Interpretation of definite and demonstrative determiners by Spanish-speaking children

Abstract

This study explores the development of interpretation of noun phrases (NPs) by Spanish-speaking children to confirm (or reject) whether children have an innate preference toward generic interpretation and to examine whether their interpretations change with age. Thirty-nine children (age groups: 4; 11-7; 11 and 8; 4-11; 7) and a control group of 19 adults completed an online task whereby they were presented with images of animals / objects with atypical characteristics, accompanied by questions involving either a definite NP (Are lions green?) or a demonstrative NP (Are these lions green?). We hypothesized that: 1) all children would prefer the generic interpretation, and 2) this preference would be especially strong in younger children. Our results show that
nps were interpreted similarly across the three age groups. However, the interpretation of specific NPs revealed significant differences: younger children interpreted a large number of demonstrative NPs as generic. These findings support the assumption that the generic interpretation is the default preference, and that only in adolescence children approach to the adult norm.