LAUSR

Children frequently learn new vocabulary in the presence of competing sounds. This study was designed to test the influence of speech competitors on children’s ability to learn novel label-object pairs. Preschool-aged children (N = 16) performed a fast-mapping task in both quiet (target speech = 60 dBSPL) and speech competitor conditions (58 dBSPL). In each condition, children were familiarized to three novel label-object pairs on a computer screen. Children were subsequently tested on whether they mapped each pair with a closed-set, three-alternative-forced-choice test: children pointed to the object that corresponded to the spoken label. On average, children learned equally well in each condition. Further inspection of individual data, however, showed a subset of children acquiring more label-object pairs in the competitor condition. The subject pool was split into two subgroups of children, those who performed > 5% better or worse in the competitor condition. Independent t-tests showed that children wh...