Individual differences in nonverbal prediction and vocabulary size in infancy.

ABSTRACT: Children who generate and update verbal predictions have larger vocabularies, suggesting that prediction may be a mechanism that supports language learning. We hypothesize that this relation is not confined to the domain of language, but instead signals a broader individual difference in information processing. To investigate this possibility, we tested infants (n = 50) in the early stages of vocabulary development (12-24 months) on their ability to generate and update nonverbal, visual predictions. In an eye-tracking task, a central fixation reliably preceded a peripheral target. Then, halfway through the experiment, the peripheral target began appearing on the opposite side. We assessed infants' proficiency in initiating anticipatory eye movements before and after the switch, and found t

SUBMITTER: Reuter T 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5953827 | biostudies-literature | 2018 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature