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Technological timescales: Identifying the impact of digital media on the mechanisms of word learning

Award Number: R15HD101841
ORGANIZATION: NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF CHILD HEALTH AND HUMAN DEVELOPMENT
OPDIV: NIH
AWARD CLASS: DISCRETIONARY
AWARD ACTIVITY TYPE: SCIENTIFIC/HEALTH RESEARCH (INCLUDES SURVEYS)

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Technological timescales: Identifying the impact of digital media on the mechanisms of word learning - Project Summary/Abstract The first two years of a child’s life are marked by an increasing ability to learn new words and an exponential growth in their vocabulary. We also know that the context in which a child learns a new word affects the integration of that word into their lexicon and has cascading effects on language growth over time. However, the last decade has seen a rise in digital media as a source of language input, marking a shift in the contexts in which children encounter and learn words – from rich, three- dimensional, and interactive objects to moments that are less rich, less embodied, and more transient. Little, however, is known about how children map, retain, and generalize words in digital forms or the cascading impact digital media has on vocabulary growth. 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. The results will advance our understanding of language development by a) establishing whether the process of word learning from digital media qualitatively differs from learning with real objects, and b) quantifying how digital contexts alter the cascade by which lexical development supports vocabulary growth. Further, the findings will have implications for predicting long-term language outcomes and forming specific recommendations (or warnings) for educators, clinicians, and parents on when and how young children’s technology exposure impacts word learning during these critical years.


Issue Date FY	Funding FY	Legal Entity Name	Legal Entity Address	Legal Entity City	Legal Entity State	Legal Entity Zip Code	Legal Entity COUNTY	Legal Entity COUNTRY	Assistance Listing	Award Code	Budget Year	Action Date	Action Type	Action Amount

Issue Date FY: 2025 ( Subtotal = $0 )
2025	2021	OKLAHOMA STATE UNIVERSITY	401 WHITEHURST HALL	STILLWATER	OK	74078	PAYNE	USA	Child Health and Human Development Extramural Research	000	1	1/23/2025	NEW	-$39,346
2025	2021	SOUTHERN METHODIST UNIVERSITY	6425 BOAZ ST RM 130	DALLAS	TX	75205	DALLAS	USA	Child Health and Human Development Extramural Research	001	2	1/23/2025	CHANGE OF GRANTEE / TRAINING INSTITUTION / AWARDING INSTITUTION	$39,346
														Subtotal = $0

Issue Date FY: 2024 ( Subtotal = $0 )
2024	2021	SOUTHERN METHODIST UNIVERSITY	6425 BOAZ ST RM 130	DALLAS	TX	75205	DALLAS	USA	Child Health and Human Development Extramural Research	000	2	3/28/2024	CHANGE OF GRANTEE / TRAINING INSTITUTION / AWARDING INSTITUTION	$0
														Subtotal = $0

Issue Date FY: 2023 ( Subtotal = $1,793 )
2023	2021	OKLAHOMA STATE UNIVERSITY	401 WHITEHURST HALL	STILLWATER	OK	74078	PAYNE	USA	Child Health and Human Development Extramural Research	000	1	4/19/2023	NEW	-$144,937
2023	2021	SOUTHERN METHODIST UNIVERSITY	6425 BOAZ LANE	DALLAS	TX	75205	DALLAS	USA	Child Health and Human Development Extramural Research	001	2	4/19/2023	CHANGE OF GRANTEE / TRAINING INSTITUTION / AWARDING INSTITUTION	$146,730
														Subtotal = $1,793

Issue Date FY: 2021 ( Subtotal = $329,220 )
2021	2021	OKLAHOMA STATE UNIVERSITY	401 WHITEHURST HALL	STILLWATER	OK	74078	PAYNE	USA	Child Health and Human Development Extramural Research	000	1	2/14/2021	NEW	$329,220
														Subtotal = $329,220

Grand Total All Awards = $331,013

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Technological timescales: Identifying the impact of digital media on the mechanisms of word learning

Award Number: R15HD101841

ORGANIZATION: NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF CHILD HEALTH AND HUMAN DEVELOPMENT

OPDIV: NIH

AWARD CLASS: DISCRETIONARY

AWARD ACTIVITY TYPE: SCIENTIFIC/HEALTH RESEARCH (INCLUDES SURVEYS)

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