An ideational account of early word learning: A plausibility assessment.
The theoretical framework of Bloom's account of child word learning is here assessed only for initial plausibility and neural plausibility. The verdict on both dimensions is low, largely due to the size and character of knowledge it is claimed that the child brings to the task. It is suggested that elements of constructivist accounts could profitably be drawn from to reduce this implausibility.
Nolan
Rita
R
Department of Philosophy, State University of New York at Stony Brook, Stony Brook, NY 11794 rdnolan@ms.cc.sunysb.edu.