title: Novel labels support 10-month-olds' attention to novel objects.
abstract: What is the source of the mutual exclusivity bias whereby infants map novel labels onto novel objects? In an intermodal preferential looking task, we found that novel labels support 10-month-olds' attention to a novel object over a familiar object. In contrast, familiar labels and a neutral phrase gradually reduced attention to a novel object. Markman (1989, 1990) argued that infants must recall the name of a familiar object to exclude it as the referent of a novel label. We argue that 10-month-olds' attention is guided by the novelty of objects and labels rather than knowledge of the names for familiar objects. Mutual exclusivity, as a language-specific bias, might emerge from a more general constraint on attention and learning.
authors.affiliation: Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3UD, UK. emily.mather@psy.ox.ac.uk
authors.forename: Emily
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Mather
authors.forename: Kim
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Plunkett
mesh_terms: D001288:Attention; D002755:Choice Behavior; D005106:Exploratory Behavior; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D010775:Photic Stimulation; D014706:Verbal Learning