Wakefulness (Not Sleep) Promotes Generalization of Word Learning in 2.5-Year-Old Children

Denise M. Werchan, Rebecca L. Gómez

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

63 Scopus citations

Abstract

Sleep enhances generalization in adults, but this has not been examined in toddlers. This study examined the impact of napping versus wakefulness on the generalization of word learning in toddlers when the contextual background changes during learning. Thirty 2.5-year-old children (M = 32.94, SE = 0.46) learned labels for novel categories of objects, presented on different contextual backgrounds, and were tested on their ability to generalize the labels to new exemplars after a 4-hr delay with or without a nap. The results demonstrated that only children who did not nap were able to generalize learning. These findings have critical implications for the functions of sleep versus wakefulness in generalization, implicating a role for forgetting during wakefulness in generalization.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)429-436
Number of pages8
JournalChild development
Volume85
Issue number2
DOIs
StatePublished - 2014

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Pediatrics, Perinatology, and Child Health
  • Education
  • Developmental and Educational Psychology

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