Body Parts Correlates to a Hundred Early-Learned Verbs

Presentation Type

Poster/Portfolio

Presenter Major(s)

Accounting, Statistics, Economics, Psychology, Criminal Justice, Sociology

Mentor Information

Josita Maouene, Sango Otieno

Department

Psychology, Statistics

Location

Henry Hall Atrium 101

Start Date

11-4-2012 9:00 AM

Keywords

Social Science

Abstract

We commonly believe that verbs are about action, but are they also about body parts? We kiss with our lips, kick with our legs, and think with our heads. Our question is whether children systematically associate verbs to specific body parts. So far, theoretically, the original components of verbs include: contact, path, goal, source, state of mind, and manner (Kemerer, 2008). Our study adds the component of body parts. Sixty children were tested, 20 verbs at a time, with a total of 102 verbs. They were asked which body part they use with a given verb. The results indicate that 91 verbs out if 102 (86.6%) were related to one body region by 50% of the participants. Further, a correspondence analysis (a dimension reduction technique) showed that children systematically associate verbs with five main body regions: hands (55% of the verbs), legs (13%), mouth (14%), eye (6%), and ear (2%) and these correspond to the exact same regions proposed by adults from a previous study.

This document is currently not available here.

Share

COinS
 
Apr 11th, 9:00 AM

Body Parts Correlates to a Hundred Early-Learned Verbs

Henry Hall Atrium 101

We commonly believe that verbs are about action, but are they also about body parts? We kiss with our lips, kick with our legs, and think with our heads. Our question is whether children systematically associate verbs to specific body parts. So far, theoretically, the original components of verbs include: contact, path, goal, source, state of mind, and manner (Kemerer, 2008). Our study adds the component of body parts. Sixty children were tested, 20 verbs at a time, with a total of 102 verbs. They were asked which body part they use with a given verb. The results indicate that 91 verbs out if 102 (86.6%) were related to one body region by 50% of the participants. Further, a correspondence analysis (a dimension reduction technique) showed that children systematically associate verbs with five main body regions: hands (55% of the verbs), legs (13%), mouth (14%), eye (6%), and ear (2%) and these correspond to the exact same regions proposed by adults from a previous study.