Reduplication facilitates early word segmentation

This study tested the role of adjacent repetition in early lexical acquisition by comparing infants’ word segmentation ability for reduplicated versus non-reduplicated words. Twenty-four 9-month-olds were familiarized with two passages, one containing a novel reduplicated C₁V₁C₁V₁ word (e.g., neenee) and the other a non-reduplicated novel C₁V₁C₂V₂ word (e.g., bolay). A central fixation paradigm was then used to measure the infants’ looking times in response to four word types: 1) the familiarized reduplicated word, 2) the familiarized non-reduplicated word, 3) a newly introduced reduplicated word (e.g., foofoo), and 4) a newly introduced non-reduplicated word (e.g., yahdaw). Looking times were significantly longer for the familiarized reduplicated word compared to all other types of words. These results suggest that words consisting of repeated syllables are preferentially segmented in running speech. We discuss the implications of this finding for the role of perceptual biases in early lexical development and its relation to infant-directed vocabulary.