5.4.2.2.2 Inference task

Scoring criteria for the inference task

In each trial the child had to answer two questions for the puppet. Each response was scored
1 for correct and 0 for incorrect. To be correct, the response had to be an appropriate answer
to the inference task, while incorrect was scored if the child provided an inappropriate
answer. All responses that provided correct information¹ to the question were counted as
appropriate answers to the inference task (“What do we do with the x?”). Each child could
get a score from 0-2.

Analysis

If all children were correct on the two target words, the maximum total score would be 384
for all the participants in each post test. Figure 5.7 below illustrates children’s performance
on the inference task for both post tests. It can be seen that during the immediate post test
children provided 290 correct responses, while during the delayed post test they provided 305
correct responses. The inference task was quite an easy task for them.

Figure 5.7 Children’s performance on the inference task for both post tests

I I Don't know∕irrelβvant responses

I I Correct responses

To what extent does children ^,s performance on the inference task differ by age ?

If all children from each age group were correct on the two target words, the maximum total
score would be 128 for each age group in each post test. Figure 5.8 demonstrates children’s
¹For the present task appropriate answers were those responses which focused on the
action of the object and the functional properties of the object (see Error analysis)

127

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