Desirable Difficulties in Children's Word Learning

University Of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles CA

Investigators

Linked publications, trials & patents

Abstract

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): This research seeks to understand the processes of word learning and gain an understanding of the underlying nature of language acquisition. To date, theory, research, and clinical practice have concentrated on ways to minimize difficulty in the task of word learning. However, memory and desirable difficulties theory suggest that difficulty can be a good thing2mechanisms that initially make learning hard actually promote long-term learning. This proposal seeks to apply desirable difficulties to tasks other than memory, such as real-world word learning situations. Because of the intimate relationship between memory and word learning, it is expected that more difficult learning tasks will promote children's memory for words, despite the increased difficulty. METHOD: Children will be taught novel words according to learning schedules with varying degrees of difficulty. They will be shown novel objects which will be paired with novel labels (for example, 3Look at the 5wug6!4) and later asked to recognize a novel exemplar of the object category. RELEVANCE: This research will inform our understanding of the mechanisms underlying word learning. These studies (1) integrate two bodies of research, word learning and adult memory research, (2) explore the relationship between word learning and memory, (3) extend beyond typical laboratory protocols and discover how word learning operates on real-world time scales, and (4) inform our greater understanding of how children learn words. The knowledge gained from this work will be invaluable to informing word learning theories and designing interventions for children that are delayed word learners. Furthermore, this research will begin to build a model of how cognitive science principles can be applied to development and suggest methods for interventions and treatments of children with language learning delays. PUBLIC HEALTH RELEVANCE: These studies (1) integrate two bodies of research, word learning and adult memory research, (2) explore the relationship between word learning and memory, (3) extend beyond typical laboratory protocols and discover how word learning operates on real-world time scales, and (4) inform our greater understanding of how children learn words. The knowledge gained from this work will be invaluable to informing word learning theories and designing interventions for children that are delayed word learners. Furthermore, this research will begin to build a model of how cognitive science principles can be applied to development and suggest methods for interventions and treatments of children with language learning delays.