Backward Semantic Inhibition in Toddlers
研究了24个月大的幼儿在注意力切换时是否会出现向后语义抑制，即抑制对旧词（如“狗”）的注意，结果发现幼儿确实能通过选择性抑制旧词来重新聚焦注意力，且这种抑制会影响后续对与旧词语义相关词的注意。
Attention switching is a crucial ability required in everyday life, from toddlerhood to adulthood. In adults, shifting attention from one word (e.g., dog) to another (e.g., sea) results in backward semantic inhibition, that is, the inhibition of the initial word ( dog). In this study, we used the preferential-looking paradigm to examine whether attention switching is accompanied by backward semantic inhibition in toddlers. We found that 24-month-olds can indeed refocus their attention to a new item by selectively inhibiting attention to the old item. The consequence of backward inhibition is that subsequent attention to a word semantically related to the old item is impaired. These findings have important implications for understanding the underlying mechanism of backward semantic inhibition and the development of lexical-semantic inhibition in early childhood.