What word learners do when input contradicts the mutual exclusivity assumption.
In 4 studies, 3- to 5-year-olds heard 2 novel English labels each applied to the same novel object by a different adult. In all 4 studies, about half of the children accepted both labels, suggesting that hearing 2 labels applied to an object offers strong enough evidence for some to override mutual exclusivity. Nonetheless, about half of the children honored mutual exclusivity and hence accepted only 1 label; they also seemed to keep both labels in mind for at least a few minutes and settled on whichever label they re-encountered first. This strategy allows children to make an informed choice between 2 apparently equally good labels, without straining their limited memory capacities.
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Department of Psychology, University of California, Riverside 92521, USA.
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D002657:Child Development; D002663:Child Language; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003071:Cognition; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007802:Language; D007804:Language Development; D008297:Male; D014706:Verbal Learning