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dc.contributor.authorBacso, Sarah
dc.date.accessioned2016-08-30 16:53:11 (GMT)
dc.date.available2016-08-30 16:53:11 (GMT)
dc.date.issued2016-08-30
dc.date.submitted2016-08-25
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/10012/10732
dc.description.abstractYoung children often provide ambiguous referential statements for their listeners. Thus, the ability to identify when miscommunication has occurred and subsequently repair messages is an essential component of communicative development. The present study examined the impact of listener feedback and children’s executive functioning in influencing children’s ability to repair their messages. Further, this work explored whether the cognitive demands of repair differed depending on the type of feedback provided by the listener. Children (ages 4 to 6) completed a referential communication task, in which they described target pictures amongst an array of similar distractors for a confederate. Stimuli were designed such that children would often provide initially ambiguous referential statements. Subsequently they were provided with feedback from the confederate indicating they had been misunderstood. Feedback was either detailed and specified the nature of the miscommunication, or was vague and did not. Children also completed executive functioning tasks assessing their working memory, inhibitory control, and cognitive flexibility. Children with larger working memory capacities and better cognitive flexibility were found to provide more effective initial descriptions of the target pictures. Children with better cognitive flexibility were also more effective at repairing their statements in response to feedback indicating they had been misunderstood. While children provided more effective repairs following detailed feedback than vague feedback, this effect did not interact with the cognitive skills of the children. The practical implications of the results are discussed.en
dc.language.isoenen
dc.publisherUniversity of Waterlooen
dc.subjectcommunication repairen
dc.subjectdevelopmenten
dc.subjectchildrenen
dc.subjectexecutive functionsen
dc.subjectexecutive functioningen
dc.subjectreferential communicationen
dc.titleThe Role of Executive Functions in Children’s Communication Repairen
dc.typeMaster Thesisen
dc.pendingfalse
uws-etd.degree.departmentPsychologyen
uws-etd.degree.disciplinePsychologyen
uws-etd.degree.grantorUniversity of Waterlooen
uws-etd.degreeMaster of Artsen
uws.contributor.advisorNilsen, Elizabeth
uws.contributor.affiliation1Faculty of Artsen
uws.published.cityWaterlooen
uws.published.countryCanadaen
uws.published.provinceOntarioen
uws.typeOfResourceTexten
uws.peerReviewStatusUnrevieweden
uws.scholarLevelGraduateen


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