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Related Experiment Videos

Whose DAM account? Attentional learning explains Booth and Waxman.

Linda B Smith1, Susan S Jones, Hanako Yoshida

  • 1Department of Psychology, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, USA. smith4@indiana.edu

Cognition
|April 10, 2003
PubMed
Summary

Linguistic cues influence how children learn object names, contrary to some theories. Booth and Waxman's findings do not invalidate the core principles of the attentional learning account of object naming.

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Area of Science:

  • Cognitive Science
  • Developmental Psychology
  • Linguistics

Background:

  • Booth and Waxman (2002) presented findings suggesting linguistic cues to animacy impact children's novel name extensions.
  • They argued these findings contradict key aspects of the attentional learning account of object naming, termed the "dumb attentional mechanism" (DAM).

Discussion:

  • This article clarifies that one tenet cited by Booth and Waxman was never part of the attentional learning account.
  • The second tenet, central to the attentional learning account, remains unaddressed by Booth and Waxman's experimental findings.

Key Insights:

  • Re-evaluation of Booth and Waxman's critique reveals a misunderstanding of the attentional learning account's tenets.
  • The impact of linguistic animacy cues on children's object naming requires further investigation within the framework of attentional learning.

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Outlook:

  • Future research should consider the different analytical levels employed in studies of child language and cognition.
  • Clarifying theoretical frameworks is essential for advancing the debate on the mechanisms underlying children's language acquisition.