The aim of this project is to test a metric of sentence formulation ability, called the Formulation Index (FI). The FI is measured independently of Mean Length of Utterance (MLU), but seems more closely related to the acquisition of grammatical morphology than MLU. This is because the FI is a more direct reflection of how the child employs grammatical competence in sentence production than MLU. The FI uses disruptions in the smooth flow of sentence production as basic data. Because the FI is independent of the morphosyntactic structure of any particular language, it can be used with other languages. The project has two specific goals: (a) to confirm that FI is indeed a better indicator of the acquisition of grammatical morphology than MLU; and (b) that FI can be used successfully in Spanish.

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD)
Type
Small Research Grants (R03)
Project #
5R03DC003987-03
Application #
6137901
Study Section
Special Emphasis Panel (ZDC1-SRB-F (15))
Program Officer
Cooper, Judith
Project Start
1999-01-01
Project End
2001-12-31
Budget Start
2000-01-01
Budget End
2000-12-31
Support Year
3
Fiscal Year
2000
Total Cost
$48,943
Indirect Cost
Name
Northern Illinois University
Department
Psychology
Type
Other Domestic Higher Education
DUNS #
001745512
City
De Kalb
State
IL
Country
United States
Zip Code
60115