Linguistic definition is a kind of judgement that either establishes a new piece of knowledge as ... more Linguistic definition is a kind of judgement that either establishes a new piece of knowledge as in the case of a new scientific discovery (institutive definitions; eg,“radio waves”) or makes already existing and shared information explicit (lexicographic definitions; eg: the definition of “apple” or “beauty”). Watson (1985) defined the nature of definitions considering four central points. First of all, definitions have a conventional linguistic form, which states semantic equivalence between the definiendum (the word to be defined) and the ...
he aim of the present study was to examine factors that could influence whether recall performanc... more he aim of the present study was to examine factors that could influence whether recall performance in a Verbal Working Memory task (Listening Span Test) would benefit from the schematic knowledge of the long-term semantic memory. More specifically, we investigated whether children would benefit from sentence simply reporting typical properties of objects or when the sentences were stereotypical knowledge structures of everyday routine events of general goals. A total of 120 children, aged 6.5 to 13.3, and 30 additional adults participated in the study. Sentences presenting concrete items in their typical organized contexts (Scripted) were compared with sentences simply describing them (Descriptive), and were balanced in True and False statements. The results show that words recall is better in Scripted than in Descriptive sen- tences at every age level and in True vs. False statements. Scripted sentences also give rise to more intrusions. The specific contribution of this study lies...
Some authors have suggested that definitional skills include metalinguistic components (Watson, 1... more Some authors have suggested that definitional skills include metalinguistic components (Watson, 1985; Snow, 1990; McGhee-Bidlack, 1991). The present study therefore empirically investigated relations between the ability to define words and level of metalinguistic awareness in 280 Italian children (with ages ranging from 5 to 11 years) and in two groups of 40 adults each (with low and high educational levels, respectively). We used a definitional task presenting 24 terms (nouns, verbs, and adjectives, which were either concrete or abstract) and a task examining 6 different aspects of metalinguistic awareness. Our aim was to demonstrate that metalinguistic skills can positively predict the formal quality of definitions and to identify various aspects of metalinguistic skills that might be directly related to definitional skills. Results showed better performance on both tasks as a function of age and educational level; they also confirmed the important roles of metalinguistic ability and educational level in producing well-structured formal definitions.
ABSTRACT Three studies were carried out in order to account for development of word definitions. ... more ABSTRACT Three studies were carried out in order to account for development of word definitions. Study i was aimed at analysing the role of class inclusion skills and age (5– and 7–year-olds and adults) in production of definitions containing superordinate categorical terms. No differences were found between 7-year-olds who had passed a class inclusion task and those who had not passed it as regards number of definitions containing superordinates, while differences were found between younger and older children and between children and adults. Study 2 was aimed at obtaining some normative criteria on the ‘goodness’ of definitions provided in Study 1, by using adult judges. It was found that the best definitions are those which contain both categorical terms and specific information about the to-be-defined object. It was also found that adults may adjust their standard definitional criteria to the kind of interlocutor (i.e. a child or a Martian). Study 3 confirms that younger children's definitions fall far short of the adult informativeness and completeness criteria while, by the age of ten, such criteria are met. Overall results were interpreted as conforming to a progressive conventionalization of children's strategies for defining objects.
The present study aims at analyzing the skills involved in children'... more The present study aims at analyzing the skills involved in children's performance on communicative referential tasks and the developmental changes in the type and quality of the messages. The performance of 28 twins and the performance of 28 singleton children were compared at different age levels (younger group, mean age= 5.5; older group, mean age= 10.4). Four different interactive situations were considered:(a) twin‐twin;(b) single born‐single born;(c) twin‐single born;(d) single bom‐twin. We predicted (a) a lower competence ...
... This indicates a clear role for the action of educational psychologists in Italian schools at... more ... This indicates a clear role for the action of educational psychologists in Italian schools at least in relation to the bullying problems. One way to tackle the relational and psychological problems of students in schools 12 Menesini et al. Page 13. ...
Through structural equation modeling, this study tested a path of relations in which different le... more Through structural equation modeling, this study tested a path of relations in which different levels of empathic responsiveness were posited to be differently associated to bullying and defending behavior. Three hundred and eighteen Italian adolescents (142 girls and 176 boys; mean age = 13.2 years) completed the Davis's Interpersonal Reactivity Index [Davis, 1983] for empathy and the Participant role scales [Salmivalli et al., 1996] for bullying and defending behavior. The results revealed that the model fitted the data adequately, but only in the case of boys. As hypothesized, low levels of empathic responsiveness were associated to students' involvement in bullying others. In contrast, empathy was positively associated with actively helping victimized schoolmates. However, the estimates algorithm did not reach convergence with girls' data. The current findings confirm and extend the literature on the relation between empathy, prosociality and aggressive behavior. Educational implications are also discussed.
The current study explores the characteristics of the definitional skill in children with Specifi... more The current study explores the characteristics of the definitional skill in children with Specific Language Impairment (SLI). Three groups of children are compared: 16 children with SLI (mean age 5.3), 16 typically developing children (mean age 5.5) and 11 children (mean age 5.6) who were enrolled in language rehabilitation programs. Results show that children with SLI score lower than other two groups, in particular they exhibit fewer categorical definitions. The linguistic components involved in definitional skill are ...
Linguistic definition is a kind of judgement that either establishes a new piece of knowledge as ... more Linguistic definition is a kind of judgement that either establishes a new piece of knowledge as in the case of a new scientific discovery (institutive definitions; eg,“radio waves”) or makes already existing and shared information explicit (lexicographic definitions; eg: the definition of “apple” or “beauty”). Watson (1985) defined the nature of definitions considering four central points. First of all, definitions have a conventional linguistic form, which states semantic equivalence between the definiendum (the word to be defined) and the ...
he aim of the present study was to examine factors that could influence whether recall performanc... more he aim of the present study was to examine factors that could influence whether recall performance in a Verbal Working Memory task (Listening Span Test) would benefit from the schematic knowledge of the long-term semantic memory. More specifically, we investigated whether children would benefit from sentence simply reporting typical properties of objects or when the sentences were stereotypical knowledge structures of everyday routine events of general goals. A total of 120 children, aged 6.5 to 13.3, and 30 additional adults participated in the study. Sentences presenting concrete items in their typical organized contexts (Scripted) were compared with sentences simply describing them (Descriptive), and were balanced in True and False statements. The results show that words recall is better in Scripted than in Descriptive sen- tences at every age level and in True vs. False statements. Scripted sentences also give rise to more intrusions. The specific contribution of this study lies...
Some authors have suggested that definitional skills include metalinguistic components (Watson, 1... more Some authors have suggested that definitional skills include metalinguistic components (Watson, 1985; Snow, 1990; McGhee-Bidlack, 1991). The present study therefore empirically investigated relations between the ability to define words and level of metalinguistic awareness in 280 Italian children (with ages ranging from 5 to 11 years) and in two groups of 40 adults each (with low and high educational levels, respectively). We used a definitional task presenting 24 terms (nouns, verbs, and adjectives, which were either concrete or abstract) and a task examining 6 different aspects of metalinguistic awareness. Our aim was to demonstrate that metalinguistic skills can positively predict the formal quality of definitions and to identify various aspects of metalinguistic skills that might be directly related to definitional skills. Results showed better performance on both tasks as a function of age and educational level; they also confirmed the important roles of metalinguistic ability and educational level in producing well-structured formal definitions.
ABSTRACT Three studies were carried out in order to account for development of word definitions. ... more ABSTRACT Three studies were carried out in order to account for development of word definitions. Study i was aimed at analysing the role of class inclusion skills and age (5– and 7–year-olds and adults) in production of definitions containing superordinate categorical terms. No differences were found between 7-year-olds who had passed a class inclusion task and those who had not passed it as regards number of definitions containing superordinates, while differences were found between younger and older children and between children and adults. Study 2 was aimed at obtaining some normative criteria on the ‘goodness’ of definitions provided in Study 1, by using adult judges. It was found that the best definitions are those which contain both categorical terms and specific information about the to-be-defined object. It was also found that adults may adjust their standard definitional criteria to the kind of interlocutor (i.e. a child or a Martian). Study 3 confirms that younger children's definitions fall far short of the adult informativeness and completeness criteria while, by the age of ten, such criteria are met. Overall results were interpreted as conforming to a progressive conventionalization of children's strategies for defining objects.
The present study aims at analyzing the skills involved in children'... more The present study aims at analyzing the skills involved in children's performance on communicative referential tasks and the developmental changes in the type and quality of the messages. The performance of 28 twins and the performance of 28 singleton children were compared at different age levels (younger group, mean age= 5.5; older group, mean age= 10.4). Four different interactive situations were considered:(a) twin‐twin;(b) single born‐single born;(c) twin‐single born;(d) single bom‐twin. We predicted (a) a lower competence ...
... This indicates a clear role for the action of educational psychologists in Italian schools at... more ... This indicates a clear role for the action of educational psychologists in Italian schools at least in relation to the bullying problems. One way to tackle the relational and psychological problems of students in schools 12 Menesini et al. Page 13. ...
Through structural equation modeling, this study tested a path of relations in which different le... more Through structural equation modeling, this study tested a path of relations in which different levels of empathic responsiveness were posited to be differently associated to bullying and defending behavior. Three hundred and eighteen Italian adolescents (142 girls and 176 boys; mean age = 13.2 years) completed the Davis's Interpersonal Reactivity Index [Davis, 1983] for empathy and the Participant role scales [Salmivalli et al., 1996] for bullying and defending behavior. The results revealed that the model fitted the data adequately, but only in the case of boys. As hypothesized, low levels of empathic responsiveness were associated to students' involvement in bullying others. In contrast, empathy was positively associated with actively helping victimized schoolmates. However, the estimates algorithm did not reach convergence with girls' data. The current findings confirm and extend the literature on the relation between empathy, prosociality and aggressive behavior. Educational implications are also discussed.
The current study explores the characteristics of the definitional skill in children with Specifi... more The current study explores the characteristics of the definitional skill in children with Specific Language Impairment (SLI). Three groups of children are compared: 16 children with SLI (mean age 5.3), 16 typically developing children (mean age 5.5) and 11 children (mean age 5.6) who were enrolled in language rehabilitation programs. Results show that children with SLI score lower than other two groups, in particular they exhibit fewer categorical definitions. The linguistic components involved in definitional skill are ...
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