Specific Effect of Modeling on Young Children's Word Productions

Effects of object-name contiguity on word production were examined in 1 1/2- to 2-yr-old children. Two objects and two spoken names were presented in each of three experiments. Each object was the referent of 1 spoken name. An object was presented either together with its spoken name (modeling trial) or alone (test trial). Modeling trials and test trials were mixed with trials that presented familiar stimuli. Referent-specific productions of the experimental names developed on the test trials. This was found immediately after modeling (Experiment 1), and at least 1 day later (Experiments 2 and 3). Further, it was found not only when children interacted with an experimenter (Experiments 1 and 2) but also when they saw a computerized animation (Experiment 3). These findings support theoretical accounts that emphasize a role for modeling rather than consequences of behavior in the learning of object-name productions, and they have implications for the design of word modeling studies. (Contains 1 table and 5 figures.)