Effect of number and similarity on children’s plural comprehension

Abstract

During the first years of language development, toddlers coordinate multiple cues in order to acquire the plural form. The aim of this study was to manipulate object similarity as well as set size in order to determine whether these variables impact children’s comprehension of plurality. One-hundred-and-fifty children ranging in age from 22 to 36 months were provided puzzles with pieces containing arrays of similar or identical objects. Each puzzle was composed of pieces displaying sets of two, four, six, or eight items familiar to two-year-olds (e.g., chairs, dogs, shoes) alongside puzzle pieces depicting the singular form of the objects. It was predicted that large set sizes of identical objects would increase children’s comprehension of plurality. The results establish that smaller set sizes, not similarity, boost children’s comprehension of the plural form.