ERIC Number: EJ1259850
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2020
Pages: 15
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1524-8372
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Available Date: N/A
The Implied Shape of an Object in Adults' and Children's Visual Representations
Hupp, Julie M.; Jungers, Melissa K.; Porter, Brandon L.; Plunkett, Brandy A.
Journal of Cognition and Development, v21 n3 p368-382 2020
When hearing an object label, a specific object may come to mind. With the phrase, "There was a balloon in the pack/air" the representation of balloon varies based on the implied shape (deflated vs. inflated). The current study investigated whether the implied shape affects sentence-picture verification for adults and preschool children. Participants heard sentences and compared them to visual stimuli (congruent, incongruent, or filler). Adults were faster when the sentence and implied shape were congruent thereby demonstrating a match effect. Across both ages, responses were more accurate when the sentence and implied shape were congruent. The children's response accuracy indicates young children activate a specific implied shape of an object and not just a generic or prototypical shape, demonstrating a match effect. The match effect is not specific to skilled readers and could be related to an embodied theory of language comprehension. This research has implications for understanding how people conceptualize words during language comprehension by demonstrating that even children utilize implied shape information in their visual representations.
Descriptors: Adults, Preschool Children, Age Differences, Sentences, Visual Stimuli, Congruence (Psychology), Reaction Time, Accuracy, Geometric Concepts, Comprehension, Language Processing, Undergraduate Students
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Higher Education; Postsecondary Education
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Language: English
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