Technology/Digital Media Use and Children's Word Learning Development

Study Overview
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Brief Summary
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The goal of this work is to address increasing concerns about young children's digital media exposure and language outcomes by testing how the times course of word learning unfolds in digital environments and the cascading impact of digital media on vocabulary outcomes. The findings will have important implications for understanding when and where optimal word learning from media can occur.

Detailed Description
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The goal of the current proposal is to identify how digital media alters the mechanisms of word learning and subsequently impacts the lexical foundation on which a child's vocabulary is built. Specifically, the proposal aims to identify the impact of digital media on 1) the processes underlying real-time word learning, and 2) the processes of language generalization and vocabulary growth. Specific Aim 1 will use a novel word learning task to test children's ability to map and retain new words within and between digital media (2D images on a tablet) and real world objects (3D objects). Specific Aim 2 will probe children's novel label generalization abilities within and between 2D and 3D modalities using a novel noun generalization task. Further, individual differences in a child's prior technology experience will be measured and used to predict overall vocabulary as well as performance within and between each task.

Official Title
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Technological Timescales: Identifying the Impact of Digital Media on the Mechanisms of Word Learning

Conditions
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Healthy

Intervention / Treatment
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* Behavioral: Modality - 3D-2D
* Behavioral: Modality - 2D-3D
* Behavioral: Modality - 2D-2D


Participation Criteria
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Eligibility Criteria
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Inclusion Criteria: between 17-30 months old Exclusion Criteria: diagnosed developmental delay or disorder exposure to more than 25% of another language

Ages Eligible for Study
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Minimum Age: 17 Months
Maximum Age: 30 Months

Sexes Eligible for Study
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All

Accepts Healthy Volunteers
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Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Study Plan
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How is the study designed?
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Design Details

Primary Purpose: Basic Science
Allocation: Randomized
Intervention Model: Parallel Assignment
Interventional Model Description: Participants will be randomly assigned to one of for conditions.
Masking: None (Open Label)


Arms and Interventions

| Participant Group/Arm | Intervention/Treatment |
| --- | --- |
| No Intervention: 3D-3D<br>All items presented in 3D form | |
| Experimental: 3D-2D<br>Initial items in 3D, retention and generalization in 2D | Behavioral: Modality - 3D-2D<br>* Modality in which items will be presented (via tablet/digital media or as real object). 3D items initially and retention/generalization as 2D<br>* Other names: digital media modality;|
| Experimental: 2D-3D<br>Initial items in 2D, retention and generalization in 3D | Behavioral: Modality - 2D-3D<br>* Modality in which items will be presented (via tablet/digital media or as real object). 2D items initially and retention/generalization as 3D<br>* Other names: digital media modality;|
| Experimental: 2D-2D<br>All items in 2D | Behavioral: Modality - 2D-2D<br>* Modality in which items will be presented (via tablet/digital media or as real object). 2D items initially and retention/generalization as 2D<br>* Other names: digital media modality;|

What is the study measuring?
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Primary Outcome Measures

| Outcome Measure | Measure Description | Time Frame |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Accuracy on selecting the target item on referent selection | Children's choices on each trial of the task will be measured. Correct responses are those to the target (prompted) item - for referent selection, this is the item asked for in the prompt (e.g. shoe, dog) | 1 minute | 
| Accuracy on selecting the target item on retention | Children's choices on each trial of the task will be measured. Correct responses are those to the target (prompted) item - for retention, this is the item asked for in the prompt. | 5 minutes | 
| Accuracy on selecting the target item on novel noun generalization task | Children's choices on each trial of the task will be measured. Correct responses are those to the target (prompted) item - for generalization this will be considered as the shape-matching item (and not choosing a color or material match) | 1 minute |