Poster #95 - Multisensory Integration and Word Learning in 2-year-olds: Faces for Females but Objects for Males

• In Event: Poster Session 17

Abstract

In a recently published study, we investigated the relationship between 2-year-olds’ multisensory integration and early word learning (i.e., expressive vocabulary). We tested 32 24-mo-olds’ ability to match a speaker with its concurrent voice track (Social Condition) and a falling object with its concurrent sound track (NonSocial Condition), both while non-matched speaker and non-matched object appeared on the opposite side of the screen. For half the trials, a colorful rotating geometric distractor was played in the middle (high competition for attention); the other trials had a blank screen in the middle (low competition for attention). As a group, attention to the matched speaker under low competition (r=+.37, CI 95% .02-.63) and high competition (r = +.49, CI 95% .17-.72) were positively correlated with expressive vocabulary. Given that one primary interest of this coordinated research effort (Multinet Project) is to examine individual differences in children’s multisensory integration skills and developmental outcomes, we conducted a preliminary analysis of our data for female and male participants separately.
Multisensory integration was measured in two ways: (1) looking time to the match/match+non-match (Match Ratio; Social and NonSocial conditions), and (2) looking time to the match/match+distractor (Distractor Ratio; Social and NonSocial conditions). Both females (r=+.69, CI 95%: .33 - .88) and males (r=+.64, CI95% .17-.88) showed significant correlations between the Distractor Ratio and Expressive Vocabulary for the Social condition. Thus, their ability to maintain attention to a speaker when competition for attention was high reflects something positive about their ability to learn new words. This might be particularly important for toddlers being reared in environments that contain other children and adults. Interestingly, only the males showed a strong positive correlation between the Match Ratio in the NonSocial condition (low competition) and expressive vocabulary (r=.75; CI 95% .36-.92). In contrast, girls showed a strong positive correlation between the Match Ratio in the Social condition (high competition) and expressive vocabulary (r=.69, CI 95% .33-.88). Thus, boys’ selective attention to sound-specified objects and girls’ selective attention to sound-specified speakers are strong predictors of emerging word knowledge. This is partially consistent with studies finding that infants’ sustained attention to objects within the context of joint attention predicts expressive vocabulary – but only for the boys in our sample. Other studies have found that female infants often show more attention to social stimuli (e.g., faces). We interpret our results as potential evidence for different pathways to learning object names between male and female toddlers.

Authors

• Robin K Panneton, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University

• Madeline Netto, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University
  Presenting Author