The role of language in superordinate category formation.
Item
-
Title
-
The role of language in superordinate category formation.
-
Identifier
-
AAI9000039
-
identifier
-
9000039
-
Creator
-
Kyratzis, Amelia.
-
Contributor
-
Adviser: Katherine Nelson
-
Date
-
1989
-
Language
-
English
-
Publisher
-
City University of New York.
-
Subject
-
Psychology, Developmental
-
Abstract
-
This study examined the role of language, more specifically, the role of three linguistic mediators, in superordinate category formation. The mediators and their assumed roles were: (1) linguistic specification of category criteria, highlighting superordinate functions (i.e., those specified in the meanings of superordinate words) and facilitating their detection in potential referents; (2) common descriptions of category instances, facilitating the generalization of superordinate functions to potential referents; and (3) knowledge of constraints on superordinate word meaning, establishing a relationship between superordinate functions and word meaning. The development of these mediators during the early school-age period was a major focus of the research.;Forty kindergarteners and forty first graders learned three novel superordinate words (e.g."gauges") by using three unfamiliar referents of each in a woodworking activity and being given repeated exposure to their superordinate labels. There were four learning conditions. These varied the availability of definition statements, (e.g., "gauges are things that measure") and inclusion statements (e.g.,"a level is a kind of gauge"). Whether individual objects were described in terms of the common, category functions (e.g., "measuring") was also varied. After learning, children had to generalize the superordinate labels and the superordinate functions (e.g., measuring) to additional objects.;Results indicated that children at both ages were able to generalize the superordinate functions and could benefit from linguistic mediators 1 and 2 (see above) to do so. However, only the first graders could generalize the superordinate labels, and only when given definition statements. It was concluded that first graders possessed a One-Feature Constraint on superordinate word meaning that enabled them to capitalize on information about the relationship between the superordinate functions and word meaning. This constraint designates that superordinate word meaning refers to single features. The constraint appeared not to be operative in kindergarteners.;The role of other word meaning constraints (e.g., the Mutual Exclusivity Hypothesis) was examined but was not significantly related to performance. Knowledge of the One-Feature Constraint appeared to undergo the greatest development during the period studied and may account for the onset of superordinate categorization ability during this period.
-
Type
-
dissertation
-
Source
-
PQT Legacy CUNY.xlsx
-
degree
-
Ph.D.
