The role of inferences about referential intent in word learning: Evidence from autism.

Preissler, Melissa A. and Carey, Susan (2005) The role of inferences about referential intent in word learning: Evidence from autism. Cognition, 97 (1). B13-B23. ISSN 0010-0277

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Abstract

Young children are readily able to use known labels to constrain hypotheses about the meanings of new words under conditions of referential ambiguity. At issue is the kind of information children use to constrain such hypotheses. According to one theory, children take into account the speaker’s intention when solving a referential puzzle. In the present studies, children with autism were impaired in monitoring referential intent, but were equally successful as normally developing 24-month-old toddlers at mapping novel words to unnamed items under conditions of referential ambiguity. Therefore, constraints that lead the child to map a novel label to a previously unnamed object under these circumstances are not solely based on assessments of speakers’ intentions.

Item Type:
Journal Article
Journal or Publication Title:
Cognition
Uncontrolled Keywords:
/dk/atira/pure/core/keywords/psychology
Subjects:
?? psychologylinguistics and languagecognitive neuroscienceexperimental and cognitive psychologylanguage and linguisticsbf psychology ??
ID Code:
10618
Deposited By:
Deposited On:
21 Jul 2008 08:34
Refereed?:
Yes
Published?:
Published
Last Modified:
15 Jul 2024 09:16