Title | Dog is a dog is a dog: infant rule learning is not specific to language. |
Publication Type | Journal Article |
Year of Publication | 2007 |
Authors | Saffran JR, Pollak SD, Seibel RL, Shkolnik A |
Journal | Cognition |
Volume | 105 |
Issue | 3 |
Pagination | 669-80 |
Date Published | 2007 Dec |
ISSN | 0010-0277 |
Keywords | Cognition, Concept Formation, Humans, Infant, Language, Learning, Semantics, Verbal Learning, Vocabulary |
Abstract | Human infants possess powerful learning mechanisms used for the acquisition of language. To what extent are these mechanisms domain specific? One well-known infant language learning mechanism is the ability to detect and generalize rule-like similarity patterns, such as ABA or ABB [Marcus, G. F., Vijayan, S., Rao, S. B., & Vishton, P. M. (1999). Rule learning by seven-month-old infants. Science, 283, 77-80.]. The results of three experiments demonstrate that 7-month-old infants can detect and generalize these same patterns when the elements consist of pictures of animals (dogs and cats). These findings indicate that rule learning of this type is not specific to language acquisition. |
DOI | 10.1016/j.cognition.2006.11.004 |
Alternate Journal | Cognition |
PubMed ID | 17188676 |
PubMed Central ID | PMC2066190 |
Grant List | R01MH61285 / MH / NIMH NIH HHS / United States P30 HD003352 / HD / NICHD NIH HHS / United States R01 HD037466 / HD / NICHD NIH HHS / United States P30HD03352 / HD / NICHD NIH HHS / United States R01HD37466 / HD / NICHD NIH HHS / United States R01 MH061285 / MH / NIMH NIH HHS / United States R01 HD037466-05A1 / HD / NICHD NIH HHS / United States |