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Table 4 Study 1 Itemized analysis of the language essentialism Questions of the prolific adult sample (N = 340)

From: How essentialist reasoning about language acquisition relates to educational myths and policy endorsements

 

Mean

SD

% Agree

t value

df

p value

Cohen’s d

Switched-at-birth

Answer scale: 1–6, midpoint: 3.5

Accent

2.24

1.21

16.8

−19.28

339

 < .001

1.05

Vocabulary

2.19

1.17

14.4

−20.51

339

 < .001

1.11

Grammar

2.18

1.12

15.0

−21.79

339

 < .001

1.18

Average Score

2.20

1.11

NA

−21.58

339

 < .001

1.17

Language Essentialism Questionnaire

Answer scale: 1–6 (midpoint: 3.5)

Specific Language essentialism

Genetically predisposed

2.35

1.37

19.7

−15.45

339

 < .001

0.84

Brain

2.56

1.47

26.2

−11.85

339

 < .001

0.64

Determined at birth

2.44

1.35

24.4

−14.42

339

 < .001

0.78

Inheritable

2.41

1.41

22.4

−14.19

339

 < .001

0.77

Average Score

2.44

1.25

NA

−15.64

339

 < .001

0.85

First Language essentialism

Gene

2.83

1.30

32.9

−9.52

339

 < .001

0.52

Brain

3.57

1.16

58.2

1.12

339

0.264

0.06

Determined at birth

2.52

1.27

22.9

−14.17

339

 < .001

0.77

Inheritable

3.07

1.55

41.8

−5.08

339

 < .001

0.28

Natural ability

4.28

1.23

78.5

11.73

339

 < .001

0.64

Average Score

3.25

.87

NA

−5.19

339

 < .001

0.28

Multiple Language essentialism

Gene

3.24

1.22

47.9

−3.96

339

 < .001

0.21

Brain

3.94

1.02

73.2

8.00

339

 < .001

0.43

Determined at birth

2.55

1.18

20.3

−14.84

339

 < .001

0.80

Inheritable

2.91

1.26

37.4

−8.55

339

 < .001

0.46

Natural ability

4.41

1.14

85.3

14.83

339

 < .001

0.80

Average score

3.41

.79

NA

−2.06

339

0.039

0.11

  1. See Table 1 for specific descriptions of items. The “genetically predisposed” and “gene” items tap into the same aspect of essentialism (i.e., “innateness”) but with slightly different wordings. T-tests are one-sample independent tests against the midpoint. Items significantly greater than the midpoint are bolded