Publications [#157157] of Makeba Parramore Wilbourn
Journal Articles
- Wilbourn, M.P., & Casasola, M. (in revision) (2009). Developmental changes in infants’ association of gestures versus words with objects: Evidence of general to specific processing.
(last updated on 2009/03/21)Abstract:
Two experiments were conducted to examine whether input or labels presented in two sensory modalities affects 12- and 14-month-olds’ ability to form word-object, gesture-object, or word-gesture-object associative links. In Experiment 1, infants were habituated to either a novel gesture paired with a novel object or a novel word paired with a novel object. In alternate trials, infants viewed a second novel gesture or word presented with a second novel object. In Experiment 2, infants viewed both words and gestures simultaneously paired with novel objects. Fourteen-month-olds only demonstrated the ability to form the associations when presented with words paired with objects, but not gestures paired with object or both words and gestures paired with objects. However, 12-month-olds only formed associations when presented with both word and gestures simultaneously, but not when only one label (word or gesture) was paired with objects. The findings suggest that 12-month-olds are able to use more general types of information, such as multiple sources of input (words and gestures) presented in temporal synchrony, to form associative linkages. Yet, 14-month-olds seem to be more specialized in their abilities, demonstrating the ability to form linkages with auditory words in particular and not with other types of input (i.e., gestures, or words and gestures combined).