NVESTIGATING LEXICAL ACQUISITION PATTERNS: CONTEXT AND COGNITION



= 5.6, p<.0000) and the pronouns (Wilcoxon: Pl: Z=3.2, p<.005; P2: Z-3.9, p<.0005; P3:
Z = 5.2, p<.0000).

Analysis of the “target word” reference

Is there a differential impact of the type of exposure to new lexical items that the children
receive to referring to the target items by using the target word?

The Definition group referred to the target items by using the target words significantly more
times than the other groups during post test 2 (Kruskall-Wallis I-Way Anova: X2 = 11.1,
df=2, p<.005) and post test 3 (Kruskal-Wallis I-Way Anova: X2 = 24.9, df=4, p<.0005).
Particularly, it was found that during post test 2, the Definition group used the target words
significantly more frequently than the Ostensive definition group (Wilcoxon: Z=3.2,
p<.005).

Last, during post test 3, the Lexical contrast group used the target words significantly more
frequently than the Control (Wilcoxon: Z=2.4, p<.05) and the Phonological control groups
(Wilcoxon: Z=2.1, p<.05). In addition, the Definition group used the target words
significantly more times than the Control (Wilcoxon: Z=4.01, p<.0005) the Phonological
control (Wilcoxon: Z=3.7, p<.0005) and the Ostensive definition groups (Wilcoxon: Z=3.2,
p<.005).

Does children ,s use of the target wordfor referring to the target item increase with increased
exposure to the lexical items?

The target word was used significantly more times in post test 3 than in post test 2
(Wilcoxon: Z=2.07, p<.05) and post test 1 (Wilcoxon: Z=2.7, p<.005). The analysis was
repeated separately for each group. It was found that the Lexical contrast group used the
target word in the stories significantly more frequently during post test 2 than post test 1
(Wilcoxon: Z=2.3, p<.05) and in post test 3 than in post test 2 (Wilcoxon: Z=1.9, p<.05). In
addition the Definition group used the target word significantly more frequently during post
test 2 than during post test 1 (Wilcoxon: Z=2.2, p<.05) and significantly more frequently
during post test 3 than during post test 1 (Wilcoxon: Z=2.9, p<.005).

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