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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Feb 19, 2026

Experience is Instrumental in Tuning a Link Between Language and Cognition: Evidence from 6- to 7- Month-Old Infants' Object Categorization

Experience is Instrumental in Tuning a Link Between Language and Cognition: Evidence from 6- to 7- Month-Old Infants' Object Categorization

Published on: April 19, 2017

Categorization and Its Developmental Relation to Early Language.

Lisa Gershkoff-Stowe¹, Donna J Thal¹, Linda B Smith¹

¹Department of Psychology, University of Chicago, 5848 South University Avenue, Chicago, IL 60637The Department of Communicative Disorders, San Diego State UniversityThe Department of Psychology, Indiana UniversityThe Department of Psychology, North-western University.

Child Development

|November 7, 2017

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

Children's object categorization skills develop independently of their vocabulary growth. This suggests that while category knowledge aids language development, other factors are also crucial for these cognitive milestones.

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Last Updated: Feb 19, 2026

Experience is Instrumental in Tuning a Link Between Language and Cognition: Evidence from 6- to 7- Month-Old Infants' Object Categorization

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Published on: April 19, 2017

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Infant Auditory Processing and Event-related Brain Oscillations

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Published on: July 1, 2015

Area of Science:

Developmental Psychology
Cognitive Science
Linguistics

Background:

Early linguistic and cognitive achievements are intricately linked in child development.
Previous research suggests a temporal correlation between vocabulary spurt and categorization abilities.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate the developmental relationship between early language acquisition and cognitive categorization skills.
To examine whether vocabulary growth predicts advancements in object categorization.
To compare categorization performance in late talkers versus controls.

Main Methods:

Three studies were conducted: two longitudinal studies (varying stimuli) and one cross-sectional study.
Longitudinal studies tracked children's nominal productions and categorization abilities.
Cross-sectional study compared late talkers with age and language-matched peers.

Main Results:

Children's ability to classify objects spatially or temporally was found to be independent of their productive vocabulary growth.
No consistent strong temporal link was observed between nominal production increases and two-category grouping.
Late talkers did not significantly differ in categorization from controls when language matched.

Conclusions:

Advances in productive vocabulary do not solely drive improvements in object categorization.
While category knowledge may support naming, other cognitive abilities also influence categorization development.
Childhood experiences and context are vital for understanding categorization changes and their link to language.