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Category development in early language*

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  26 September 2008

Leslie A. Rescorla
Leslie A. Rescorla
Affiliation:
Yale University
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Abstract

Developing knowledge of the vehicle, animal, and fruit categories was traced in six children from 1; 0 to 1; 8. Data from mothers' language diaries and from bi-monthly sessions with the children were pooled to analyse the growth, content, and internal structure of the three categories over time. The children developed some grasp of most of the focal concepts in each category, but they made fewer differentiations than adults do. Overextension of a single concept term to encompass a cluster of related referents was common. The frequent discrepancies between comprehension and production of concept terms highlighted the importance of examining both modes. The data showed marked individual differences in style of category acquisition.

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Type
Articles
Information
Journal of Child Language , Volume 8 , Issue 2 , June 1981, pp. 225 - 238
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1981

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