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Journal of Intellectual Disability... Jan 2022This study examined the association between executive functioning and language in young adults with Down syndrome (DS).
BACKGROUND
This study examined the association between executive functioning and language in young adults with Down syndrome (DS).
METHOD
Nineteen young adults with DS (aged 19-24 years) completed standardised measures of overall cognition, vocabulary, verbal fluency and executive function skills.
RESULTS
Friedman's analysis of variance (χ (3) = 28.15, P < .001) and post hoc comparisons indicated that, on average, participants had a significantly lower overall non-verbal than verbal cognitive age equivalent and lower expressive than receptive vocabulary skills. Using Spearman correlations, performance on a verbal measure of cognition inhibition was significantly negatively related to receptive vocabulary (ρ = -.529, adjusted P = .036) and verbal fluency (ρ = -.608, adjusted P = .022). Attention was significantly positively correlated with receptive (ρ = .698, adjusted-p = .005) and expressive (ρ = .542, adjusted P = .027) vocabulary. Verbal working memory was significantly positively associated with receptive vocabulary (ρ = .585, adjusted P = .022) and verbal fluency (ρ = .737, adjusted P = .003). Finally, visuospatial working memory was significantly associated with receptive vocabulary (ρ = .562, adjusted P = .027).
CONCLUSIONS
Verbal and non-verbal measures of executive functioning skills had important associations with language ability in young adults with DS. Future translational research is needed to investigate causal pathways underlying these relationships. Research should explore if interventions aimed at increasing executive functioning skills (e.g. attention, inhibition and working memory) have the potential to lead to increases in language for young adults with DS.
Topics: Down Syndrome; Executive Function; Humans; Language; Memory, Short-Term; Vocabulary; Young Adult
PubMed: 34288180
DOI: 10.1111/jir.12868 -
Journal of Deaf Studies and Deaf... Sep 2021Deaf and hard of hearing (DHH) students face great challenges in becoming proficient readers. Vocabulary knowledge is consistently considered to be an important factor...
Deaf and hard of hearing (DHH) students face great challenges in becoming proficient readers. Vocabulary knowledge is consistently considered to be an important factor affecting DHH students' reading ability. However, the mechanism that underlies the relationship between vocabulary knowledge and reading comprehension in DHH students remains unclear. Thus, the aim of this study was to determine the roles of word segmentation and reading fluency in the contribution of vocabulary knowledge to Chinese DHH students' reading comprehension. A battery of tasks were administered to 116 Chinese DHH students from Grades 4 to 6 (mean age = 14.66 years). The results showed that vocabulary knowledge contributed to reading comprehension significantly in Chinese DHH students, and word segmentation and reading fluency played mediating roles in this relationship. Besides, the chain mediation effect of word segmentation and reading fluency was also significant. Revealing these mechanisms, which underlie the relationship between vocabulary knowledge and reading comprehension, is helpful to tailor remediation for DHH students.
Topics: Adolescent; Comprehension; Humans; Persons With Hearing Impairments; Reading; Students; Vocabulary
PubMed: 34265846
DOI: 10.1093/deafed/enab023 -
Proceedings of the National Academy of... Jan 2023In the second year of life, infants begin to rapidly acquire the lexicon of their native language. A key learning mechanism underlying this acceleration is syntactic...
In the second year of life, infants begin to rapidly acquire the lexicon of their native language. A key learning mechanism underlying this acceleration is syntactic bootstrapping: the use of hidden cues in grammar to facilitate vocabulary learning. How infants forge the syntactic-semantic links that underlie this mechanism, however, remains speculative. A hurdle for theories is identifying computationally light strategies that have high precision within the complexity of the linguistic signal. Here, we presented 20-mo-old infants with novel grammatical elements in a complex natural language environment and measured their resultant vocabulary expansion. We found that infants can learn and exploit a natural language syntactic-semantic link in less than 30 min. The rapid speed of acquisition of a new syntactic bootstrap indicates that even emergent syntactic-semantic links can accelerate language learning. The results suggest that infants employ a cognitive network of efficient learning strategies to self-supervise language development.
Topics: Humans; Infant; Semantics; Learning; Language; Vocabulary; Linguistics; Language Development
PubMed: 36574655
DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2209153119 -
Child Development Nov 2019Over two decades ago, the "30-million-word" gap rose to prominence after work by Hart & Risley (1995) suggested that children from families with low socioeconomic status... (Review)
Review
Over two decades ago, the "30-million-word" gap rose to prominence after work by Hart & Risley (1995) suggested that children from families with low socioeconomic status (SES) heard fewer words than their peers from families with higher SES during their first 4 years of life. Recent research challenges the magnitude and even existence of this gap. However, due to methodological limitations, we know very little about the presence, magnitude, and settings in which there may be a word gap. Moreover, causal evidence is also limited. I highlight why it is critical for the field to have a more precise understanding of the nature of the word gap (or lack thereof) and potential avenues for better evaluating this phenomenon.
Topics: Child; Humans; Language Development; Social Class; Vocabulary
PubMed: 31625601
DOI: 10.1111/cdev.13327 -
Augmentative and Alternative... Dec 2023The present study investigated the relationship between lexicon and grammar in individuals who use graphic symbol-based aided augmentative and alternative communication...
The present study investigated the relationship between lexicon and grammar in individuals who use graphic symbol-based aided augmentative and alternative communication (AAC). Data came from 60 transcripts of generalization sessions that were part of two previous intervention studies, aimed at improving the expressive vocabulary and grammar of 12 children and youth who used graphic symbol-based AAC. The specific aims of the current study were to (a) describe vocabulary composition across different levels of expressive vocabulary and (b) analyze the relationship between global measures of expressive vocabulary and the use of grammar in individuals who use aided AAC. A series of multiple linear mixed effect regression analyses showed a positive predictive association between overall vocabulary size and the use of closed-class words, and a positive relationship between the use of verbs and the use of closed-class words. Additionally, the use of verbs had a significant positive association with the use of inflectional morphology, while the use of nouns did not. Theoretical and practical implications of these findings are discussed.
Topics: Humans; Child; Adolescent; Communication Disorders; Communication Aids for Disabled; Linguistics; Vocabulary; Language
PubMed: 37671918
DOI: 10.1080/07434618.2023.2237108 -
The British Journal of Educational... Mar 2021Executive functions have been proposed to account for individual variation in reading comprehension beyond the contributions of decoding skills and language skills....
BACKGROUND
Executive functions have been proposed to account for individual variation in reading comprehension beyond the contributions of decoding skills and language skills. However, insight into the direct and indirect effects of multiple executive functions on fifth-grade reading comprehension, while accounting for decoding and language skills, is limited.
AIM
The present study investigated the direct and indirect effects of fourth-grade executive functions (i.e., working memory, inhibition, and planning) on fifth-grade reading comprehension, after accounting for decoding and language skills.
SAMPLE
The sample included 113 fourth-grade children (including 65 boys and 48 girls; Age M = 9.89; SD = .44 years).
METHODS
The participants were tested on their executive functions (working memory, inhibition and planning), and their decoding skills, language skills (vocabulary and syntax knowledge) and reading comprehension, one year later.
RESULTS
Using structural equation modelling, the results indicated direct effects of working memory and planning on reading comprehension, as well as indirect effects of working memory and inhibition via decoding (χ = 2.46).
CONCLUSIONS
The results of the present study highlight the importance of executive functions for reading comprehension after taking variance in decoding and language skills into account: Both working memory and planning uniquely contributed to reading comprehension. In addition, working memory and inhibition also supported decoding. As a practical implication, educational professionals should not only consider the decoding and language skills children bring into the classroom, but their executive functions as well.
Topics: Child; Comprehension; Executive Function; Female; Humans; Male; Memory, Short-Term; Reading; Vocabulary
PubMed: 32441782
DOI: 10.1111/bjep.12355 -
Scandinavian Journal of Psychology Dec 2023Previous studies have associated emotional granularity, the degree to which emotions can be recognized, with mental health comprehensively; however, they have found its...
Previous studies have associated emotional granularity, the degree to which emotions can be recognized, with mental health comprehensively; however, they have found its measurement method to be burdensome. Therefore, this study considered emotional vocabulary, which is theoretically associated with mental health, to examine this relationship. A web-based survey was conducted among 397 Japanese subjects to examine the relationship between emotional vocabulary size and emotional granularity, and an exploratory analysis was also performed to examine the relationship between emotional vocabulary size and mental health. The results showed a significant positive correlation between emotional vocabulary size and emotional granularity. Furthermore, significant correlations were found between emotional vocabulary size and mental health. These results suggest that emotional vocabulary can influence mental health. The relationship between emotional vocabulary size and mental health and issues for future studies were also discussed.
Topics: Humans; Mental Health; Emotions; Vocabulary
PubMed: 37198965
DOI: 10.1111/sjop.12928 -
Development and Psychopathology Aug 2023This study investigated the transactional relations between vocabulary and disruptive behaviors (DB; physical aggression and opposition/rule breaking/theft and...
This study investigated the transactional relations between vocabulary and disruptive behaviors (DB; physical aggression and opposition/rule breaking/theft and vandalism), during the transition to formal schooling, using a community sample of 572 children. Cross-lagged panel model analyses were used to examine bidirectional relationships, comparing physical aggression to non-aggressive DB. Transactional associations between vocabulary and DB were observed, coinciding with school entry. Lower vocabulary in preschool (60mo.) was predictive of higher physical aggression scores in kindergarten. In turn, higher physical aggression in kindergarten was predictive of lower vocabulary in 1st grade. For non-aggressive DB, recurrent associations were found. Lower verbal skills in preschool (42mo.) and kindergarten predicted higher non-aggressive DB scores later in preschool and in 1st grade respectively. In turn, higher non-aggressive DB in kindergarten predicted lower vocabulary scores in 1st grade. In contrast to transactional paths from vocabulary to DB, transactional paths from DB to vocabulary observed after the transition to elementary school remained significant after controlling for comorbid hyperactivity, impulsivity and inattention behaviors, suggesting these links were specific to aggressive and non-aggressive DB. Practical implications for prevention are discussed.
Topics: Child; Child, Preschool; Humans; Problem Behavior; Vocabulary; Schools; Educational Status; Aggression
PubMed: 35796242
DOI: 10.1017/S0954579422000268 -
Infant Behavior & Development Aug 2022Language has been proposed as a potential mechanism for young children's developing understanding of emotion. However, much remains unknown about this relation at an...
Language has been proposed as a potential mechanism for young children's developing understanding of emotion. However, much remains unknown about this relation at an individual difference level. The present study investigated 15- to 18-month-old infants' perception of emotions across multiple pairs of faces. Parents reported their child's productive vocabulary, and infants participated in a non-linguistic emotion perception task via an eye tracker. Infant vocabulary did not predict nonverbal emotion perception when accounting for infant age, gender, and general object perception ability (β = -0.15, p = .300). However, we observed a gender difference: Only girls' vocabulary scores related to nonverbal emotion perception when controlling for age and general object perception ability (β = 0.42, p = .024). Further, boys showed a stronger preference for the novel emotion face vs. girls (t(48) = 2.35, p = .023, d= 0.67). These data suggest that pathways of processing emotional information (e.g., using language vs visual information) may differ for girls and boys in late infancy.
Topics: Child; Child, Preschool; Emotions; Female; Humans; Individuality; Infant; Language; Male; Perception; Vocabulary
PubMed: 35763939
DOI: 10.1016/j.infbeh.2022.101743 -
Journal of Speech, Language, and... Aug 2023The development of vocabulary size in deaf/hard of hearing (DHH) children and adolescents can be delayed compared to their peers due to lack of access to early language... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis
PURPOSE
The development of vocabulary size in deaf/hard of hearing (DHH) children and adolescents can be delayed compared to their peers due to lack of access to early language input. Complementary vocabulary interventions are reported in the literature. Our aim is to evaluate the effectiveness of intervention methods for their vocabulary improvement.
METHOD
Following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines, we searched five databases for peer-reviewed journal articles in English, published between 2000 and 2022 (inclusive), reporting vocabulary interventions for 2- to 18-year-old DHH children and adolescents without comorbidities. We conducted separate meta-analyses using a random-effects model on receptive oral vocabulary, expressive oral vocabulary, and signed vocabulary. We assessed the methodological quality of each paper. This review is preregistered in PROSPERO (International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews) with ID CRD42021243479.
RESULTS
We included 25 group studies in this review out of 1,724 identified records. The quality assessment of the studies revealed risk of bias ranging from some concerns to high risk. Experimental vocabulary instruction produced improvement in receptive oral vocabulary (Hedges's = 1.08, 95% CI [0.25, 1.90], = 93.46, = .01), expressive oral vocabulary (Hedges's = 1.00, 95% CI [0.18, 1.83], = 96.37, = .02), and signed vocabulary (Hedges's = 1.88, 95% CI [1.09, 2.66], = 96.01, < .001) in the experimental groups. Written vocabulary and general vocabulary skills are also reported as a synthesis of results.
CONCLUSIONS
Multisensory and multimodal explicit vocabulary instruction for DHH children and adolescents is helpful in improving vocabulary acquisition with respect to baseline levels. However, its effectiveness must be carefully interpreted due to the lack of proper control groups and details on reported in the studies.
SUPPLEMENTAL MATERIAL
https://doi.org/10.23641/asha.23646357.
Topics: Child; Humans; Adolescent; Child, Preschool; Vocabulary; Writing; Peer Group; Hearing; Deafness
PubMed: 37437529
DOI: 10.1044/2023_JSLHR-22-00570