Premium
Experience‐Driven Semantic Differentiation: Effects of a Naturalistic Experience on Within‐ and Across‐Domain Differentiation in Children
Author(s) -
Vales Catarina,
States Sarah L.,
Fisher Anna V.
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
child development
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 3.103
H-Index - 257
eISSN - 1467-8624
pISSN - 0009-3920
DOI - 10.1111/cdev.13369
Subject(s) - psychology , naturalism , domain (mathematical analysis) , semantic network , semantics (computer science) , cognition , cognitive psychology , developmental psychology , linguistics , epistemology , computer science , mathematical analysis , philosophy , mathematics , neuroscience , programming language
Organized semantic networks reflecting distinctions within and across domains of knowledge are critical for higher‐level cognition. Thus, understanding how semantic structure changes with experience is a fundamental question in developmental science. This study probed changes in semantic structure in 4–6 year‐old children ( N = 29) as a result of participating in an enrichment program at a local botanical garden. This study presents the first direct evidence that (a) the accumulation of experience with items in a domain promoted increases in both within‐ and across‐domain semantic differentiation, and that (b) this experience‐driven semantic differentiation generalized to nonexperienced items. These findings have implications for understanding the role of experience in building semantic networks, and for conceptualizing the contribution of enrichment experiences to academic success.