Learning Labels for Objects: Does Degree of Sensorimotor Experience Matter?
Theories of embodied cognition propose that sensorimotor experience is essential to learning, representing, and accessing conceptual information. Embodied effects have been observed in early child development and adult cognitive processing, but there has been less research examining the role of embo...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2019-01-01
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| Series: | Languages |
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| Online Access: | http://www.mdpi.com/2226-471X/4/1/3 |
| _version_ | 1811279175584055296 |
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| author | Michele Wellsby Penny Pexman |
| author_facet | Michele Wellsby Penny Pexman |
| author_sort | Michele Wellsby |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Theories of embodied cognition propose that sensorimotor experience is essential to learning, representing, and accessing conceptual information. Embodied effects have been observed in early child development and adult cognitive processing, but there has been less research examining the role of embodiment in later childhood. We conducted two experiments to test whether degree of sensorimotor experience modulates children’s word learning. In Experiment 1, 5-year-old children learned labels for 10 unfamiliar objects in one of six learning conditions, which varied in how much sensorimotor experience and information about the objects children received. Children’s word learning was assessed with a recognition test. Results indicated that there was no effect of learning condition on recognition accuracy, as children performed equally well in all conditions. In Experiment 2, we modified the stimuli to emphasize the sensory features of the objects; 5-year-old children learned labels for these objects in one of two learning conditions. Once again, there was no effect of learning condition on children’s recognition accuracy performance. Overall, children’s word learning was not modulated by the extent to which they had sensorimotor experience with the labelled objects. As such, the results place some limits on the role of embodiment in language learning. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-13T00:49:52Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-7cc4510c4d2e4cf68b2b4f94a4128507 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2226-471X |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-13T00:49:52Z |
| publishDate | 2019-01-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Languages |
| spelling | doaj.art-7cc4510c4d2e4cf68b2b4f94a41285072022-12-22T03:09:54ZengMDPI AGLanguages2226-471X2019-01-0141310.3390/languages4010003languages4010003Learning Labels for Objects: Does Degree of Sensorimotor Experience Matter?Michele Wellsby0Penny Pexman1Department of Psychology, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB T2N 1N4, CanadaDepartment of Psychology, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB T2N 1N4, CanadaTheories of embodied cognition propose that sensorimotor experience is essential to learning, representing, and accessing conceptual information. Embodied effects have been observed in early child development and adult cognitive processing, but there has been less research examining the role of embodiment in later childhood. We conducted two experiments to test whether degree of sensorimotor experience modulates children’s word learning. In Experiment 1, 5-year-old children learned labels for 10 unfamiliar objects in one of six learning conditions, which varied in how much sensorimotor experience and information about the objects children received. Children’s word learning was assessed with a recognition test. Results indicated that there was no effect of learning condition on recognition accuracy, as children performed equally well in all conditions. In Experiment 2, we modified the stimuli to emphasize the sensory features of the objects; 5-year-old children learned labels for these objects in one of two learning conditions. Once again, there was no effect of learning condition on children’s recognition accuracy performance. Overall, children’s word learning was not modulated by the extent to which they had sensorimotor experience with the labelled objects. As such, the results place some limits on the role of embodiment in language learning.http://www.mdpi.com/2226-471X/4/1/3embodied cognitionlanguage developmentsensorimotorlabel learning |
| spellingShingle | Michele Wellsby Penny Pexman Learning Labels for Objects: Does Degree of Sensorimotor Experience Matter? Languages embodied cognition language development sensorimotor label learning |
| title | Learning Labels for Objects: Does Degree of Sensorimotor Experience Matter? |
| title_full | Learning Labels for Objects: Does Degree of Sensorimotor Experience Matter? |
| title_fullStr | Learning Labels for Objects: Does Degree of Sensorimotor Experience Matter? |
| title_full_unstemmed | Learning Labels for Objects: Does Degree of Sensorimotor Experience Matter? |
| title_short | Learning Labels for Objects: Does Degree of Sensorimotor Experience Matter? |
| title_sort | learning labels for objects does degree of sensorimotor experience matter |
| topic | embodied cognition language development sensorimotor label learning |
| url | http://www.mdpi.com/2226-471X/4/1/3 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT michelewellsby learninglabelsforobjectsdoesdegreeofsensorimotorexperiencematter AT pennypexman learninglabelsforobjectsdoesdegreeofsensorimotorexperiencematter |