Slater & Lewis: Introduction to Infant Development
Key concepts
Inevitably, and perhaps unlike other chapters, we have to introduce a lot of new terminology in chapter 10. To help the reader, here is a list of key concepts which will help you to navigate through the chapter more easily.
Categorical induction:
Using known words to guess how new ones might be extended to a whole category.
Categorical perception:
Hearing some sound differences as identical if they come from the same phonemic category.
Constraints:
Inferences about how new words might work.
Grammar:
Knowledge of the rules of combining words (syntax) and creating word forms (morphology).
High amplitude sucking procedure:
Using sucking as a way to test for infants’ noticing sound differences.
Intermodal preferential looking procedure:
Using looking as a way to test infants knowing the meaning of a word.
Lexical Contrast/Mutual Exclusivity:
Assuming one word per object. This lead to knowledge that a new word must refer to an object that does not yet have a name.
Morphology:
Knowledge of different forms of words (eg. word endings).
Multimodal perception:
Linking across different perceptual systems (e.g. linking sight with sound.
Perceptual assimilation model:
Believes learning contrast is dependent on how sounds are categorized by the native language.
Perceptual magnet effect:
Tendency to hear sounds categorically.
Phonemic contrasts:
The subtle sound difference between similar words.
Phonology:
Study of the speech sounds and relationships among speech sounds that form the smallest units of language.
Pragmatics:
Study of language use in practice
Prosody:
The melody and rhythms of language.
Reduplicative babbling:
Repeating the same sounds over and over.
Referential intent:
Ability to induce what a person is labeling through eye gaze and other social acts.
Segmentation:
Finding words or other important units in the fluent stream of speech.
Semantics:
Study of word meanings and their use.
Statistical learning:
Using the regularities in speech to make inferences about possible words.
Syntactic bootstrapping:
Using syntax to figure out the meaning of new words.
Syntax:
Knowledge of how words and phrases can be combined.
Transitional probabilities:
The likelihood that one syllable will follow another.
Variegated babbling:
Vocal productions characterized by strings of varying syllables (e.g., ‘bagoo’).
"Whole Object" bias:
Bias to attach labels to wholes over parts or actions.


