Tardif, Gelman, and Xu 1999

Key terms/topics:
Noun bias MacArthur Communication Development Inventory Communicative Context, activities context
Mandarin and English speaking children were the target of the study

The Study: Description and methodologies

Author: Tardif, Gelman, and Xu Aim:
To determine the extent to which children across languages preferentially learn nouns, and investigate the claims of the noun bias.

Hypothesis:
That children have conceptual predisposition early on to treat words as mapping onto objects. (Children learn more nouns than verbs in the early stages of their lives)

Research Method:
Observational

Experimental:
Lab Experiment

Independent Variable:
Context

Dependent Variable:
Type of vocab (Noun types and Verb Types)

Procedure:
Researchers took children from English and Mandarin backgrounds

(24 of each, 12 each of boys and girls, and their mothers) Both groups were told they were being studied to get information on mother-child relationships The entire session consisted of 3, 10 minute, playtimes with a break after the first and second In each play session, the mothers were told to play/read to their child with the given materials like they would at home The researches were limited to what they could say to the mothers and children to avoid bias At the end, the childs and mothers speaking was converted into CHAT form, and the common nouns and main verbs of both were coded

Strengths and Limitation:

Evaluation of Method
High cross cultural validity Study is reliable Study is replicable Lack of control group

Evaluation of Ethics:
Consent was obtained Use of Children Parents were present

Evaluation Application Results Conclusions

Empirical studies that challenge or support
Gentner, 1982; Gentner & Boroditsky, in press

Gender Influence
Both males and females were used, applies to all

Conclusion:
Whether or not children display noun bias determines on many factors and the context in which they are observed

Applications/Contributions of social theories to other areas

Can be used to help teach children language Can better understand how language changes and is studied at an early age

Results:
Overall there was no effect due to language or word type on the adults productive vocabulary measures Both groups of children came up with more nouns than verbs on average There was a latrge difference between the nouns and verbs of Mandarin and English speaking children

Cultural Influence
Only English and mandarin speakers used May not apply to different language speaking children