Role of adult input in young children's category evolution. I: An observational study

Three factors have been hypothesized to play an important role in the reduction of children's initial overextensions: spontaneous adult use of the correct label, correction of the child's errors, and demonstration of the important attributes that make an object a member of its adult category. The role of these factors was examined in relation to data collected from a longitudinal study of early lexical development. Results indicated that demonstrations were the most important factor in inducing toddlers to assign an object to its adult category. (Abstract amended)