Non-word repetition in 2-year-olds: Replication of an adapted paradigm and a useful methodological extension

Abstract

Accurate non-word repetition (NWR) has been largely attributed to phonological memory, although the task involves other processes including speech production, which may confound results in toddlers with developing speech production abilities. This study is based on Hoff, Core and Bridges’ adapted NWR task, which includes a real-word repetition (RWR) condition. We tested 86 typically developing 2-year-olds and found relationships between NWR and both receptive and expressive vocabulary using a novel measure that controls for speech production by comparing contextually matched targets in RWR. Post hoc analyses demonstrated the influence of lexical and sublexical factors in repetition tasks. Overall, results illustrate the importance of controlling for speech production differences in young children and support a useful methodological approach for testing NWR.

• Articulation
• analysis methods
• phonological working memory
• typically developing
• young children

Acknowledgments

The authors particularly thank Lisa Tuit, who helped standardise the testing procedures, Sean Hendricks and Amelie Bail, who conducted much of the testing and coding of the NWR data and clinical assessments, and Devon Brunson, who performed most of the scheduling. The authors also thank the following students for assistance in recruiting and scheduling families: Katrina Ablorh, Candace Ali, Saher Ali, Alison Arnold, Megan Askew, Catherine Bender, Taryn Bipat, Alyssa Cook, Jennifer Coon, Justine Dombroski, Sara Dougherty, Sara Edelberg, Daniel Eisenberg, Lauren Evans, Andrea Farina, Lauren Fischer, Arielle Gandee, Richard Garcia, Laura Horowitz, Megan Janssen, Mina Javid, Amanda Jensen, Esther Kim, Stephanie Lee, Perri Lieberman, Rachel Lieberman, Eileen McLaughlin, Kelly McPherson, Giovanna Morini, Vidda Moussavi, Molly Nasuta, Courtenay O’Connor, Sabrina Panza, Elise Perkins, Amanda Pasquarella, Lauren Polovoy, Rachel Ports, Rachel Rhodes, Allie Rodriguez, Maria Rodriguez, Judith Segal, Katie Shniderman, Veronica Son, Mara Steinberg, Justine Taweel, Allison Temple, Dena Tran, Eugene Vassilas, Krista Voelmle, Chelsea Vogel. Amanda Wildman, Cavena Williams, Kimmie Wilson, Catherine Wu, Donna Zack-Williams and Michelle Zobel.

Declaration of interest

This work was supported by NSF grant BCS 0745412 to the University of Maryland.

The authors report no conflicts of interest.