Abstract
Children can easily link a novel word to a novel, unnamed object—something referred to as fast mapping. Despite the ease and speed with which children do this, their memories for novel fast-mapped words can be poor unless they receive memory supports such as further exposure to the words or sleep. Axelsson, Swinton, Winiger, and Horst (2018) found that 2.5-year-old children who napped after fast mapping had better retention of novel words than children who did not nap. Retention declined for those who did not nap. The children received no memory supports and determined the word-object mappings independently. Previous studies report enhanced memories after sleeping in children and adults, but the napping children’s retention in the Axelsson et al. study remained steady across time. We report a follow-up investigation where memory supports are provided after fast mapping to test whether memories would be enhanced following napping. Children’s retention of novel words improved and remained greater than chance; however, there was no nap effect with no significant difference between the children who napped and those who did not. These findings suggest that when memory supports are provided, retention improves, and the word–object mappings remain stable over time. When memory traces are weak and labile, such as after fast mapping, without further memory supports, sleeping soon after helps stabilise and prevent decay of word–object mappings.
Highlights
Understanding and remembering new words is a key part of language development [1]
Using the mutual exclusivity assumption [8,9]—where children assume that each object can only have one label—children quickly guess the meaning of a novel word
The effect of each variable was assessed within models along with comparisons between models using likelihood ratio tests (LRT) based on the models’ –2 loglikelihood (−2LL) values
Summary
Understanding and remembering new words is a key part of language development [1]. Children hear on average 17,000 words per day [2,3,4]. When not explicitly told the labels for objects, children use strategies to determine what a speaker is referring to when hearing a novel word [7,8]. Using the mutual exclusivity assumption [8,9]—where children assume that each object can only have one label—children quickly guess the meaning of a novel word. This is often referred to as “fast mapping” [10] or “referent selection”
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
