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Related Experiment Videos

Developmental changes in the understanding of generics.

Susan A Gelman1, Paul Bloom

  • 1Department of Psychology, 530 Church St., University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109-1043, USA. gelman@umich.edu

Cognition
|November 11, 2006
PubMed
Summary
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Children and adults understand generic statements about animal kinds, but only adults differentiate between inborn and acquired properties, showing developmental changes in conceptual understanding.

Area of Science:

  • Cognitive Psychology
  • Developmental Psychology
  • Linguistics

Background:

  • Generic sentences, like 'Birds lay eggs,' refer to kinds, not individuals.
  • Understanding how generic nouns are processed is crucial for comprehending conceptual and semantic development.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate how English speakers, both adults and children, understand generic nouns.
  • To examine developmental differences in distinguishing generic from non-generic references and property types.

Main Methods:

  • Presenting novel animal scenarios to adults and 4- to 5-year-old children.
  • Using generic and non-generic questions to probe understanding of animal properties.

Main Results:

  • Both children and adults correctly interpreted generic questions as referring to kinds.

Related Experiment Videos

  • Adults differentiated between inborn and acquired properties for generic kinds, but children did not.
  • Acceptance of generic statements (e.g., 'Dobles have claws') occurred even when presented instances lacked the property.

    • Conclusions:

    • Findings suggest developmental shifts in semantic understanding and conceptualization.
    • Data align with theories of psychological essentialism regarding kind-based understanding.
    • Distinguishing inborn versus acquired properties emerges later in development.