When do children combine words?

Projet description: Previous studies have shown that infants understand their first words as early as six months of age (Bergelson & Swingley, 2012). The question that then arises is: from what point can babies combine these different words to understand sentences? The current state of the literature shows that empirical data on infants’ understanding of linguistic compositionality are limited and often difficult to interpret. While several studies indicate that children understand multi-word expressions from their second year, this ability can often be attributed to non-compositional strategies such as linear heuristics, statistical associations, or one-to-one mappings between forms and situations. This project therefore aims to explore when children transition from a primarily lexical understanding to a more compositional understanding of utterances, particularly in adjective–noun combinations. Research environment: This project is part of the ERC ThoughtOrigins led by the PI. The candidate will join a dynamic team of PhDs and post-docs all involved in projects aiming at uncovering the format and structure of thought in the absence of language. The broader environment of the lab, the CRPN (https://crpn.univ-amu.fr/fr), will provide multiple connections with researchers working in developmental and comparative cognitive science (and beyond). The babylab is located within the lab (https://labodesminots.univ-amu.fr/babylab/) but there is a possibility of staying in Paris and collaborating with a Paris-based baby lab for this project. Expected profile: Eligible applicants are currently enrolled in a master’s degree or equivalent in a relevant field such as cognitive science, psychology, etc. Their academic results are excellent. They have some experience with programming languages (python, MATLAB, R). The candidate should be fluent in French to communicate with participating families. The enrolled PhD student will work under the supervision of Isabelle Dautriche and Eulalie Pequay (PhD student). They will be involved in all aspects of the project: experimental design, stimuli creation, scripting, data collection, data analysis, data presentation and writing. How to Apply: Send a CV to Isabelle Dautriche (isabelle.dautriche@cnrs.fr) with a mail outlining your motivation.