The developing brain forms words from speech sounds

2016 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 24680044
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Young Scientists (A)
• Allocation Type: Partial Multi-year Fund
• Research Field: Fusional social brain science
• Research Institution: Tokyo Metropolitan University
• Principal Investigator: HOMAE FUMITAKA 首都大学東京, 人文科学研究科(研究院), 准教授 (20533417)
• Project Period (FY): 2012-04-01 – 2017-03-31
• Keywords: 認知神経科学 / 発達脳科学 / 言語獲得 / 語彙 / 脳機能計測

Outline of Final Research Achievements

The purpose of this study is to reveal the mechanism of acquisition of words in infancy and toddlerhood, and to clarify the neural mechanisms underlying word acquisition. Therefore, we developed a real-time feedback system to present auditory stimuli, depending on the gaze position of infants on visual stimuli. We performed simultaneous recordings of gaze data, including pupil size, and electroencephalography, using this feedback system. Based on the results obtained from our novel methods, and a questionnaire on word acquisition, we suggest that the developing brain reduces the allocation of cognitive resources to process already known words. This is in contrast to the method used to process novel words, which increases the usability of cognitive resources for new vocabulary, facilitating the acquisition of new words, and an exponential vocabulary sprout during the course of word acquisition.

Free Research Field

認知神経科学