Abstractness emerges progressively over the second year of life
Year: 2021
Type: preprint
Abstract: words, terms not referring to here and now, are acquired slowly in infancy. They are difficult to acquire as they are more detached from sensory modalities than concrete words. Recent theories propose that, because of their complexity, other people are pivotal for abstract concepts’ acquisition and use. Eight children (4 girls) and their mothers were observed longitudinally and extensively from 12 to 24 months of age. Thirty-minute video recordings of mother-infant free play with toys were done every two weeks in a laboratory setting with families in the USA. Children progressively use a range of words referring to abstract concepts, with a major shift from 12-15 months and again from 22-24 months, but the qualitative data testify an incremental growth of abstract concepts. We identified a progression in the acquisition of words denoting abstract concepts in relation to the overall productive vocabulary, suggesting that having more abstract terms in one’s vocabulary promotes faster language acquisition.
Source: PsyArXiv (OSF Preprints)
Authors: Francesca Bellagamba, Anna M. Borghi, Claudia Mazzuca, Giulia Pecora, Fabiana Ferrara, Alan Fogel
Language: English
Subfield: Developmental and Educational Psychology
Field: Psychology
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W3180556725