RAPID WORD LEARNING BY 15-MONTH-OLDS UNDER TIGHTLY CONTROLLED CONDITIONS

Infants (12 to 17 months) were taught 2 novel words for 2 images of no vel objects, by pairing isolated auditory labels with to-be-associated images. Comprehension was tested using a preferential looking task in which the infant was presented with both images together with an isol ated auditory label. The auditory label usually, but not always, match ed one of the images. Infants looked preferentially at images that mat ched the auditory stimulus. The experiment controlled within-subjects for both side bias and preference for previously named items. Infants showed learning after 12 presentations of the new words. Evidence is p resented that, in certain circumstances, the duration of longest look at a target may be a more robust measure of target preference than ove rall looking time. The experiment provides support for previous demons trations of rapid word learning by pre-vocabulary spurt children, and offers some methodological improvements to the preferential looking ta sk.