0000000001173074
AUTHOR
Jean-pierre Thibaut
Apprentissage, mémorisation, et généralisation de nouveaux noms chez l'enfant trisomique 21. Une comparaison avec l'enfant en développement normal
Resume On a compare un groupe d'enfants trisomique 21 (T21) a un groupe temoin compose d'enfants en developpement normal apparie sur la base de l'âge mental, dans une tâche d'apprentissage lexical. Apres apprentissage du nom de quatre animaux ou de quatre instruments de musique non familiers, on evaluait la retention des associations mot–stimulus par une tâche de denomination et une tâche de designation apres trois delais. Les resultats revelent que les enfants T21 sont superieurs au groupe temoin dans la tâche de denomination. Les processus d'apprentissage des associations mot–objet ne sont pas deficitaires chez les personnes avec trisomie 21. En outre, les deux populations semblent utilis…
Solid ground makes solid understandings: does simple comparison paves the way for more complex comparisons ?
In this experiment, we investigated the role of dimensional distinctiveness on the generalization of novel names for unfamiliar objects. In a comparison design, we manipulated the sequence of trials difficulty, starting either with more difficult trials or with easier trials. To achieve this, we manipulated the dimensional distinctiveness of the first comparison trials and of the, later, transfer trials. Results showed that high-distinctiveness (easy) stimuli increased children’s later performance in the low-distinctiveness (difficult) condition whereas low-distinctiveness early training led to no later improvement in easier trials. Last, a correct answer for the first trial in the first le…
The development of analogy making in children: cognitive load and executive functions.
The aim of the current study was to investigate the performance of 6-, 8-, and 14-year-olds on an analogy-making task involving analogies in which there are competing perceptual and relational matches. We hypothesized that the selection of the common relational structure requires the inhibition of other salient features, in particular, perceptual matches. Using an A:B::C:D paradigm, we showed that children’s performance in analogy-making tasks depends crucially on the nature of the distractors. Children chose more perceptual distractors having a common feature with C compared with A or B (Experiment 1). In addition, they were also influenced by unstructured random textures. When measuring r…
Generalization of novel names for relations in comparison settings: the role of conceptual distance during learning and at test
International audience; Relational categories are notoriously difficult to learn. We studied the impact of comparison on relational concept learning with a novel word learning task in 3- and 4-year olds. We contrasted a no-comparison (single) condition and two comparison conditions. In the latter case, the set of learning pairs was composed of either close or far pairs (e.g., close pair: knife1- watermelon, knife2-orange; far pair: ax-evergreen tree, saw-log, for the “cutter for” relation). We also manipulated the transfer stimuli semantic distance (near or distant semantic domain, e.g., a scissor for a piece of paper in the close case, and a shaver for a face in the far domain case). The n…
Analogical reasoning and aging: the processing speed and inhibition hypothesis.
This study was designed to investigate the effect of aging on analogical reasoning by manipulating the strength of semantic association (LowAssoc or HighAssoc) and the number of distracters' semantic analogies of the A:B::C:D type and to determine which factors might be responsible for the age-related differences on analogical reasoning by testing two different theoretical frameworks: the inhibition hypothesis and the speed mediation hypothesis. We compared young adults and two groups of aging people (old and old-old) with word analogies of the A:B::C:D format. Results indicate an age-related effect on analogical reasoning, this effect being greatest with LowAssoc analogies. It was not asso…
Visual Strategies in Analogical Reasoning Development: A New Method for Classifying Scanpaths
International audience; Development of analogical reasoning is often explained by general maturation of executive functions. A consequence of the involvement of executive functions would be that children and adults differ in the visual strategies they apply when solving analogical problems. Since visual strategies can be studied by means of eye-tracking, we compared the visual scanpaths of children and adults in three different analogical reasoning tasks. This comparison was done by means of a novel technique that combined a recently developed algorithm for computing a “distance” between any pair of scanpaths (Jarodzka, Holmqvist, & Nyström, 2010), multidimensional scaling (MDS), and a neur…
When outstanding mathematicians cannot figure out that 14 – 2 = 12
International audience; We investigated what happens when non-mathematical knowledge interferes with mathematical knowledge in arithmetic word problem solving. Adults and expert mathematicians had to evaluate the solutions of basic additive problems. The non-mathematical knowledge evoked by the problems hindered both populations’ success rates and response times when incongruent with the solving algorithm.
Explaining children’s failure in analogy making tasks: A problem of focus of attention?
International audience; Analogical reasoning is commonly recognized as essential to human cognition, but young children often perform poorly in the classical A:B::C:? analogical reasoning task. Previous eye-tracking results have shown that children did not visually explore the A:B pair as much as adults in this task. We hypothesized that this lack of exploration could help account for the low scores of children in comparison to adults. The present study shows that children’ performance improves significantly if they are required to look at and process the A:B pair before they are shown the full A:B::C:? problem. This confirms our hypothesis that the A:B pair is insufficiently processed by c…
Developing motor planning over ages
International audience; Few studies have explored the development of response selection processes in children in the case of object manipulation. In the current research, we studied the end-state comfort effect, the tendency to ensure a comfortable position at the end rather than at the beginning of simple object manipulation tasks. We used two versions of the unimanual bar transport task. In Experiment 1, only 10-year-olds reached the same level of sensitivity to end-state comfort as adults, and 8-year-olds were less efficient than 6-year-olds. In each age group, children’s sensitivity did not increase during a session: i.e., either clearly showed the sensitivity or showed no sensitivity a…
Studying arithmetic word problem solving using eye tracking: A peek into mathematical representations
How do adults think about situations involving numbers, and how can we investigate the nature of the mental representations they construct? To tackle this question, we created arithmetic word problems devised to promote contrasting representations and solving strategies. Following recent work on the perception of cardinality and ordinality (Gros, Thibaut, & Sander, 2021), we hypothesized that the use of specific quantities (weights, prices, collections) would foster a cardinal representation of the problems, whereas other quantities (durations, heights, number of floors) would favor an ordinal representation instead. The problems we created were thought to be easily solvable from an ordinal…
Generalizing novel names in comparison settings: Role of conceptual distance during learning and at test
International audience; In a comparison setting (two stimuli), we tested 4- and 6-year-old children’s generalization of novel names for objects. We manipulated the semantic distance between the two learning items (e.g., two bracelets versus a bracelet and a watch), and the semantic distance between the learning items and the test items (e.g., a pendant versus a bow tie). We tested whether smaller semantic distance between learning items would lead to more taxonomic (vs. perceptual) choices at test, than broader semantic distance during learning, especially in the case of distant test stimuli. Results revealed main effects of learning distance, of generalization distance and that only childr…
Approche neuropsychologique du syndrome de Williams : Aspects-visuospatiaux
International audience; Nous envisageons différentes dimensions de la cognition visuo-spatiale et visuo-constructive : le fonctionnement perceptif, les représentations spatiales et l’attention spatiale, la mémoire à court terme visuelle, les tâches visuo-constructives comme le dessin ou la construction de configurations avec des cubes. Nous discutons ensuite la question du traitement local et global des stimuli perceptifs et l’éventualité de déficits au niveau des fonctions exécutives qui pourraient expliquer les différences observées notamment dans le traitement global entre les personnes présentant un Syndrome de Williams (SW) et les personnes en développement normal. Enfin, les hypothèse…
The role of semantic distance in learning and generalization of novel names in typically developing and atypically developing children
International audience; Children often learn the extension of novel words with a limited number of exemplars. There is evidence that the opportunity to compare stimuli is beneficial for learning and generalizing novel names in typically developing (TD) children. This is important since they are in need of well-devised learning situations. We manipulated the role of semantic distance within training stimuli and between training and test stimuli and their influence on taxonomically-based generalization. We hypothesized more difficulties for ID children especially in “larger” semantic distance cases. Our results revealed that ID children were better than the matched TD children, suggesting fun…
The nature of quantities influences the representation of arithmetic problems: evidence from drawings and solving procedures in children and adults
International audience; When solving arithmetic problems, semantic factors influence the representations built (Gamo, Sander & Richard, 2010). In order to specify such interpretative processes, we created structurally isomorphic word problems that could be solved with two distinct algorithms. We tested whether a distinction between cardinal and ordinal quantities would lead solvers, due to their daily-life knowledge, to build different representations, influencing their strategies as well as the nature of their drawings. We compared 5th grade children and adults in order to assess the validity of this hypothesis with participants of varying arithmetic proficiency. The results confirmed that…
From two to many: The role of executive functions in young children's generalization of novel object names in a comparison design
In this study, 4-year-old children were tested in an object name generalization task with a stimulus comparison design. Performance in the generalization task was correlated with performance in a vocabulary test and three executive function tasks assessing inhibition, flexibility, and working memory. Correlational analyses revealed a significant association with flexibility but not with inhibition, working memory or vocabulary test. We interpret the results in terms of a capacity to flexibly generate novel dimensions rather than inhibiting irrelevant dimensions. Individual differences in working memory and inhibition did not significantly influence performance in the word extension task. Mo…
Strawberries and Cream: The Relationship Between Food Rejection and Thematic Knowledge of Food in Young Children
Establishing healthy dietary habits in childhood is crucial in preventing long-term repercussions, as a lack of dietary variety in childhood leads to enduring impacts on both physical and cognitive health. Poor conceptual knowledge about food has recently been shown to be a driving factor of food rejection. The majority of studies that have investigated the development of food knowledge along with food rejection have mainly focused on one subtype of conceptual knowledge about food, namely taxonomic categories (e.g., vegetables or meat). However, taxonomic categorization is not the only way to understand the food domain. We also heavily rely on other conceptual structures, namely thematic as…
Do typically and atypically developing children learn and generalize novel names similarly: The role of conceptual distance during learning and at test.
International audience; There is a large body of evidence showing that comparison of multiple stimuli leads to better conceptualization and generalization of novel names than no-comparison settings in typically developing (TD) children. By contrast, the evidence regarding this issue remains scarce in children with intellectual disabilities (ID). Children with intellectual disabilities (ID) and TD children matched on mental age with the Raven's coloured progressive matrices were tested in several novel name learning comparison conditions, with familiar objects. We manipulated the conceptual distance between the learning stimuli in the learning phase and between the learning and generalizatio…
Typically and Atypically Developing Children' Generalizations of Novel Names: the Role of Semantic Distance
International audience; Children often learn the extension of novel words with a limited number of exemplars. There is evidence that the opportunity to compare stimuli is beneficial for learning and generalizing novel names in typically developing (TD) children (e.g., Gentner, 2010). However, so far,, comparison situations have not been studied in children with intellectual disabilities (ID) (Chapman & Kay-Raining Bird, 2012). This is important since they are in need of well-devised learning situations. We manipulated the role of semantic distance within training stimuli and between training and test stimuli and their influence on taxonomically-based generalization. We hypothesized more dif…
Children’s Generalization of Novel Object Names in Comparison Contexts: An eye tracking analysis
International audience; A common result is thatcomparison settings (i.e., several stimuli introduced simultaneously) favor conceptualizationand generalization. In a comparison setting, we manipulated the semantic distance between the two training items (e.g., two bracelets versus a bracelet and a watch), and the semantic distance between the training items and the test items (e.g., a pendant versus a bow tie). We tested 5-and 8-year-old children’s generalization of novel names for objects. This study is the first one to study the temporal dynamics ofcomparison in a generalization task with eye-tracking data. The eye movement data revealed clear patterns of exploration in which participants …
Apprendre et enseigner grâce à une meilleure compréhension du phénomène de congruence sémantique
GROS, H. (2015). Apprendre et enseigner grâce à une meilleure compréhension du phénomène decongruence sémantique – E. Sander (50%) avec Jean-Pierre Thibaut (50%), PR Université deBourgogne, LEAD Financement : Contrat doctoral Frontières du Vivant, volet éducation
Learning and generalizing new nouns
When they learn a new word, young children need to understand which are the relevant dimensions. The relevant dimensions are not always very salient, whereas salient properties might be conceptually irrelevant. This review illustrates the benefits of comparing simltaneously two (or more) examples introduced as members of the same category. This situation has been shown to be more effective for understanding the dimension relevance than the presentation of a single example or of several items introduced sequentially. We present studies showing that situations in which training examples are given are more effective than situations in which the examples are not labelled. We also include compar…
Approche neuropsychologique du syndrome de Down
International audience; Bien que le syndrome de Down soit la cause la plus fréquente de retard mental génétique et, par conséquent, le syndrome le plus étudié, certains aspects du développement et du fonctionnement cognitif des personnes atteintes demeurent peu voire pas encore étudiés. A côté de certains aspects du développement bien documentés à l’heure actuelle tels les conséquences physiques, médicales et, d’un point de vue plus cognitif, langagière de la présence d’un chromosome surnuméraire dans le patrimoine génétique des personnes atteintes du syndrome, certains domaines tels que le développement mnésique ou la problématique du vieillissement cognitif restent peu étudiés et encore s…
Children’s Generalization of Novel Relational Nouns in Comparison Contexts
Comparison settings (i.e. several stimuli introduced simultaneously) favor novel word learning and generalization. This study investigates the temporal dynamics of 6-year-olds solving strategies in a relational noun (e.g. “x is the dax for y”) comparison and generalization task with eye tracking data. We manipulated conceptual distance between the task’s items and recorded children’s performances and eye tracking data. We analyze and interpret solving strategies following the predictions made by two hypotheses, the Projection-First and Alignment-first. Eye tracking data clearly revealed that children, first, extract the relation from comparisons of items within a pair and search for a match…
Why elevator trips are comparable to piano lessons and not to pet-sitting: world semantics guiding analogies between arithmetic word problems
DOI: 10.13140/RG.2.2.35896.65284, document consultable : https://www.researchgate.net/publication/318672689; International audience; Arithmetic word problems of analogous objective mathematical structure can lead to dramatically different success rates depending on their wording (Hudson, 1983), and transfer between problems can be significantly favored or hindered by the cover stories used (Bassok, Wu & Olseth, 1995). But what promotes the perception of the analogy between different wordings of a same problem? Previous works have hinted at the existence of abstract semantic dimensions stemming from the solvers’ knowledge about the world and influencing the encoding and solving of problem st…
Rôle du contrôle exécutif dans le raisonnement par analogie chez l’enfant et le primate non humain
Resume Le raisonnement par analogie (RA) est une capacite cruciale de la pensee humaine. Plusieurs theories ont ete proposees pour comprendre son emergence chez l’enfant, evoquant successivement le developpement des competences logiques puis la connaissance necessaire des relations mises en jeu. Dans cette revue, nous proposons un point de vue alternatif suggerant que les capacites de RA dependent de l’efficience du controle executif. Dans une perspective comparative, nous presentons un ensemble de donnees recentes qui etayent le role de l’inhibition, de la flexibilite et de la mise a jour en memoire de travail dans le RA chez l’enfant et chez le primate non humain. Les travaux chez l’enfan…