Children's level of word knowledge predicts their exclusion of familiar objects as referents of novel words

Frontiers in Psychology
Susanne GrassmannMichael Tomasello

Abstract

When children are learning a novel object label, they tend to exclude as possible referents familiar objects for which they already have a name. In the current study, we wanted to know if children would behave in this same way regardless of how well they knew the name of potential referent objects, specifically, whether they could only comprehend it or they could both comprehend and produce it. Sixty-six monolingual German-speaking 2-, 3-, and 4-year-old children participated in two experimental sessions. In one session the familiar objects were chosen such that their labels were in the children's productive vocabularies, and in the other session the familiar objects were chosen such that their labels were only in the children's receptive vocabularies. Results indicated that children at all three ages were more likely to exclude a familiar object as the potential referent of the novel word if they could comprehend and produce its name rather than comprehend its name only. Indeed, level of word knowledge as operationalized in this way was a better predictor than was age. These results are discussed in the context of current theories of word learning by exclusion.

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Citations

Apr 24, 2016·Journal of Experimental Child Psychology·Cornelia Gollek, Martin J Doherty
Dec 3, 2016·Wiley Interdisciplinary Reviews. Cognitive Science·Larissa K Samuelson, Bob McMurray
Mar 8, 2018·Child Development·Ron Pomper, Jenny R Saffran
Apr 12, 2016·Developmental Science·Padmapriya KandhadaiJanet F Werker
Dec 5, 2017·Language Learning and Development : the Official Journal of the Society for Language Development·Elika Bergelson, Richard Aslin
Dec 20, 2019·PloS One·Josje VerhagenPaul Leseman
Feb 15, 2018·Frontiers in Psychology·Miriam LangelohStefanie Hoehl
Nov 24, 2019·Cognition·Elena Nicoladis, Angélique Laurent
Aug 10, 2021·Child Development Perspectives·Larissa K Samuelson
Jul 3, 2021·Nature Human Behaviour·Manuel BohnMichael C Frank
Aug 31, 2021·Infancy : the Official Journal of the International Society on Infant Studies·Joscelin Rocha-HidalgoRachel F Barr
Oct 30, 2021·Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders·Janine Mathée-ScottSusan Ellis Weismer

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