Abstract
AbstractYoung children often struggle with referential communications because they fail to compare all valid referents. In two studies, we investigated this comparison process. In Study 1, 4–7 year-olds (N = 114) were asked to categorize pairs of objects according to their similarities or differences, and then identified a unique quality of one of the objects by responding to a referential question. Children found it easier to judge the differences between objects than similarities. Correct judgments of differences predicted accurate identifications. In Study 2, 4–5 year-olds (N = 36) again categorized according to similarities or differences, but this time were asked for verbal explanations of their decisions. Recognition of differences was easier than recognition of similarities. Explanations of errors were either: (a) ambiguous; (b) color error: (c) thematic (creative imaginative explanations). Children offered thematic explanations when they failed to recognize similarities between objects, but not for errors of difference.
Highlights
When we ask young children questions, we have expectations about what constitutes an appropriate response
We sought to investigate the recognition of similarities and differences during the comparison process and clarify which predicted children’s ability to recognize identifying information and answer referential questions
Older children found the similarity and difference tasks easier than younger children, 7-year-olds performed with few errors and much better than one would expect at standard comparison or referential communication tasks (e.g., Lloyd et al, 1998)
Summary
When we ask young children questions, we have expectations about what constitutes an appropriate response. This is so when the question requires children to identify something: for example, when we ask them about their favorite toy, or what color pencil they want, or even “which” object they are referring to (Basco et al, 2021). We investigated these comparison and communication processes in young children’s responses to referential questions about different object types. In English, referential questions tend to make use of words such as “which” or “what” and, as in the examples given above, tend to refer to objects or their attributes, and require a specific response (Kearsley, 1976; Robinson & Rackstraw, 1972). Referential questions are among the earliest that young children employ (following closely after “why” and “how” questions), and by around 4 years of age are in
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