Cross-situational learning of sign-like gestures in children and adults: a behavioural and event-related potential study

Drawing on the innate human ability to detect regularities in the language input (statistical learning), this study applies a cross-situational learning paradigm to test the learning of unfamiliar sign-like gestures (in the form of pseudosigns) for familiar spoken words in children and adults. Twenty-five children (8–11 years) and 19 adults (18–35 years) were familiarised with 8 word-pseudosign pairs and tested on a recognition and a semantic categorisation task, with simultaneous EEG recording. Both groups demonstrated above-chance accuracy, indicating successful learning of word-pseudosign pairs and their meanings, with an advantage of adults over children. Both groups also showed an N400 followed by an LPC response during the recognition task. During categorisation, adults demonstrated an N400 response, whereas, in children, an N400 emerged only when the correctly identified trials were considered. These results suggest that pseudosigns are highly salient linguistic inputs, likely to be learned through statistical computations.