6 research outputs found
Partial Color Word Comprehension Precedes Production
<p>Previous studies report that children use color words haphazardly before acquiring conventional, adult-like meanings. The most common explanation for this is that children do not abstract color as a domain of linguistic meaning until several months after they begin producing color words, resulting in a stage during which they produce but do not comprehend color words. Contrary to this account, the current study provides converging evidence from multiple measures that toddlers often acquire partial but systematic color word meanings <i>before</i> production, although adult meanings are acquired much later. Also, we found that whereas children’s interpretation of color words is relatively conservative before the onset of color word production, their meanings become broader and overextended upon the onset of production. These data support the idea that inductive processes of category formation, rather than problems abstracting color, explain the delay between children’s first production of color words and mastery of adult meanings.</p
Partial color word comprehension precedes production
Previous studies report that children use color words haphazardly before
acquiring adult-like meanings. The most common explanation is that children
do not abstract color as a domain of linguistic meaning until several
months after they begin producing color words, resulting in a stage during
which children produce but do not comprehend color words. Contrary to this
account, the current study provides converging evidence from multiple
measures that toddlers (N=55; 18-33 mos) acquire partial but systematic
color word meanings often before production, although adult meanings are
acquired much later. These data support the idea that inductive processes
of category formation, rather than problems abstracting color, explain the
delay between children’s first production of color words and mastery of
adult meanings