Affiliation:
1. Department of Psychology University of California—Berkeley Berkeley California USA
Abstract
AbstractThree preregistered experiments, conducted in 2021, investigated whether English‐speaking American preschoolers (N = 120; 4–6 years; 54 females, predominantly White) and adults (N = 80; 18–52 years; 59 females, predominantly Asian) metonymically extend owners' names to owned objects—an extension not typically found in English. In Experiment 1, 5‐ and 6‐year‐olds and adults extended names to owned objects over duplicates (d = 0.34 in children; d = 1.13 in adults). In Experiment 2, 5‐ and 6‐year‐olds and adults extended names to owned over borrowed objects (d = 1.37 in children; d = 4.34 in adults). Experiment 3 replicated this finding with 4‐year‐olds (d = 0.43). Thus, English‐speaking preschoolers can acquire semantic generalizations, even those not present in their language.
Funder
Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada
Subject
Developmental and Educational Psychology,Education,Pediatrics, Perinatology and Child Health