Preliminary Computer Verbal Content Analysis in Preschool Black Children.

MF-$0.75 HC-$1.50 Age Differences; *Computational Linguistics; Computer Science; *Content Analysis; Language Development; *Negro Youth; *Preschool Children; *Speech The major purpose of this study was to investigate expressive content language differences in preschool black children that might relate to Piaget's theory of egocentric speech. Correlating first order Harvard III Psycho-sociological Dictionary categories with Piaget's egocentric speech and the second order categories with socialized speech it was hypothesized that few or no second order content categories would differ within contrasted groups of 3-, 4-, and 5-year-old black children. A measure of structural syntactical change was also made for comparison purposes. Statistical test results confirmed this hypothesis. Computerized verbal content analysis appears to be a fruitful method for testing and studying theoretical issues and empirical research in child development. (Author/DP) %ID CO co JAMES C. MONTAGUE, JR. U.S DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH. EDUCATION & WELFARE NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF EDUCATION IHS DOCUMENT HAS BEEN REPRO OUCED EXACTLY AS RECEIVED PROP,/ THE PERSON OR ORGANIZATION ORIGIN ATING IT POINTS OF VIEW OR OPINIONS STATED DO NOT NECLSSAI4iLY RCPRE SENT OFFICIAL NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF . 10u r.ATiON POSiTiON OR POLICY PPELIMINARY COMPUTER VERBAL CONTENT ANALYSIS IN PRESCHOOL BLACK CHILDREN James C. Montague, Jr. University of Arkansas at Little Rock '471"1 Address Correspondence to: 1:14. James C. Montague, Jr. Director, Communicative Disorders University of Arkansas at Little Rock, Little Rock, AR 72204 rag ABSTRACT The contentive verbal language of groups of three-, four-, and five-year old Black children was contrasted by utilizing the computerized General Inquirer System and the associated Harvard III Psycho sociological Dictionary. Correlating denotative Harvard III categories with Piaget's egocentric speech and connotative categories with socialized speech it was hypothesized that few or no contentive categories would differ between the three age groups of children. Statistical test results confirmed this hypothesis. Computerized verbal content analysis appears to be a fruitful method for testing and studying theoretical issues and empirical research in children.The contentive verbal language of groups of three-, four-, and five-year old Black children was contrasted by utilizing the computerized General Inquirer System and the associated Harvard III Psycho sociological Dictionary. Correlating denotative Harvard III categories with Piaget's egocentric speech and connotative categories with socialized speech it was hypothesized that few or no contentive categories would differ between the three age groups of children. Statistical test results confirmed this hypothesis. Computerized verbal content analysis appears to be a fruitful method for testing and studying theoretical issues and empirical research in children. JAMES C. MONTAGUE, JR. It would appear possible that changes in childrens' developmental cognitive styles could be reflected through their expressive verbal language. Innumerable studies have been made of the structural, descriptive linguistic elements, e.g. phonology, morphology and syntax, in childrens' language acquisition patterns. These structural language studies have provided us with important information in child development; for example articulation development in normal children and strtmtural language differences and omissions in retarded groups of children. However, these studies for the most part have not been correlated with chronological cognitive development. One notable exception to this are the studies that Piaget and his colleagues have conducted in ego,-centrism.among young children. Piaget (1959) divides child language into roughly two large referent groups -the ego-centric and the socialized. When a child utters phrases belonging to the first. group, he does not bother to know to whom he is speaking nor whether he is being listened to. He talks either for himself or for the pleasure of associating anyone who happens to be there with the activity of the moment. This talk is ego-centric, partly because the child speaks only Lz