Chapter 5. General Discussion and Conclusion
5.4 Future study
5.4.4 The role of frequency
Input frequency as a possible confounding factor in this study should be tested in
further research. Lower Input frequency for an individual word in the Specific
Condition would contribute to the difficulty in learning the specific words in the
fast-mapping procedure. Our results showed when learning the specific words, children
had difficulty in producing target words in appropriate contexts. Consequently, it is
likely that children learning specific words might be hindered by low frequency rather
than by semantic specificity. In addition, the briefness of the training sessions might
hinder children’s understanding about semantic boundaries. To clarify the possibilities,
frequency alone should be manipulated as a variable in future studies. Exploring the
possible effect of input frequency would shed light on the role of specificity in the
lexical development.
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