Cognitive Representation in Specific Language Impairment

描述（由申请人提供）：本项目的目的是调查特定语言障碍（SLI）儿童的知识表征的性质。基于处理的SLI帐户主要集中在处理能力的限制在多大程度上占这些儿童的语言障碍。特别是，这些帐户主要集中在处理速度较慢或信息访问效率较低导致SLI容量限制的程度。在这些叙述中，很少强调被操纵的信息的性质。然而，最近有人提出，SLI儿童的心理表征可能与正常发育儿童的心理表征不同。具体来说，有人认为，SLI儿童的心理表征可能更具体，本质上更有根据，因此与正常语言同龄人使用的更抽象的表征相比，操纵和存储起来更麻烦，效率更低。本项目的目的是调查在何种程度上与SLI儿童依赖于表示，更接地相比，NL控制。共有148名儿童参加了这个为期5年的项目，其中包括74名7-9岁的SLI儿童，34名在心理年龄（MA），非言语智商（NIQ），性别，SES，和40名年轻的NL控制匹配的性别，SES，和定量知识（QK）。共提出了6个认知问题解决的研究。研究1-4将检查接地与抽象的问题表征的速度和准确性的问题解决的SLI（N = 34）和MA控制（N = 34）的儿童的影响。研究5和6将检查一组SLI儿童（N = 40）和一组年轻QM对照组（N = 40）的知识表征的性质和变化率。研究5将研究儿童的自发问题解决方案的数学问题和研究6将使用一个微观遗传设计，研究的性质和速度的变化表示的数学知识的儿童与SLI（N = 40）和QM控制（N = 40）。该项目的结果将有助于推进我们对SLI儿童处理缺陷性质的理解，并为有效干预模式的发展提供有价值的见解。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The purpose of this project is to investigate the nature of knowledge representations in children with Specific Language Impairments (SLI). Processing based accounts of SLI have focused primarily on the extent to which limitations in processing capacity account for the language impairments seen in these children. In particular, these accounts have focused primarily on the extent to which slower rates of processing or less efficient access to information leads to capacity limitations in SLI. Within these accounts, little emphasis has been placed on the nature of the information being manipulated. Recently, however, it has been suggested that mental representations in children with SLI may differ from those of typically developing children. Specifically, it has been suggested that children with SLI may be working with mental representations that are more concrete and grounded in nature and thus more cumbersome and inefficient to manipulate and store as compared to more abstract representations used by their normal language peers. The purpose of this project is to investigate the extent to which children with SLI are relying on representations that are more grounded as compared to NL controls. A total of 148 children will participate in this 5-year project, including 74 children with SLI, 7-9 years of age, 34 normal language controls matched on mental age (MA), nonverbal l.Q., gender, and SES, and 40 younger NL controls matched on gender, SES, and quantitative knowledge (QK). A total of 6 cognitive problem solving studies are proposed. Studies 1-4 will examine the impact of grounded versus abstract problem representations on the speed and accuracy of problem solutions for children with SLI (N = 34) and MA controls (N = 34). Studies 5 and 6 will examine the nature and rate of change of knowledge representations for a group of children with SLI (N = 40) and a group of younger QM controls (N = 40). Study 5 will examine children's spontaneous problem solutions for mathematical problems and Study 6 will use a microgenetic design to examine the nature and rate of shifts in representations of mathematical knowledge for children with SLI (N = 40) and QM controls (N = 40). The outcomes of this project will serve to advance our understanding of the nature of processing deficits in children with SLI, and provide valuable insights into the development of effective models of intervention.