Mutual exclusivity and taxonomic bias in combination lead preschoolers' word learning.

Abstract

This study investigated preschoolers' use of two word-learning tendencies in combination. 22 Japanese preschoolers were tested on a task with three forced choices that demanded use of mutual exclusivity and taxonomic bias in the single trials. When presented an object whose label they had learned, an object from the same category as the learned object, and an object from another category, the children chose the third object, suggesting that they use the two constraints in combination. This tendency is discussed with respect to its specific application to word learning.