@inproceedings{van-dijk-etal-2024-using,
    title = "Using Language Models to Unravel Semantic Development in Children{'}s Use of Perception Verbs",
    author = "van Dijk, Bram  and
      van Duijn, Max J.  and
      Kloostra, Li  and
      Spruit, Marco  and
      Beekhuizen, Barend",
    editor = "Zock, Michael  and
      Chersoni, Emmanuele  and
      Hsu, Yu-Yin  and
      de Deyne, Simon",
    booktitle = "Proceedings of the Workshop on Cognitive Aspects of the Lexicon @ LREC-COLING 2024",
    month = may,
    year = "2024",
    address = "Torino, Italia",
    publisher = "ELRA and ICCL",
    url = "https://aclanthology.org/2024.cogalex-1.11",
    pages = "98--106",
    abstract = "In this short paper we employ a Language Model (LM) to gain insight into how complex semantics of a Perception Verb (PV) emerge in children. Using a Dutch LM as representation of mature language use, we find that for all ages 1) the LM accurately predicts PV use in children{'}s freely-told narratives; 2) children{'}s PV use is close to mature use; 3) complex PV meanings with attentional and cognitive aspects can be found. Our approach illustrates how LMs can be meaningfully employed in studying language development, hence takes a constructive position in the debate on the relevance of LMs in this context.",
}

In this short paper we employ a Language Model (LM) to gain insight into how complex semantics of a Perception Verb (PV) emerge in children. Using a Dutch LM as representation of mature language use, we find that for all ages 1) the LM accurately predicts PV use in children{'}s freely-told narratives; 2) children{'}s PV use is close to mature use; 3) complex PV meanings with attentional and cognitive aspects can be found. Our approach illustrates how LMs can be meaningfully employed in studying language development, hence takes a constructive position in the debate on the relevance of LMs in this context.
van Dijk, Bram van Duijn, Max J. Kloostra, Li Spruit, Marco Beekhuizen, Barend
Using Language Models to Unravel Semantic Development in Children's Use of Perception Verbs