL task), we assessed children’s learning of label–referent pairs (word learning) and their generalization of two morphophonological rules. Eighty-nine children were randomly allocated to three input conditions: a fully consistent input condition (<i>n</i> = 31), a 12.5% inconsistent input condition (<i>n</i> = 32), and a 25% inconsistent input condition (<i>n</i> = 26). In the inconsistent input conditions, children were exposed to substitution errors, respectively, 12.5% and 25% of the time. We found evidence that substitution errors in children’s language input hindered their cross-situational statistical language learning. While we have evidence that children learned the words in our artificial language, we have no evidence that children—regardless of input condition—detected the morphophonological rules. This study eventually may inform us on how differences in the quality of children’s language environments (arising from, e.g., speaker variability and language proficiency) affect their language learning.https://www.mdpi.com/2226-471X/10/3/52cross-situational statistical learninglanguage inputprimary school-aged childrenDutch-speaking monolingual childrenartificial grammar learning |
| spellingShingle | Marica Savarino Merel van Witteloostuijn Josje Verhagen Judith Rispens Imme Lammertink Effects of Input Consistency on Children’s Cross-Situational Statistical Learning of Words and Morphophonological Rules Languages cross-situational statistical learning language input primary school-aged children Dutch-speaking monolingual children artificial grammar learning |
| title | Effects of Input Consistency on Children’s Cross-Situational Statistical Learning of Words and Morphophonological Rules |
| title_full | Effects of Input Consistency on Children’s Cross-Situational Statistical Learning of Words and Morphophonological Rules |
| title_fullStr | Effects of Input Consistency on Children’s Cross-Situational Statistical Learning of Words and Morphophonological Rules |
| title_full_unstemmed | Effects of Input Consistency on Children’s Cross-Situational Statistical Learning of Words and Morphophonological Rules |
| title_short | Effects of Input Consistency on Children’s Cross-Situational Statistical Learning of Words and Morphophonological Rules |
| title_sort | effects of input consistency on children s cross situational statistical learning of words and morphophonological rules |
| topic | cross-situational statistical learning language input primary school-aged children Dutch-speaking monolingual children artificial grammar learning |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2226-471X/10/3/52 |
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