Fluência verbal semântica em pré-escolares: estratégias de associação

Abstract

The test of semantic verbal fluency, TSVF, is commonly used in neuropsychology, both in clinic and research fields, where it is considered as a frontal lobe test. A 4-category TSVF was utilized: "toys", "animals", "body parts" and "things to eat", generally aiming to evaluate the development level of pre-school children. Specific objectives have been: to establish the average of answers on each age; to analyze the semantic of association capacity by stating the cluster size average (e.g. the words production within semantics, orthographical or phonological category) and the number of switches (e.g. the ability to change association strategies); to develop a word occurrence frequency list for replies on each category; to identify typical and untypical replies on each category. Data collection was made in the city of Timóteo, MG and the sample was stratified (4, 5 and 6-year-olds), amongst 90 children. Results imply there is an age influence on TSVF performance, proving an increase on mental functioning quality during childhood. As a whole, results indicate pre-school children do not use association strategies orthographically or phonologically, only semantically. Those data pieces suggest orthographical and phonological apparatus are not inborn, relying maybe on formal schooling. Thus, this study has accomplished its objectives, by tracing a general panorama of several TSVF observed slopes, as well as producing normative data for this oral task on pre-school children.