Quantifying the syntactic bootstrapping effect in verb learning: A meta-analytic synthesis

How do children infer the meaning of a novel verb? One prominent proposal is that children rely on syntactic information in the linguistic context, a phenomenon known as “syntactic bootstrapping” (Naigles, 1990). For example, given the sentence “The bunny is gorping the duck”, a child could use knowledge of English syntactic roles to infer that “gorping” refers to an action where the bunny is acting in some way on a duck. Here, we examine the strength of the syntactic bootstrapping effect, its developmental trajectory and generalizability using meta-analytic methods. Across 60 experiments in the literature (N = 849 participants), we find a reliable syntactic bootstrapping effect (d = .24). Yet, despite its theoretical prominence, the syntactic bootstrapping effect is relatively small, comparable in size to cross-situational learning and sound symbolism, but smaller than mutual-exclusivity and gaze-following. Further, we find that the effect does not strengthen over development, and is present only for studies that use transitive sentences. An examination of a range of methodological factors suggests that the effect is not strongly influenced by methodological implementation. In the General Discussion, we consider implications of our findings for theories of verb learning and make recommendations for future research.

The Structural Sources of Verb Meanings

This chapter presents the theory of syntactic bootstrapping. It shows fundamental problems with a theory of verb learning based solely on observations of the external world. It then shows how these problems can be overcome if those experiences are paired with information about the syntactic structure of the clause that the verb occurs in.

Understanding How Input Matters

Studies under the heading of “syntactic bootstrapping” have demonstrated that syntax guides young children’s interpretations during verb learning. We evaluate two hypotheses concerning the origins of syntactic bootstrapping effects. The “universalist” view, holding that syntactic bootstrapping falls out from universal properties of the syntax-semantics mapping, is shown to be superior to the “emergentist” view, which holds that argument structure patterns emerge from a process of categorization and generalization over the input. These theories diverge in their predictions about a language in which syntactic structure is not the most reliable cue to a certain meaning. Experiments with Kannada speaking children and adults support the universalist view.

Human Simulations of Vocabulary Learning

This paper investigates the generalization that noun learning systematically precedes verb learning. Rather than blame this observation on differences in conceptual content, the authors argue that the information requirements of verb learning crucially determine the acquisition order. Efficient verb learning requires access to structural features of the exposure language and thus cannot take place until a scaffolding of noun knowledge enables the acquisition of clause level syntax. A set of experiments with adult subjects ask about the kinds of information that support learning nouns vs. verbs. The proportion correctly identified and the type of word that is identifiable changes significantly as a function of information type.

Optimal Contexts for Verb Learning

Purpose Verb learning is a critical but challenging part of language acquisition. Children with or at increased risk for developmental language disorder may particularly struggle with verb learning, and poor verb representations in turn may negatively impact children's language outcomes. Our goal is to examine literature on children's acquisition of verbs, identifying manipulable factors that may determine the ease or difficulty of acquiring a new verb meaning. Method In this narrative, nonsystematic review, we discuss findings about how verbs are learned and represented. Results Several aspects of the learning environment affect children's efforts to acquire verbs, including the linguistic context in which the verb is introduced, the timing of the linguistic label relative to the event it describes, the visual and linguistic variability, and the dose frequency. Conclusions We conclude that some learning situations are likely to be more helpful for children in the process of verb learning than others. We highlight some of the factors that contribute to good learning situations, and we discuss how these may differ depending on properties of the child and of the verb itself. Finally, we propose hypotheses for future translational and clinical research.