Research output: Contribution to Journal/Magazine › Journal article › peer-review
Research output: Contribution to Journal/Magazine › Journal article › peer-review
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TY - JOUR
T1 - It's taking shape
T2 - shared object features influence novel noun generalizations
AU - Horst, Jessica
AU - Twomey, Katherine
PY - 2013/1/1
Y1 - 2013/1/1
N2 - Children's early noun vocabularies are dominated by names for shape-based categories. However, along with shape, material and colour are also important features of many early categories. In the current study, we investigate how the number of shared features among objects influences children's novel noun generalizations, explanations for these generalizations and spontaneous speech. Preschool children and adults were presented with test objects that shared only one feature (e.g. shape) or that shared two features (e.g. material and colour). After each trial, participants were asked, ‘how did you know that was your [novel name]?’ Overall, participants generalized novel names on the basis of shape more when objects shared shape and a second feature with the exemplar. All participants provided shape-based explanations of their choices, but explanations were increasingly more abstract across development. Finally, children's spontaneous speech was dominated by references to the objects' shape, and this did not change across development or number of shared features. Overall, these data demonstrate that the shape bias is enhanced when objects share shape and a second feature but weakened for 3-year-old children when objects share two non-shape features. These findings have implications for our understanding of how children learn names for objects that belong to multiple categories.
AB - Children's early noun vocabularies are dominated by names for shape-based categories. However, along with shape, material and colour are also important features of many early categories. In the current study, we investigate how the number of shared features among objects influences children's novel noun generalizations, explanations for these generalizations and spontaneous speech. Preschool children and adults were presented with test objects that shared only one feature (e.g. shape) or that shared two features (e.g. material and colour). After each trial, participants were asked, ‘how did you know that was your [novel name]?’ Overall, participants generalized novel names on the basis of shape more when objects shared shape and a second feature with the exemplar. All participants provided shape-based explanations of their choices, but explanations were increasingly more abstract across development. Finally, children's spontaneous speech was dominated by references to the objects' shape, and this did not change across development or number of shared features. Overall, these data demonstrate that the shape bias is enhanced when objects share shape and a second feature but weakened for 3-year-old children when objects share two non-shape features. These findings have implications for our understanding of how children learn names for objects that belong to multiple categories.
KW - word learning
KW - categorisation
KW - shape bias
KW - novel noun generalisation
KW - language acquisition
U2 - 10.1002/icd.1768
DO - 10.1002/icd.1768
M3 - Journal article
VL - 22
SP - 24
EP - 43
JO - Infant and Child Development
JF - Infant and Child Development
SN - 1522-7227
IS - 1
ER -