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Cognitive Research: Principles and Implications

Table 7 Study 2 Itemized analysis of the language essentialism questions (N = 289)

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

Accent

2.10

1.21

15.2

−19.77

288

 < .001

1.16

Vocabulary

1.97

1.15

11.8

−22.70

288

 < .001

1.34

Grammar

1.94

1.08

11.1

−24.48

288

 < .001

1.44

Average Score

2.00

1.09

NA

−23.43

288

 < .001

1.38

Language Essentialism Questionnaire

Specific Language essentialism

Genetically predisposed

2.37

1.32

19.7

−14.54

288

 < .001

0.86

Brain

2.71

1.47

29.4

−9.10

288

 < .001

0.54

Determined at birth

2.62

1.43

26.6

−10.48

288

 < .001

0.62

Inheritable

2.33

1.34

20.4

−14.80

288

 < .001

0.87

Average Score

2.79

.96

NA

−12.71

288

 < .001

0.75

First Language essentialism

Gene

3.09

1.31

42.6

−5.27

288

 < .001

0.31

Brain

3.63

1.23

60.6

1.79

288

0.075

0.11

Determined at birth

2.65

1.27

27.3

−11.42

288

 < .001

0.67

Inheritable

3.13

1.50

44.6

−4.15

288

 < .001

0.24

Natural ability

4.25

1.22

79.6

10.49

288

 < .001

0.62

Average Score

3.35

.92

NA

−2.76

288

0.006

0.16

Multiple Language essentialism

Gene

3.27

1.22

48.8

−3.17

288

 < .001

0.19

Brain

4.07

1.12

76.1

8.71

288

 < .001

0.51

Determined at birth

2.37

1.17

20.4

−16.34

288

 < .001

0.96

Inheritable

2.82

1.26

36.0

−9.12

288

 < .001

0.54

Natural ability

4.44

1.20

85.1

13.29

288

 < .001

0.78

Average score

3.40

.85

NA

−2.09

288

0.038

0.12

  1. All answers followed a 1–6 scale; T-tests are one-sample independent tests against the midpoint. Items significantly greater than the midpoint are bolded
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