Research Article

Children’s Tolerance of Word-Form Variation

Table 3

Mean percentages of selections of the same animal as on the introductory page, as a function of group (onset substitution versus prefix), trial type (dissimilar versus similar word), and modification (onset versus diminutive) in Experiment 1. in each group (Standard deviations in parentheses).

Onset substitution groupPrefix group
Onset substitution DiminutivePrefixDiminutive
(e.g., wug) (e.g., stuggy) (e.g., wastug) (e.g., stuggy)

Dissimilar word trials (manse on introductory page)Children10.9 (21.0)6.2 (16.8)15.6 (32.2)10.9 (21.0)
Adults7.8 (18.4)4.7 (14.8)9.4 (19.8)3.1 (12.3)
Similar word trials (stug on introductory page)Children40.6 (41.0)73.4 (33.6)82.8 (32.7)85.9 (31.7)
Adults57.8 (42.3)90.6 (23.5)81.2 (30.5)85.9 (22.8)