ERIC Number: EJ1222442
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2019-Jul
Pages: 8
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1092-4388
EISSN: N/A
A New Method for Studying Statistical Learning in Young Children
Kavakci, Mariam; Dollaghan, Christine
Journal of Speech, Language, and Hearing Research, v62 n7 p2483-2490 Jul 2019
Purpose: The purpose of this study was to determine whether a new oculomotor serial reaction time (RT) task revealed statistical sequence learning in young children. Method: We used eye tracking to measure typically developing children's oculomotor RTs in response to cartoon-like creatures that appeared successively in quadrants of a monitor during 200 trials--an initial patterned phase (120 trials) in which the creature's location reflected 15 repetitions of an 8-element sequence, a pseudorandom phase (40 trials) in which the location was not predictable, and a final patterned phase (40 trials). In an auditory-visual version of the task, spoken nonwords linked to quadrants preceded the creature's appearance. In Study 1, we administered either the visual or the auditory-visual version to 5- and 6-year-old children; in Study 2, we examined the performance of 4-year-olds on the auditory-visual version. Results: In both studies, group mean RT z scores were significantly shorter (p < 0.05) during patterned than pseudorandom phases, with large effect sizes (Cohen's dz values = 1.17-1.79). Conclusion: The new oculomotor serial RT task detected statistical sequence learning in typically developing children.
Descriptors: Psychomotor Skills, Eye Movements, Reaction Time, Preschool Children, Auditory Stimuli, Visual Stimuli, Scores, Sequential Learning, Cartoons, Task Analysis
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A