Learning Words in Nonostensive Contexts

Four word learning studies with 24-month-old children are reported. In Studies 1 and 2, an adult used a novel word to announce her intention to perform an action or to find an object. It was found that a knowledge of what action or object was impending-established through scripted events before the word's introduction-was not necessary for children to learn the words. Studies 3 and 4 focused on what word learning cues children might be using in these contexts. In Study 3, it was found that children learned a novel verb for an intentional and not an accidental action. In Study 4, it was found that children learned a novel noun for an object the adult was searching for, not ones she had rejected while searching. Because none of the best-known constraints on lexical acquisition could have helped them in these contexts, it was concluded that children were relying on social-pragmatic cues to learn the new words.

Duke Scholars

Author Michael Tomasello Psychology & Neuroscience