Publications [#252835] of Reiko Mazuka

Journal Articles

1. Minai, U; Jincho, N; Yamane, N; Mazuka, R, What hinders child semantic computation: children's universal quantification and the development of cognitive control., Journal of Child Language, vol. 39 no. 5 (November, 2012), pp. 919-956 [22182242], [doi]
   (last updated on 2023/09/05)

   Abstract:
   Recent studies on the acquisition of semantics have argued that knowledge of the universal quantifier is adult-like throughout development. However, there are domains where children still exhibit non-adult-like universal quantification, and arguments for the early mastery of relevant semantic knowledge do not explain what causes such non-adult-like interpretations. The present study investigates Japanese four- and five-year-old children's atypical universal quantification in light of the development of cognitive control. We hypothesized that children's still-developing cognitive control contributes to their atypical universal quantification. Using a combined eye-tracking and interpretation task together with a non-linguistic measure of cognitive control, we revealed a link between the achievement of adult-like universal quantification and the development of flexible perspective-switch. We argue that the development of cognitive control is one of the factors that contribute to children's processing of semantics.