Preschoolers' sensitivity to referential ambiguity: evidence for a dissociation between implicit understanding and explicit behavior

dc.contributor.authorNilsen, Elizabeth S.
dc.contributor.authorGraham, Susan
dc.contributor.authorSmith, Shannon
dc.contributor.authorChambers, Craig G.
dc.date.accessioned2020-05-19T13:51:22Z
dc.date.available2020-05-19T13:51:22Z
dc.date.issued2008-07
dc.description.abstractFour-year-olds were asked to assess an adult listener's knowledge of the location of a hidden sticker after the listener was provided an ambiguous or unambiguous description of the sticker location. When preschoolers possessed private knowledge about the sticker location, the location they chose indicated that they judged a description to be unambiguous even when the message was ambiguous from the listener's perspective. However, measures of implicit awareness (response latencies and eye movement measures) demonstrated that even when preschoolers had private knowledge about the sticker location, ambiguous messages led to more consideration of an alternative location and longer response latencies than unambiguous messages. The findings demonstrate that children show sensitivity to linguistic ambiguity earlier than previously thought and, further, that they can detect linguistic ambiguity in language directed to others even when their own knowledge clarifies the intended meaning.en_US
dc.identifier.citationNilsen, E. S., Graham, S. A., Smith, S., & Chambers, C. G. (2008). Preschoolers' sensitivity to referential ambiguity: evidence for a dissociation between implicit understanding and explicit behavior. "Developmental Science". 2008: 11(4), pp. 556-562. http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-7687.2008.00701.xen_US
dc.identifier.doihttp://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-7687.2008.00701.xen_US
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/1880/112071
dc.identifier.urihttps://doi.org/10.11575/PRISM/43653
dc.language.isoengen_US
dc.publisherBlackwellen_US
dc.publisher.departmentPsychologyen_US
dc.publisher.facultyArtsen_US
dc.publisher.hasversionpublishedVersionen_US
dc.publisher.institutionUniversity of Calgaryen_US
dc.publisher.institutionUniversity of Torontoen_US
dc.rightsUnless otherwise indicated, this material is protected by copyright and has been made available with authorization from the copyright owner. You may use this material in any way that is permitted by the Copyright Act or through licensing that has been assigned to the document. For uses that are not allowable under copyright legislation or licensing, you are required to seek permission.en_US
dc.rights.urihttps://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0en_US
dc.titlePreschoolers' sensitivity to referential ambiguity: evidence for a dissociation between implicit understanding and explicit behavioren_US
dc.typejournal articleen_US
ucalgary.item.requestcopytrueen_US
Files
Original bundle
Now showing 1 - 1 of 1
No Thumbnail Available
Name:
Nilsen, E. S., Graham, S. A., Smith, S., & Chambers, C. G. (2008) Developmental Science.pdf
Size:
238.72 KB
Format:
Adobe Portable Document Format
Description:
Main article
License bundle
Now showing 1 - 1 of 1
No Thumbnail Available
Name:
license.txt
Size:
1.92 KB
Format:
Item-specific license agreed upon to submission
Description: