PSY315H5 Lecture Notes - Lecture 3: Speech Community, Linguistic System, Joint Attention
Document Summary
Words have two parts : meaning, sound pattern. Default assumptions are thought to be built-in constraints meaning that children are pre- disposition to learn language. These assumptions allow children to quickly rule out unlikely alternatives in order to effectively process and learn word meanings. The new word is assumed to refer to other objects within the same taxonomic category. Labels can mean other types of conceptual types. For example every dog have different names. New words are likely to refer to the whole object rather than its parts, substance. Thinks the label refer to the whole objects and ignore the subparts of the objects. Example : label truck the child will assume truck refers to the whole object instead of the tires, doors, colors or other parts. This is not absolute if this is absolute then children can not learn the new words and subparts as they grow up.
