Aims: Previous research showed that short-term second language training modulates children’s brain responses. However, little is known about how well young children’s brains process second language-related information acquired from short-term usage of language-immersive apps. Methodology: To examine this, we compared the auditory event-related potential (ERP) to non-native language words learnt via language-immersive applications (apps), as compared to those learnt via digital flash cards, in 3-5-year-old children. We also compared their auditory ERPs to known and unknown words. Data analysis: Thirty-two participants have completed the (audio) word-picture pair experiment while their electroencephalography (EEG) was recorded. We compared the auditory ERPs in the 200-300ms window and the 400-600ms window between the apps group and the flash-card group, and the response to the known and unknown words. Results: We found that the early positive potential (of the whole group) to the known words was significantly larger than that to the unknown words. Further, the early negative potential of the language immersed group was significantly larger than that of the flash card group. Conclusions: Short-term training from language-immersive apps has a positive impact on the developing brain.

The present study sought to evaluate the reproducibility of prominent findings stated by Fehr et al. (2008) in their developmental resource allocation experiment. The experiment involved children making decisions about distributing sweets between themselves and either an in-group or an out-group recipient. Fehr et al. found that (1) inequity aversion develops with age; (2) 3- to 4-year-old children are inclined toward self-advantageous allocations, whereas 7- to 8-year-olds distribute sweets more evenly in divisions, and (3) the influence of group status increases as children age. In our attempts to reproduce Fehr et al.’s original analyses and reanalyse the raw data set, we found that one of the key variables was miscoded. After rectifying the miscoded variable, the reproduction results revealed only one ambiguously irreproducible result regarding a group status main effect in the sharing mini-game—with three other tests exhibiting either strong reproducibility or ambiguous reproducibility following the classifications suggested by Artner et al. (2021). Reanalysis results indicated that Fehr et al.’s conclusions are robust when tested with alternative analytical tests.