Shape Bias Training as a Vocabulary Intervention for Late Talkers
试验速览
- 阶段
- 不适用
- 入组人数
- 30
- 试验地点
- 2
- 主要终点
- Percentage of Shape Choices in Two Noun Extension Tests.
研究概览
简要总结
Most studies regarding word learning have focused on understanding when and how infants learn words. At 24 months, typically developing infants know between 200 and 300 words and add new words to their vocabularies at a rapid rate. It is also during the first years of life that some principles that promote vocabulary learning are developed. The shape bias, which is a tendency to infer that objects that share the same shape will also share the same name, is the one that has been studied the most. At 24 months, typically developing infants use this principle as a strategy to learn novel words. In contrast, Late Talkers (children with a language delay in the absence of a physiological, cognitive or genetic disorder that may account for this delay) do not exhibit this preference. It has been found that teaching typically developing infants a shape bias prior to the end of the second year of life can boosts their word learning. Despite this, the possibility of teaching Late Talkers this principle and its effect on their vocabulary and language development has not been explored.
Over a series of 9 weekly sessions, Late Talkers (diagnosed by Language Therapists from the Birmingham Community Healthcare National Health Services Foundation Trust, United Kingdom) will be introduced to one of two possible interventions: a shape bias intervention and a more conventional intervention called "specific word intervention". Both interventions will be compared after 9 weeks. One year later, a follow up study will be conducted to assess the long-term effects each intervention has in word learning. Participants will be referred by a Speech and Language Therapists from the Birmingham Community Healthcare National Health Services Foundation Trust, United Kingdom, and all assessments and interventions will take place at the Infant and Child Lab at the University of Birmingham, United Kingdom.
详细描述
The objectives of the present study are:
A. To investigate whether it is possible to teach Late Talkers to attend to objects' shapes as a useful property for learning and generalizing novel object labels.
B. To assess the benefits that this intervention programme has on Late Talkers' short-term vocabulary development compared to an intervention where infants will be taught specific words ('specific word' intervention).
C. Assess whether the success of teaching Late Talkers a shape bias for noun extension is related to their sensitivity to object shape similarities.
D. Assess whether the success of teaching Late Talkers a shape bias for noun extension is related to their ability of sustain their attention to novel objects that are presented to them.
研究设计
- 研究类型
- Interventional
- 分配方式
- Randomized
- 干预模型
- Parallel
- 主要目的
- Treatment
- 盲法
- Single (Participant)
盲法说明
Participants will be randomly assigned to one of two posible groups. In both groups, they will receive an intervention, however participants and their parents will not know which one. At the end of the study, participants and their parents will be informed about which group they were in and a document containing a detailed description of each intervention will be provided to them.
入排标准
- 年龄范围
- 24 Months 至 48 Months（Child）
- 性别
- All
- 接受健康志愿者
- 否
入选标准
- •Children (boys and girls) between 24 and 48 months.
- •Children from Birmingham (United Kingdom) and its surrounding areas.
- •Monolingual English native speakers
- •Children with a moderate or severe language delay, as diagnosed by a Speech and Language Therapist of the Birmingham Community Healthcare National Health Service Foundation Trust, United Kingdom.
排除标准
- •Children with a developmental, physiological, neurological or cognitive disorder that could explain their language delay.
- •Children with a mild language delay, as diagnosed by a Speech and Language Therapist of the Birmingham Community Healthcare National Health Service Foundation Trust, United Kingdom.
- •Children that speak or know another language different than English, either as first or additional language.
结局指标
主要结局
Percentage of Shape Choices in Two Noun Extension Tests.
时间窗: At week 8 after starting the interventions for known names and objects. At week 9 after starting the interventions for novel names and objects.
Assessed using two noun extension tests with known and novel names and objects. The objective was to assess if participants would extend known or novel names to objects sharing the same shape. The test with known names was conducted in week 8. The test with novel names was conducted at week 9 after starting the intervention. In each test, participants completed 8 trials. For each trial, participants were shown an object and heard its name. They were then asked to get another object that was also called the same from a set of 3 objects shown to them (one object shared the same shape, a second one shared the same colour and a third one shared the same texture). The same procedure was used on each trial but the objects and names used were different each time. If participants learned a shape bias, they should have mainly chosen the objects that shared the same shape. Below we show the average percentage of shape choices in each group for both tests.
Assessment of Number of Words Known Before and After the Interventions.
时间窗: Parents/guardians filled in a vocabulary checklist before (week 1) and after (week 9) the interventions.
In order to assess the benefits of each intervention programme, parents/guardians filled in a vocabulary checklist before (week 1) and after (week 9) the interventions. We compared the vocabulary growth (receptive and expressive vocabulary) in the group of children that took part in the shape bias intervention programme with that of the group of children that took part in the 'specific word' intervention.
Long-term Effects of Each Intervention on Language Development.
时间窗: Was expected to be assessed one year after the end of the intervention programme.
This was expected to be assessed with a language test. Due to closures related to the covid-19 pandemic, this assessment was not able to be conducted and the study was stopped.
Long-term Effects of Each Intervention on Visual Spatial Skills.
时间窗: Visual spatial skills assessed one year after the end of the intervention programme.
Each child was expected to be assessed with a standardized visual spatial test. Due to closures related to the covid-19 pandemic, this assessment was not able to be conducted and the study was stopped.
Long-term Effects of Each Intervention on Working Memory.
时间窗: Was expected to be assessed one year after the end of the intervention programme.
Each child was expected to be assessed with a memory test. Due to closures related to the covid-19 pandemic, this assessment was not able to be conducted.
次要结局
- Children's Sensitivity Towards Shape Similarities.(Assessed in the first week of the intervention.)
- Children's Attention to Novel Objects.(Assessed with an attention task in the first week of the intervention.)
研究者
Andrea Krott
Dr
University of Birmingham