Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 9, 2025
05:35
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
6.6K
Complex meanings shape early noun and verb vocabulary structure and learning
Justin B Kueser1, Arielle Borovsky2
1Center for Childhood Deafness, Language and Learning, Boys Town National Research Hospital.
Summary
Early verbs are learned later than nouns because their meanings rely more on complex, abstract information rather than simple perceptual features. This complexity impacts vocabulary development and word learning order in young children.
Area of Science:
- Developmental Psychology
- Linguistics
- Cognitive Science
Background:
- Nouns and verbs differ in semantic and syntactic properties.
- Early word learning is influenced by the complexity of word meanings.
- Perceptual features are less complex than abstract, encyclopedic features.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare semantic feature complexity in early-acquired verbs and nouns.
- To investigate how feature complexity affects word learning.
- To analyze the semantic structure of early child vocabularies.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of semantic features in early learned nouns (N=359) and verbs (N=103).
- Examination of semantic relationships in children's vocabularies (N=3,804) aged 16-30 months.
- Hierarchical analysis of feature complexity, distinguishing perceptual from abstract features.
Main Results:
- Early verbs disproportionately use complex, non-perceptual features compared to early nouns.
- Semantic relationships in children's vocabularies reveal differing use of complex information from the start.
- Feature complexity significantly predicts the learning order of nouns and verbs.
Conclusions:
- Complexity of meaning is a key differentiator between early nouns and verbs.
- Differences in semantic complexity shape the structure of early vocabularies.
- Understanding feature complexity is crucial for explaining word learning trajectories.
More Related Videos
Related Concept Videos
01:22Language Development
319
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...
319
01:27Language and Cognition
329
Language serves as a bridge between ideas and communication, influencing how individuals perceive and interact with the world. Psychologists have long debated whether language shapes thought or vice versa. This discussion gained grip with Edward Sapir and Benjamin Lee Whorf in the 1940s, who proposed that language determines thought, a concept known as linguistic determinism. They suggested that the vocabulary and structure of a language influence how its speakers think and perceive reality.
329
01:21The Nativist Approach
34
The nativist approach to infant cognitive development proposes that infants are born with inherent knowledge structures that allow them to interpret the world almost immediately. This perspective contrasts with earlier developmental theories, such as those proposed by Jean Piaget, which emphasized a more gradual acquisition of cognitive abilities through interaction with the environment. One key concept in this approach is object permanence — the understanding that objects continue to...
34
01:24Components of Language
250
Language, whether spoken, signed, or written, consists of specific components: lexicon and grammar. The lexicon is the vocabulary of a language, comprising its words. Grammar is the set of rules used to convey meaning through the lexicon. For example, English grammar adds “-ed” to most verbs to indicate past tense. Words are formed by combining phonemes, which are the basic sound units of a language. Different languages have different sets of phonemes (e.g., “ah” vs.
250
01:22Purposive Learning
101
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...
101
01:26Higher Mental Functions of Brain: Learning and Memory
689
Memory is one of the most vital higher mental functions of the brain. Memory is closely related to learning because it enables us to retain information and experiences from our past to use them in our present life. It also helps us to remember facts, events, and skills, such as riding a bike or swimming. There are two types of memory — declarative memory, which involves memorizing facts or events, and procedural memory, which enables us to remember how to do something like writing or...
689