TY - JOUR
T1 - Instantiation of word meanings in children
AU - Anderson, Richard C.
AU - Stevens, Kathleen C.
AU - Shifrin, Zohara
AU - Osborn, Jean H.
PY - 1978/6
Y1 - 1978/6
N2 - Previous research has shown that adults tend to narrow the meanings of words encountered in context, a process that has been termed instantiation. In the present study, 60 first and fourth graders selected pictures which best represented the meanings of sentences read to them. The sets of pictures included three examples of a target word in each sentence, one of which best fit the meaning of the sentence as a whole. The children selected the contextually most appropriate picture over 90% of the time. The results indicate that the children were instantiating the target words with specific concepts rather than bringing to mind abstract, undifferentiated meanings.
AB - Previous research has shown that adults tend to narrow the meanings of words encountered in context, a process that has been termed instantiation. In the present study, 60 first and fourth graders selected pictures which best represented the meanings of sentences read to them. The sets of pictures included three examples of a target word in each sentence, one of which best fit the meaning of the sentence as a whole. The children selected the contextually most appropriate picture over 90% of the time. The results indicate that the children were instantiating the target words with specific concepts rather than bringing to mind abstract, undifferentiated meanings.
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U2 - 10.1080/10862967809547264
DO - 10.1080/10862967809547264
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:84965566944
SN - 1086-296X
VL - 10
SP - 149
EP - 157
JO - Journal of Literacy Research
JF - Journal of Literacy Research
IS - 2
ER -