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Abstract
The referential strategies used in narrative discourse by 60 Japanese children (aged 3 years; 8 months to 7 years; 4 months) and 10 adults were analyzed to determine the factors underlying choice of nominal versus elliptical forms. Four predictor variables were examined: age, discourse context (Introductions, Same Subjects, and Switch Subjects), plot centrality (hero vs. subordinate characters), and type of narrative (picture‐based vs. video‐based). The main effects of age, discourse context, and plot centrality were significant, and there were significant interactions between all pairs of the four predictor variables. Results are discussed in terms of the cognitive, social, and linguistic factors underlying referential choice in development.