Infants differentially extract rules from language

Abstract Infants readily extract linguistic rules from speech. Here, we ask whether this advantage extends to linguistic stimuli that do not rely on the spoken modality. To address this question, we first examine whether infants can differentially learn rules from linguistic signs. We show that, des...

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Main Authors:	Iris Berent, Irene de la Cruz-Pavía, Diane Brentari, Judit Gervain
Format:	article
Language:	EN
Published:	Nature Portfolio 2021
Subjects:	Medicine R Science Q
Online Access:	https://doaj.org/article/12b064ac05bf48c3844789ea32f71e42
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spelling	oai:doaj.org-article:12b064ac05bf48c3844789ea32f71e422021-12-02T19:16:14ZInfants differentially extract rules from language10.1038/s41598-021-99539-82045-2322https://doaj.org/article/12b064ac05bf48c3844789ea32f71e422021-10-01T00:00:00Zhttps://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-021-99539-8https://doaj.org/toc/2045-2322Abstract Infants readily extract linguistic rules from speech. Here, we ask whether this advantage extends to linguistic stimuli that do not rely on the spoken modality. To address this question, we first examine whether infants can differentially learn rules from linguistic signs. We show that, despite having no previous experience with a sign language, six-month-old infants can extract the reduplicative rule (AA) from dynamic linguistic signs, and the neural response to reduplicative linguistic signs differs from reduplicative visual controls, matched for the dynamic spatiotemporal properties of signs. We next demonstrate that the brain response for reduplicative signs is similar to the response to reduplicative speech stimuli. Rule learning, then, apparently depends on the linguistic status of the stimulus, not its sensory modality. These results suggest that infants are language-ready. They possess a powerful rule system that is differentially engaged by all linguistic stimuli, speech or sign.Iris BerentIrene de la Cruz-PavíaDiane BrentariJudit GervainNature PortfolioarticleMedicineRScienceQENScientific Reports, Vol 11, Iss 1, Pp 1-10 (2021)
institution	DOAJ
collection	DOAJ
language	EN
topic	Medicine R Science Q
spellingShingle	Medicine R Science Q Iris Berent Irene de la Cruz-Pavía Diane Brentari Judit Gervain Infants differentially extract rules from language
description	Abstract Infants readily extract linguistic rules from speech. Here, we ask whether this advantage extends to linguistic stimuli that do not rely on the spoken modality. To address this question, we first examine whether infants can differentially learn rules from linguistic signs. We show that, despite having no previous experience with a sign language, six-month-old infants can extract the reduplicative rule (AA) from dynamic linguistic signs, and the neural response to reduplicative linguistic signs differs from reduplicative visual controls, matched for the dynamic spatiotemporal properties of signs. We next demonstrate that the brain response for reduplicative signs is similar to the response to reduplicative speech stimuli. Rule learning, then, apparently depends on the linguistic status of the stimulus, not its sensory modality. These results suggest that infants are language-ready. They possess a powerful rule system that is differentially engaged by all linguistic stimuli, speech or sign.
format	article
author	Iris Berent Irene de la Cruz-Pavía Diane Brentari Judit Gervain
author_facet	Iris Berent Irene de la Cruz-Pavía Diane Brentari Judit Gervain
author_sort	Iris Berent
title	Infants differentially extract rules from language
title_short	Infants differentially extract rules from language
title_full	Infants differentially extract rules from language
title_fullStr	Infants differentially extract rules from language
title_full_unstemmed	Infants differentially extract rules from language
title_sort	infants differentially extract rules from language
publisher	Nature Portfolio
publishDate	2021
url	https://doaj.org/article/12b064ac05bf48c3844789ea32f71e42
work_keys_str_mv	AT irisberent infantsdifferentiallyextractrulesfromlanguage AT irenedelacruzpavia infantsdifferentiallyextractrulesfromlanguage AT dianebrentari infantsdifferentiallyextractrulesfromlanguage AT juditgervain infantsdifferentiallyextractrulesfromlanguage
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Infants differentially extract rules from language

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