English-Learning 12-Month-Olds Do Not Map Function-Like Words to Objects

Abstract

ABSTRACT By 12 months, English-learning infants have an awareness of the sound patterns of word forms that constitute acceptable labels for objects in their native language. In the following experiments, we replicated and extended previous findings that Canadian English-learning infants will not link function-like words with novel objects. Across three experiments using the Switch task, 101 infants living in Calgary, Canada, were habituated to two CV and VC word-object pairings. At test, infants did not look longer on the Switch trial and the Same trial, suggesting they did not form word-object associations between prototypical function words and a novel object in any of the experiments (ps>0.5). This set of null results extends prior research showing that Canadian English-learning infants will not link function-like words with novel objects and suggests that infants’ prior experience with their native language may constrain their learning of novel labels.