1-141 - Socioeconomic Status and Language Outcomes: From Backyards to Books to Brains

Session Type: Paper Symposium

Integrative Statement

Poverty has long-term effects on many developmental outcomes (Shonkoff et al., 2012), and differences in language abilities are seen as early as 18 months depending on socioeconomic status (Fernald et al., 2013). Differences in SES impact many levels of the child’s experience: the neural level, cognitive level, their interactions, and the environments they grow up in. This symposium considers how SES affects language outcomes across these different levels.
The first paper takes a broad view of the environment at age one. The low SES group experienced poorer neighborhoods and home environments, contributing to elevated cumulative risk scores and lower cognitive and language scores.
The second paper focuses on interactions between caregivers and children. Mental state language used by dyads influenced later language.
The third paper considers language processing skills assessed in a word learning task with preschoolers. Their processing skills were markedly influenced by SES, which had a significant impact on vocabulary comprehension and syntax.
The final paper investigates neural correlates of somatosensory selective attention and their relation to language in children from low SES backgrounds. EEG amplitude for attention was significantly related to language.
By taking an approach that zooms in from a broad environment view right down to the neural level, we illustrate the importance of studying the impact of socioeconomic status across many levels of the child’s development and provide clues about where best to focus interventions.

Sub Unit

• Diversity, Equity & Social Justice

Chair

• Sarah Paterson, Temple University

Individual Presentations

• Turning One Year of Age in a Low Socioeconomic Environment: A Portrait of Disadvantage - Presenting Author: Hallam Hurt, Division of Neonatology, The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia . Perelman School of Medicine University of Pennsylvania.; Laura M Betancourt, Division of Neonatology, The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia . Perelman School of Medicine University of Pennsylvania.

• Speaking of desire: Parental use of mental state talk predicts children’s language outcomes - Presenting Author: Lilian Masek, Temple University; Rufan Luo, Temple University; Kathy Hirsh-Pasek, Temple University; Roberta Golinkoff, University of Delaware

• From Product to Process and Back: How SES May Contribute to Early Language Competence - Presenting Author: Dani Levine, Temple University; Rufan Luo, Temple University; Giovanna Morini, University of Delaware; Kristina Strother-Garcia, University of Delaware; Natalie Brezack, University of Chicago; Amy Pace, University of Washington; Kathy Hirsh-Pasek, Temple University; Roberta Golinkoff, University of Delaware; Jill de Villiers, Smith College; Aquiles Iglesias, University of Delaware; Mary Sweig Wilson, Laureate Learning Systems

• Anticipatory EEG Responses during Somatosensory Selective Attention associated with Language and Executive Function in Children - Presenting Author: Staci Meredith Weiss, Temple University; Peter Marshall, Department of Psychology, Temple University.