Acquiring taxonomic relations in lexical memory: The role of superordinate category labels

Abstract

Two experiments tested predictions based on Nelson's (e.g., Nelson, 1985; Lucariello & Nelson, 1985) theory of taxonomic development. In Nelson's view, children relate slot-fillers (e.g., cereal - egg) in memory because they are substitutable within the same scripts. Coordinates (e.g., cereal - hamburger), members of the same superordinate category that are part of different scripts, are related through knowledge of a shared superordinate label (e.g., food). In these experiments, we tested whether knowledge of a superordinate label is associated with stronger relations between coordinates but not between slot-fillers. In Experiment 1, preschoolers' reaction times were measured during a triad sorting task. Matching picture pairs within the triads were either slot-filler familiar (slot-fillers with a familiar superordinate label), slot-filler unfamiliar (slot-fillers with an unfamiliar superordinate label), coordinate familiar, or coordinate unfamiliar. In Experiment 2, subjects were given a cued recall task. Lists consisted of either slot-filler or coordinate word pairs. Half the word pairs had familiar superordinate labels and half had unfamiliar labels. In both studies, superordinate label familiarity had no effects, although children's performance was better on slot-filler pairs overall. Because these results do not support Nelson's theory, we propose an alternative account of taxonomic development.