Effects of Color on Children's Naming of Pictures

Abstract

Two experiments assessed possible effects of memory for the typical colors of objects on children's naming of pictures. Children, 5 to 10 yr. old ( N = 54 per experiment), named pictures of familiar objects in uncolored, typically colored (red for apple), and atypically colored (blue for apple) versions. Presentation of the three types of pictures was mixed in Exp. 1 and blocked in Exp. 2. With mixed presentation, reaction times for naming were unaffected by typical colors but slowed by atypical colors. With blocked presentation, naming was speeded by typical colors, but only for younger children, and was unaffected by atypical colors. Implications are discussed for understanding the processes by which objects are identified and named and the development of knowledge regarding the color of objects.