Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 6, 2026
07:31
Defining the Role Of Language in Infants' Object Categorization with Eye-tracking Paradigms
Published on: February 8, 2019
Learn locally, think globally. Exemplar variability supports higher-order generalization and word learning
Lynn K Perry1, Larissa K Samuelson, Lisa M Malloy
1Department of Psychology, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA 52242, USA. lynn-perry@uiowa.edu
Psychological Science
|November 26, 2010
Summary
Introducing varied examples during early word learning enhances children's ability to generalize categories. This leads to better abstraction and faster vocabulary acquisition.
Area of Science:
- Cognitive Science
- Developmental Psychology
- Linguistics
Background:
- Exemplar variability is known to aid object categorization.
- Its impact on higher-order generalization in early word learning is not well understood.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate how exemplar variability influences first- and second-order generalization in young children's nominal-category learning.
- To examine the development of word-learning biases and vocabulary acquisition.
Main Methods:
- A longitudinal study with 16-month-old children learning 12 categories.
- Training groups received either similar or variable exemplars for category learning.
- Assessed label generalization, word-learning biases, and vocabulary growth.
Main Results:
- Children trained with variable exemplars showed superior generalization to novel items.
- Variable exemplar training fostered a discriminating word-learning bias based on object properties (shape, material).
- These children also exhibited accelerated vocabulary acquisition.
Conclusions:
- Object exemplar variability promotes better abstraction of category structures.
- This enhanced abstraction improves generalization and learning beyond trained instances.
- Variability is crucial for developing robust word-learning biases and efficient vocabulary development in early childhood.
More Related Videos
08:05Measuring Statistical Learning Across Modalities and Domains in School-Aged Children Via an Online Platform and Neuroimaging Techniques
Published on: June 30, 2020
12:49Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS) of Wernicke's and Broca's Areas in Studies of Language Learning and Word Acquisition
Published on: July 13, 2019
Related Concept Videos
01:24Generalization, Discrimination, and Extinction
Generalization, discrimination, and extinction are key concepts in operant conditioning that influence how behaviors are learned and maintained.
Generalization occurs when a behavior reinforced in one context is performed in similar situations. For instance, a student who studies diligently for calculus and receives excellent grades might apply the same study habits to psychology and history, expecting similar results. Generalization shows how learning in one setting can influence behavior in...
Generalization occurs when a behavior reinforced in one context is performed in similar situations. For instance, a student who studies diligently for calculus and receives excellent grades might apply the same study habits to psychology and history, expecting similar results. Generalization shows how learning in one setting can influence behavior in...
01:21Cognitive Learning
Cognitive learning is based on purposive behavior, incidental learning, and insight learning.
E. C. Tolman's theory of purposive behavior emphasizes that much behavior is goal-directed. He argued that to understand behavior, we must look at the entire sequence of actions leading to a goal. For instance, high school students study hard, not just due to past reinforcement but also to achieve the goal of getting into a good college.
Tolman introduced the idea that behavior is influenced by...
E. C. Tolman's theory of purposive behavior emphasizes that much behavior is goal-directed. He argued that to understand behavior, we must look at the entire sequence of actions leading to a goal. For instance, high school students study hard, not just due to past reinforcement but also to achieve the goal of getting into a good college.
Tolman introduced the idea that behavior is influenced by...
01:27Associative Learning
Associative learning is a fundamental concept in behavioral psychology, wherein a connection is established between two stimuli or events, leading to a learned response. This process is critical in understanding how behaviors are acquired and modified. Conditioning, the mechanism through which associations are formed, can be divided into two main types: classical conditioning and operant conditioning, each elucidating different aspects of associative learning.
Classical conditioning, also known...
Classical conditioning, also known...
01:22Purposive Learning
E. C. Tolman emphasized the purposiveness of behavior — the idea that much of our behavior is goal-directed. For instance, employees who aim for a promotion work diligently to meet their targets. Tolman argued that when classical conditioning and operant conditioning occur, the organism acquires certain expectations. In classical conditioning, a child might fear a dog because they expect it to bite. In operant conditioning, a person might consistently work overtime because they expect a bonus...
01:12Observational Learning
Albert Bandura's observational learning, also known as imitation or modeling, occurs when a person observes and imitates another's behavior. It is a quicker process than operant conditioning. A well-known example is the Bobo doll study, where children who saw an adult acting aggressively towards the doll were more likely to act aggressively when left alone, compared to those who observed a nonaggressive adult. Many psychologists view observational learning as a form of latent learning because...
01:22Language Development
Children master language quickly and with relative ease, supported by both biological predisposition and reinforcement. B. F. Skinner (1957) proposed that language is learned through reinforcement, while Noam Chomsky (1965) argued that language acquisition mechanisms are biologically determined.
The critical period for language acquisition suggests that the ability to acquire language is at its peak early in life. As people age, this proficiency decreases. Language development begins very...
The critical period for language acquisition suggests that the ability to acquire language is at its peak early in life. As people age, this proficiency decreases. Language development begins very...