Experience-dependent effects of social cognitive development in early childhood
- Location
- 52 Pritchatts Road 412, Zoom
- Dates
- Friday 31 January 2025 (12:00-13:00)
Join Dr Victoria St Clair - postdoctoral researcher based at the Centre for Brain and Cognitive Development's Toddlerlab at Birkbeck, University of London - for her online seminar entitled 'Experience-dependent effects of social cognitive development in early childhood' from 12pm, Friday 31 January 2025.
Abstract: The development of language and cognition in childhood is informed by early language experiences. Patterns of children’s language environments are also incredibly diverse; children might learn one or multiple languages in auditory and/or visual modalities. In this talk, I will present studies investigating the effects of spoken-language bilingualism on speech perception and visual attention and of spoken- and signed-language bilingualism on vocabulary growth in early childhood. I will discuss how behavioural video microcoding and dual-brain, wearable neuroimaging methods can be used to explore dynamics of parent-child interaction that might facilitate children’s learning. Together, this research highlights the many paths children can take towards command of their language(s), as well as the complex environmental influences on children’s social communicative development more broadly.
About: Victoria is a postdoctoral researcher based at the Centre for Brain and Cognitive Development’s Toddlerlab at Birkbeck, University of London. She is also a trainee British Sign Language interpreter. With Prof Denis Mareschal and Dr Paola Pinti at the Toddlerlab, Victoria uses wearable technologies (e.g., fNIRS, eye-tracking) to investigate naturalistic social interaction amongst freely moving preschoolers. Victoria’s PhD at University College London, supervised by Professor Mairéad MacSweeney and Dr Evelyne Mercure, examined effects of early language experience on child language development and cognition. Victoria has a special interest in deafness and signed language acquisition in childhood, having studied at Gallaudet University with Dr Laura-Ann Petitto and volunteered at deaf schools in the US and UK.
This is an online webinar that will be : attendees can view online, or watch collectively at 52 Prichatts Road, Room 412 (G9 on the campus map).
Zoom details:
Meeting ID: 812 6587 8494
Passcode: 167075
This talk is part of the ongoing Language and Cognition at Birmingham (LACAB) Psycholinguistics Seminar Series. Discover more information about LACAB and its upcoming events here.