Preschoolers' classification and induction of word meaning

This paper reports the results of two experiments examining preschoolers’ induction of word meaning and their ability to extend word meanings at the basic and superordinate levels The first experiment examined preschoolers’ classification of unfamiliar animate and inanimate objects according, to superordinate categories and inductions regarding their ability for self-generated movement. Three and four-year-olds showed some ability to classify both animate and inanimate objects at the superordinate level and to make inductions about movement from this classification. The second experiment examined preschoolers’ extension of word meaning across objects with the same basic category label. Children aged three and four indicated some ability to make inductions about an unfamiliar object when its category label was known, but the results for the two age groups was not significant.