Department of Linguistics, UCLA, Los Angeles, California, USA.
Dev Sci. 2024 Nov;27(6):e13564. doi: 10.1111/desc.13564. Epub 2024 Sep 4.
Previous research has shown that when domain-general transitional probability (TP) cues to word segmentation are in conflict with language-specific stress cues, English-learning 5- and 7-month-olds rely on TP, whereas 9-month-olds rely on stress. In two artificial languages, we evaluated English-learning infants' sensitivity to TP cues to word segmentation vis-a-vis language-specific vowel phonotactic (VP) cues-English words do not end in lax vowels. These cues were either consistent or conflicting. When these cues were in conflict, 10-month-olds relied on the VP cues, whereas 5-month-olds relied on TP. These findings align with statistical bootstrapping accounts, where infants initially use domain-general distributional information for word segmentation, and subsequently discover language-specific patterns based on segmented words. RESEARCH HIGHLIGHTS: Research indicates that when transitional probability (TP) conflicts with stress cues for word segmentation, English-learning 9-month-olds rely on stress, whereas younger infants rely on TP. In two artificial languages, we evaluated English-learning infants' sensitivity to TP versus vowel phonotactic (VP) cues for word segmentation. When these cues conflicted, 10-month-olds relied on VPs, whereas 5-month-olds relied on TP. These findings align with statistical bootstrapping accounts, where infants first utilize domain-general distributional information for word segmentation, and then identify language-specific patterns from segmented words.
先前的研究表明，当通用领域的转导概率（TP）线索与语言特定的重音线索发生冲突时，学习英语的 5 至 7 个月大的婴儿依赖于 TP，而 9 个月大的婴儿则依赖于重音。在两种人工语言中，我们评估了英语学习婴儿对分段词的 TP 线索的敏感性与语言特定的元音音位（VP）线索相对照 - 英语单词不以松元音结尾。这些线索是一致的还是冲突的。当这些线索发生冲突时，10 个月大的婴儿依赖于 VP 线索，而 5 个月大的婴儿依赖于 TP。这些发现与统计自举理论一致，婴儿最初使用通用领域的分布信息进行分词，然后根据分词的单词发现语言特定的模式。研究亮点：研究表明，当转导概率（TP）与重音线索在词段上发生冲突时，9 个月大的英语学习者依赖于重音，而较小的婴儿则依赖于 TP。在两种人工语言中，我们评估了英语学习婴儿对 TP 与元音音位（VP）线索在词段上的敏感性。当这些线索发生冲突时，10 个月大的婴儿依赖于 VP，而 5 个月大的婴儿依赖于 TP。这些发现与统计自举理论一致，婴儿最初利用通用领域的分布信息进行分词，然后从分词的单词中识别出语言特定的模式。
