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Function as a criterion for the extension of new words
V C Gathercole1, L C Whitfield
1School of Psychology, University of Wales Bangor, Bangor, Gwynedd LL57 2DG, Wales. pss116@bangor.ac.uk
Journal of Child Language
|March 22, 2001
Summary
Children under age seven can use shape-based function to learn new words, but struggle with material-based function. Nine-year-olds show improved functional understanding and word extension, unlike younger children who prioritize syntax.
Area of Science:
- Cognitive Development
- Developmental Psychology
- Language Acquisition
Background:
- Children's ability to categorize objects and learn new words is crucial for cognitive development.
- Understanding how children utilize functional information, particularly shape versus material properties, remains an area of research.
- Prior studies suggest varying developmental trajectories in children's reliance on different types of information for categorization and word learning.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate how children aged 3-9 years use functional information (shape vs. material) to predict object similarity and extend novel word labels.
- To determine the developmental progression in children's ability to prioritize functional attributes over syntactic cues in categorization tasks.
- To explore cognitive factors influencing children's understanding of material-based functions in word learning.
Main Methods:
- Four experiments were conducted involving children aged 3 to 9 years.
- Participants were tested on their ability to predict functional similarity and extend new words based on object properties.
- Tasks included comparing exemplars, word extension tasks, and categorization tasks contrasting function (shape/material) with syntax.
Main Results:
- Three- and four-year-olds successfully used shape-based function but not material-based function for word extension.
- Seven-year-olds showed difficulty with material-based function similarity, while older children (8-9 years) improved.
- Nine-year-olds demonstrated greater attention to function over syntax compared to seven-year-olds, who favored syntax.
Conclusions:
- Children's use of functional information for word learning develops with age, with material-based function posing a greater challenge than shape-based function.
- Developmental differences exist in prioritizing functional cues (material vs. shape) and syntactic information for categorization and word extension.
- Cognitive factors, particularly those related to processing material properties, contribute to non-adult-like performance in children under nine years old.