An association between mental state words in narrative context and sociopragmatic comprehension in four to eight-year-old children

Authors

• Leena Mäkinen Research Unit of Logopedics, University of Oulu
• Heini-Maarit Tuomaala Speech Therapy SanaSyli
• Soile Loukusa Research Unit of Logopedics, University of Oulu

DOI: https://doi.org/10.23997/pk.153290

Keywords:

language development, mental state words, narrative, sociopragmatic comprehension

Abstract

In narratives, characters’ thoughts and feelings are described by mental state words. In addition, narratives
are told in a given context, and, thus, the ability to interpret and express contextual information is
essential for narratives. However, the associations between mental state words from narrative context
and sociopragmatic comprehension is only sparsely studied, even though narratives are part of a pragmatic
language. The aim of this study is to explore the associations between mental state words and
sociopragmatic comprehension in four to eight-year-old children.
Total of 170 children (aged from 4;1 to 8;10 years; 86 girls and 84 boys) participated. Emotional (e.g.
happy) and cognitive (e.g. think) mental state words were analysed from stories elicited by Kissatarina
narrative assessment method. Sociopragmatic comprehension was assessed by Pragma-test. Regression
models were conducted to explain the use of mental state words. Age, sex and sociopragmatic comprehension
were set as explanatory variables. Results show that the use of mental state words develops
along with age and girls are more likely to use cognitive mental state words than boys. Only the use of
emotional mental state words, but not cognitive mental state words, was explained by sociopragmatic
comprehension. Emotional mental state words and sociopragmatic comprehension seem to be connected
and might therefore support for each other.