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An appearance-function shift in children's object naming*
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 26 September 2008
Abstract
The relative importance of appearance and potential function in children's object naming was examined. Potential function is an object capability that may not be currently realized (e.g. an empty mug has the potential to hold coffee). In Study 1, sixteen children from each of three age groups (3;8, 4;8, and 6;1) were taught novel names for unfamiliar objects; they then had to decide whether these applied to items that resembled the training objects in either appearance or potential function. The youngsters were also shown deceptive objects (e.g., an eraser that looked like a pencil) and had to choose between familiar appearance and function names for them (e.g., pencil or eraser). The frequency of function-based responding in both tasks increased with age. In Study 2, the name training procedure was revised so that equal emphasis was given to both apparent and functional features. The main results of the first study were replicated. Neither study obtained evidence of a strong relation between the appearance—function shift and increased under-standing of the appearance—reality distinction.
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Footnotes
[*]
This work was supported by a FIRST award (R29 HD25958) from the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development to the first author, and by a Research Experiences for Undergraduates grant (89–00571) from the National Science Foundation to the second author. The assistance of Laura Augustajtis, Jennifer Engar, Jessica Howdysell, Lorna Jarvis and Angela Lavorata was greatly appreciated. We thank two anonymous reviewers for their very instructive comments. ‘In all ways acknowledge Him …’ (Prov.3:6).
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