Verbal mediation of concept attainment

Date
1989
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Abstract
This study examined the developmental role of verbal mediation in the concept attainment of two groups of children: Language Advantaged and Language Disadvantaged. A two-dimensional concept where three objects were to be clustered on the basis of three different colours and three different shapes was presented to 64 children, half ranging between the ages 5-0 - 5-11 and the other half between 7-0 -7-11. These children were screened to ensure average intellectual functioning, to allow for grouping on the basis of language ability. In order to isolate the effects of verbal mediation on concept attainment, two instructional techniques were used. One consisted of demonstrating the concept through silent modeling, the other consisted of verbally presenting the conceptual rule. Half the children in each language level/age group received the first method of instruction while the others received the second. The main analysis used was a 2x2x2 ANOVA with repeated measures over three phases of concept attainment; 1) baseline, 2) concept acquisition and 3) concept generalization. Findings showed an age related shift in performance where the 7-year-olds outperformed the 5-year- old children across phases. Also, an effect for language was found where Language Advantaged children scored significantly higher than Language Disadvantaged children across phases of Concept Attainment. Seven-year-olds, both Language Advantaged and Language Disadvantaged were able to use the rule provided to attain the concept. Also, Modeling, alone, was effective for 7-year­olds. Results were interpreted mainly in the context of Bruner's developmental theory of representation which postulates that verbal representation ability is necessary for concept attainment. It was concluded, as hypothesized, that this ability was relatively undeveloped in the 5-year- old and Language Disadvantaged children.
Description
Bibliography: p. 91-96.
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Citation
Fairhurst, D. A. (1989). Verbal mediation of concept attainment (Master's thesis, University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada). Retrieved from https://prism.ucalgary.ca. doi:10.11575/PRISM/16598
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