| Abstract: | Investigated serial effects in recurrent ostensive definitions of words in the context of joint picture-book reading by 20 mother–infant (aged 17–22 mo) dyads. Content analysis revealed a number of labeling formats, among them simple labeling by the mother or by the infant, elicitation of labeling by "what" questions, elicitation of pointing by "where" questions, and elicited and spontaneous imitation by the infant. The dyads applied a mixture of labeling formats to the same referent on its successive occurrences. Imitation was more likely following previous error in labeling than were correct labeling and pointing by the infant. Mothers tended to follow errors and no responses with simple labeling of the same referent on its next appearance, whereas they followed correct responses with attempts to elicit labeling or pointing from the infant. Results imply that imitation, comprehension, and productive responses to words by vocabulary-learning infants do not represent different levels of word knowledge and that the respective vocabularies are overlapping at a given point in time. (17 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved) |
