Cognitive mechanisms underlying the age of acquisition effects: Insights from a three-level meta-analysis

doi:10.3724/SP.J.1042.2025.1199

Abstract

Abstract:

Age of acquisition (AoA) refers to the age at which an individual first understands the meaning of a word. Researches revealed that the processing speed of early acquired words is faster and the accuracy is higher, called the AoA effect. To determine the cognitive mechanism underlying the AoA effect, researchers have proposed The Multiple Loci Account, Representation Theory, and Arbitrary Mapping Hypothesis. In order to systematically investigate the cognitive mechanism of the AoA effect, the present study employed a three-level meta-analysis to quantitatively analyze existing literature on the AoA effect. Through the retrieval of articles published before May 15, 2024, the current meta-analysis identified 130 studies, with 10697 participants and 271 effect sizes. Analysis revealed that the effect size of the AoA effect was Hedge’s g = 0.47 (p < 0.001, 95% CI = [0.41, 0.52]). Additionally, the effect size was moderated by task type and word frequency, mainly depending on the semantic relevance across different tasks. However, no significant moderating effects were observed for the target cognitive process, writing system, or the phonological relevance across different tasks. The results of the current meta-analysis indicated that AoA mainly affects the semantic processing stage, and primarily supports the Representation Theory, with early-acquired words having a richer semantic network, thereby facilitating the word processing process.

Key words: picture naming task, word naming task, lexical decision task, age of acquisition effects, three- level meta-analysis

CLC Number:

B842

ZHANG Lu, WANG Ziqian, ZHANG Qingfang. Cognitive mechanisms underlying the age of acquisition effects: Insights from a three-level meta-analysis[J]. Advances in Psychological Science, 2025, 33(7): 1199-1220.

Figures/Tables 5

References 197

[1]	* 白利莉, 陈宝国. (2011). 汉字习得的年龄对词类信息加工的影响. 心理科学, 34(2), 343-347. https://doi.org/10.16719/j.cnki.1671-6981.2011.02.031
[2]	* 白学军, 王丽红, 吕勇, 胡伟. (2010). 词汇的获得年龄效应: ERP研究. 心理学探新, 30(1), 21-26. https://doi.org/10.3969/j.issn.1003-5184.2010.01.005
[3]	* 陈宝国, 王立新, 王璐璐, 彭聃龄. (2004). 词汇习得年龄和频率对词汇识别的影响. 心理科学, 27(5), 1060-1064. https://doi.org/10.16719/j.cnki.1671-6981.2004.05.009
[4]	* 陈宝国, 尤文平, 张亚峰, 刘文焕. (2010). 汉字早期字形加工阶段的习得年龄效应. 心理科学, 33(3), 726-728. https://doi.org/10.16719/j.cnki.1671-6981.2010.03.031
[5]	* 陈宝国, 尤文平, 周会霞. (2007). 汉语词汇习得的年龄效应: 语义假设的证据. 心理学报, 39(1), 9-17.
[6]	* 陈新葵, 张积家. (2010). 影响汉语动词、名词识别因素的回归分析. 心理科学, 33(1), 60-63. https://doi.org/10.16719/j.cnki.1671-6981.2010.01.014.
[7]	* 陈永香, 朱莉琪. (2015). 影响动作图片命名的因素. 心理学报, 47(1), 11-18. https://doi.org/10.3724/SP.J.1041.2015.00011
[8]	郭英, 田鑫, 胡东, 白书琳, 周蜀溪. (2023). 羞愧对亲社会行为影响的三水平元分析. 心理科学进展, 31(3), 371-385. https://doi.org/10.3724/SP.J.1042.2023.00371 doi: 10.3724/SP.J.1042.2023.00371 URL
[9]	* 郝美玲, 刘友谊, 舒华, 程辰曦. (2003). 汉语图片命名中获得年龄的作用. 心理与行为研究, 1(4), 268-273.
[10]	* 郝爽, 陈俊, 薛路芳. (2014). 听觉条件下词汇获得年龄效应产生机制的初探. 心理科学, 37(2), 277-282. https://doi.org/10.16719/j.cnki.1671-6981.2014.02.006
[11]	蓝媛美, 李超平, 王佳燕, 孟雪. (2022). 员工跨界行为的收益与代价: 元分析的证据. 心理学报, 54(6), 665-683. https://doi.org/10.3724/SP.J.1041.2022.00665 doi: 10.3724/SP.J.1041.2022.00665 URL
[12]	* 李丛, 张清芳, 黄韧. (2017). 词汇获得年龄在物体和动作图画命名中的不同作用. 心理学探新, 37(3), 220-225.
[13]	* 娄昊, 李丛, 张清芳. (2019). 习得年龄对客体和动作图画口语命名的不同影响: ERP研究. 心理学报, 51(2), 143-153. https://doi.org/10.3724/SP.J.1041.2019.00143 doi: 10.3724/SP.J.1041.2019.00143 URL
[14]	孟现鑫, 颜晨, 俞德霖, 高树玲, 傅小兰. (2024). 童年创伤与网络成瘾关系的三水平元分析. 心理科学进展, 32(7), 1087-1103. https://doi.org/10.3724/SP.J.1042.2024.01087 doi: 10.3724/SP.J.1042.2024.01087 URL
[15]	孟现鑫, 俞德霖, 陈怡静, 张玲, 傅小兰. (2023). 儿童期创伤与共情的关系: 一项三水平元分析. 心理学报, 55(8), 1285-1300. https://doi.org/10.3724/SP.J.1041.2023.01285 doi: 10.3724/SP.J.1041.2023.01285 URL
[16]	彭聃龄, 郭

调节变量	k	Intercept/ Hedge’s g (95% CI)	β (95% CI)	F值	p	研究内方差	研究间方差
目标认知过程				0.08	0.781	0.05	0.05
感知	105	0.46(0.38, 0.53)^***
产生	166	0.47(0.41, 0.54)^***	0.01(−0.08, 0.10)
文字系统				2.80	0.096	0.05	0.05
表音文字	220	0.50(0.45, 0.56)^***
表意文字	47	0.47(0.41, 0.54)^***	−0.11(−0.24, 0.02)
任务类型				9.32	< 0.001	0.03	0.06
词汇朗读	74	0.34(0.25, 0.43)^***
语义范畴判断	21	0.34(0.17, 0.51)^***	−0.03(−0.19, 0.14)
图画命名	79	0.55(0.47, 0.63)^***	0.22(0.10, 0.33)^***
词汇判断	54	0.59(0.49, 0.69)^***	0.25(0.13, 0.37)^***
语义相关度				14.62	< 0.001	0.04	0.05
低	70	0.34(0.25, 0.43)^***
高	151	0.53(0.47, 0.60)^***	0.20(0.10, 0.30)^**
语音相关度				1.27	0.261	0.05	0.04
低	72	0.52(0.44, 0.61)^***
高	149	0.47(0.41, 0.54)^***	−0.06(−0.16, 0.04)
词频				6.93	0.001	0.04	0.04
未控制	103	0.37(0.29, 0.44)^***
控制	123	0.53(0.45, 0.61)^***	0.17(0.07, 0.28)^**
独立	45	0.58(0.42, 0.75)^***	0.22(0.07, 0.37)^**

调节变量	k	Intercept/ Hedge’s g (95% CI)	β (95% CI)	F值	p	研究内方差	研究间方差
目标认知过程				0.08	0.781	0.05	0.05
感知	105	0.46(0.38, 0.53)^***
产生	166	0.47(0.41, 0.54)^***	0.01(−0.08, 0.10)
文字系统				2.80	0.096	0.05	0.05
表音文字	220	0.50(0.45, 0.56)^***
表意文字	47	0.47(0.41, 0.54)^***	−0.11(−0.24, 0.02)
任务类型				9.32	< 0.001	0.03	0.06
词汇朗读	74	0.34(0.25, 0.43)^***
语义范畴判断	21	0.34(0.17, 0.51)^***	−0.03(−0.19, 0.14)
图画命名	79	0.55(0.47, 0.63)^***	0.22(0.10, 0.33)^***
词汇判断	54	0.59(0.49, 0.69)^***	0.25(0.13, 0.37)^***
语义相关度				14.62	< 0.001	0.04	0.05
低	70	0.34(0.25, 0.43)^***
高	151	0.53(0.47, 0.60)^***	0.20(0.10, 0.30)^**
语音相关度				1.27	0.261	0.05	0.04
低	72	0.52(0.44, 0.61)^***
高	149	0.47(0.41, 0.54)^***	−0.06(−0.16, 0.04)
词频				6.93	0.001	0.04	0.04
未控制	103	0.37(0.29, 0.44)^***
控制	123	0.53(0.45, 0.61)^***	0.17(0.07, 0.28)^**
独立	45	0.58(0.42, 0.75)^***	0.22(0.07, 0.37)^**

作者及年份	样本量	文字系统	目标认知过程	任务类型	任务的语音相关度	任务的语义相关度	材料的词频控制度	ERP波幅成分/ 显著时窗	Hedge’s g	质量评估
Perret et al. (2014)	21	A	S	PN	H	H	C	382~414 ms	0.284	8
	20	A	S	PN	H	H	C	356~426 ms	0.240
Yum & Law (2019)	22	L	S	WN	H	L	U	280~450 ms	0.236	9
Laganaro & Perret (2011)	20	A	S	PN	H	H	C	120~140 ms	0.500	8
	20	A	S	PN	H	H	C	220~240 ms	2.995
	20	A	S	PN	H	H	C	320~350 ms	0.056
Adorni et al. (2013)	29	A	P	LDT	L	H	C	190~220 ms	0.410	8
Bakhtiar et al. (2016)	23	A	P	LDT	L	H	C	N170 (130~180 ms)	0.342	8
	23	A	P	LDT	L	H	C	N400 (300~450 ms)	0.477
	23	A	P	LDT	L	H	C	LPC (450~700 ms)	0.403
白学军等(2010)	16	L	P	LDT	L	H	C	N540 (300~750 ms)	2.158	7
	16	L	P	LDT	L	H	C	LPC (800~1000 ms)	0.601
Laganaro (2014)	18	A	S	PN	H	H	C	~400 ms-RT	2.467	8
Räling et al. (2015)	23	A	P	SC	L	H	U	N400	0.436	8
Cuetos et al. (2009)	20	A	P	SC	L	H	I	N400	0.485	8
Tainturier et al. (2005)	10	A	P	LDT^a			C	P300	0.689	8
娄昊等(2019)	21	A	S	PN	H	H	C	250~300 ms	4.903	8

作者及年份	样本量	文字系统	目标认知过程	任务类型	任务的语音相关度	任务的语义相关度	材料的词频控制度	ERP波幅成分/ 显著时窗	Hedge’s g	质量评估
Perret et al. (2014)	21	A	S	PN	H	H	C	382~414 ms	0.284	8
	20	A	S	PN	H	H	C	356~426 ms	0.240
Yum & Law (2019)	22	L	S	WN	H	L	U	280~450 ms	0.236	9
Laganaro & Perret (2011)	20	A	S	PN	H	H	C	120~140 ms	0.500	8
	20	A	S	PN	H	H	C	220~240 ms	2.995
	20	A	S	PN	H	H	C	320~350 ms	0.056
Adorni et al. (2013)	29	A	P	LDT	L	H	C	190~220 ms	0.410	8
Bakhtiar et al. (2016)	23	A	P	LDT	L	H	C	N170 (130~180 ms)	0.342	8
	23	A	P	LDT	L	H	C	N400 (300~450 ms)	0.477
	23	A	P	LDT	L	H	C	LPC (450~700 ms)	0.403
白学军等(2010)	16	L	P	LDT	L	H	C	N540 (300~750 ms)	2.158	7
	16	L	P	LDT	L	H	C	LPC (800~1000 ms)	0.601
Laganaro (2014)	18	A	S	PN	H	H	C	~400 ms-RT	2.467	8
Räling et al. (2015)	23	A	P	SC	L	H	U	N400	0.436	8
Cuetos et al. (2009)	20	A	P	SC	L	H	I	N400	0.485	8
Tainturier et al. (2005)	10	A	P	LDT^a			C	P300	0.689	8
娄昊等(2019)	21	A	S	PN	H	H	C	250~300 ms	4.903	8