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Publikationssystem UB Tuebingen advisor Friedrich, Claudia (Prof. Dr.) author Steil, Jessica Naomi 2025-05-27T13:29:35Z 2027-03-26 http://hdl.handle.net/10900/165982 Die Dissertation ist gesperrt bis zum 26. März 2027 ! Several studies demonstrated that processing of nouns (e.g., “moon”) that imply a specific vertical position (e.g., up-response) biased subsequent responses. Adults were typically faster to respond with an up-response after reading an implicit “up word” rather than an implicit “down word” (e.g., “stone”). Such evidence for language-space associations has been used as a line of reasoning for the activation of sensory and/or motor systems during language comprehension. While many of embodied theories argue that such sensorimotor experiences are relevant during initial word learning, substantially less work has experimentally tested young children. By investigating the associations between language and space across a broad developmental range, this dissertation addresses this research gap. The central research question was: Do children’s early words link to their sensorimotor experiences of vertical space? Study I investigated when children understand their first nouns, hence, established lexical entries for words such as “hat” within their proto-lexicon. Aligned to work from other languages, the tested German-learning infants between 6 to 14 months could map concrete nouns to depict referents. Intriguingly, this mapping relied on firm one-on-one mappings between nouns and referents, thus, were more robust than previously assumed. Study II probed language-space associations, asking the question: whether noun processing biased the eye movements of infants (11 to 14 months), toddlers (2 to 4 years) and adults towards the implicit vertical position. Whereas toddlers and adults eye movements were biased during noun processing in line with language-space associations. This was not the case for the tested infants. Study III revealed that slightly older children (18 to 24 months) just started to link nouns (that their parents report them to understand) to typical vertical space. Study IV investigated whether additional information in a child’s language environment could further reinforce the experience of vertical space, above and beyond the experience of referents in the respective vertical position. Here, I tested whether parents introduced objects in upper vertical space with a higher pitch than objects in lower vertical space. Mappings between pitch and vertical space are already known to be perceived by newborns. In summary, this dissertation is the first scientific work to demonstrate the understanding of nouns in German-learning children under the age of one. This dissertation also provided evidence of language-space associations in the youngest age group so far: Children between two to four years linked nouns to their sensorimotor experience of vertical space. Contrary to theoretical claims, however, such connections were not made during initial word learning. Children under the age of two did not systematically link nouns to typical space – although they understood all nouns. Furthermore, this dissertation developed a new language-space experiment characterized by a high particle feasibility which could be extended to other cognitive domains besides language in the future. Finally, this work offered an alternative perspective on the development of language-space associations by exploring other aspects – such as pitch modulations – within children’s language environments. en ubt-podno The Space in Language – Do Children’s Early Words Link to Their Sensorimotor Experiences of Vertical Space? PhDThesis URL https://publikationen.uni-tuebingen.de/xmlui/bitstream/10900/165982/2/Dissertation%20Steil%202024.pdf File MD5 77c7d6fd3f5dba90506b873f8e447a96 7603397 application/pdf Dissertation Steil 2024.pdf URL https://publikationen.uni-tuebingen.de/xmlui/bitstream/10900/165982/3/Dissertation%20Steil%202024.pdf.txt File MD5 2c5febee269385a642ec3345c5606297 482270 text/plain Dissertation Steil 2024.pdf.txt