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Evidence of Innate Markedness Bias in Language Processing: Insights from Infant Perception

This study explores the sensitivity of infants to markedness in language processing, particularly before they acquire relevant experience. Conducted at the University of Amsterdam, the research examines infants under six months old to determine whether they show awareness of phonotactic patterns in their native languages. The findings indicate that while young infants may not demonstrate sensitivity to language-specific phonotactics before six months, the implications of markedness continue to influence their language acquisition. The study involves experimental paradigms focusing on phonological stimuli and infant listening preferences.

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Evidence of Innate Markedness Bias in Language Processing: Insights from Infant Perception

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  1. Markedness in Acquisition • Is there evidence for innate markedness-based bias in language processing? • Look to see whether young infants are sensitive to markedness before they’ve had sufficient relevant experience • Before 6 months, infants have not shown sensitivity to language-particular phonotactics University of Amsterdam

  2. Experimental Exploration of the Initial State Collaborators: Peter Jusczyk Theresa AlloccoLanguage Acquisition, 2002 Karen Arnold Elliott Moretonin progress Grammar at 4.5 months? University of Amsterdam

  3. The Initial State OT-general:MARKEDNESS ≫ FAITHFULNESS • Learnability demands (Richness of the Base) (Alan Prince, p.c., ’93; Smolensky ’96a)  Child production: restricted to the unmarked  Child comprehension: not so restricted (Smolensky ’96b) University of Amsterdam

  4. Testing the Initial State • Linking hypothesis: More harmonic phonological stimuli ⇒ Longer listening time • More harmonic: • M ≻ *M, when equal on F • F ≻ *F, when equal on M • When must choose one or the other, more harmonic to satisfy M: M ≫ F • M = Nasal Place Assimilation (NPA) University of Amsterdam

  5. um...b...umb um...b...iŋgu • iŋ…..gu...iŋgu vs. iŋ…..gu…umb • … … Experimental Paradigm • Headturn Preference Procedure (Kemler Nelson et al. ‘95; Jusczyk ‘97) • X/Y/XYparadigm (P. Jusczyk) • un...b...umb • un...b...umb *FNP ℜ p = .006 ∃FAITH • Highly general paradigm: Main result University of Amsterdam

  6. 4.5 Months (NPA) University of Amsterdam

  7. 4.5 Months (NPA) University of Amsterdam

  8. 4.5 Months (NPA) University of Amsterdam

  9. 5 Experiments University of Amsterdam

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