Generics license 30-month-olds’ inferences about the atypical properties of novel kinds.
Open accessAbstract
We examined whether the distinction between generic and nongeneric language provides toddlers with a rapid and efficient means to learn about kinds. In Experiment 1, we examined 30-month-olds' willingness to extend atypical properties to members of an unfamiliar category when the properties were introduced in 1 of 3 ways: (a) using a generic noun phrase ("Blicks drink ketchup"); (b) using a nongeneric noun phrase ("These blicks drink ketchup"); and (c) using an attentional phrase ("Look at this"). Hearing a generic noun phrase boosted toddlers' extension of properties to both the model exemplars and to novel members of the same category, relative to when a property had been introduced with a nongeneric noun phrase or an attentional phrase. In Experiment 2, properties were introduced with a generic noun phrase, and toddlers extended novel properties to members of the same-category, but not to an out-of-category object. Taken together, these findings demonstrate that generics highlight the stability of a feature and foster generalization of the property to novel within-category exemplars. (PsycINFO Database Record
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Children understand and produce generics by about 2.5 years, before they acquire quantifiers.
“they are understood and produced early in childhood-by about 2.5 y of age (27,28)-earlier than the acquisition of quantifiers, such as”
From Generic language in scientific communication (2019) · cites this paper as [28]
Most prior research provided a starker contrast between generic and nongeneric than study 2 did.
“Language can signal nongenericity in a rich variety of ways, and most prior research has provided a starker contrast between generic and nongeneric than was provided in study 2 (28)(29)(30)(31)(32)(33)(34)(35).”
From Generic language in scientific communication (2019) · cites this paper as [28]
Past research found that generic sentences implied that a property was broadly true and conceptually central, and that the category expressed was stable with inherent properties.
“Past research found that generic sentences implied that a property was broadly true (28,35,45,46) and conceptually central (37,38), and that the category expressed was stable with inherent properties (41,47).”
From Generic language in scientific communication (2019) · cites this paper as [28]
Language can signal nongenericity in many different ways.
“Language can signal nongenericity in a rich variety of ways, and most prior research has provided a starker contrast between generic and nongeneric than was provided in study 2 (28)(29)(30)(31)(32)(33)(34)(35).”
From Generic language in scientific communication (2019) · cites this paper as [28]
In the published literature, nongenerics typically manipulated the noun phrase itself, drawing attention more explicitly to the limited scope of the generalization.
“For example, whereas study 2 only manipulated tense, in the published literature, nongenerics typically manipulated the noun phrase itself (e.g.,”
From Generic language in scientific communication (2019) · cites this paper as [28]
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- Authors
- Graham, S. A., Gelman, S. A., & Clarke, J.
- Affiliations
- University of Alberta (CA)
- University of Michigan (US)
- Corresponding author
- Graham, Susan A.
- Venue
- Developmental Psychology
- Published
- 2016-09
- Volume
- 52
- Issue
- 9
- Pages
- 1353-1362
- ISSN
- 0012-1649 (ISSN-L)
- 1939-0599
- PMC
- PMC5003765
- OpenAlex
- W2477789471
- Cited by
- 26
- References
- 23
- Citations by year
- 2025: 2 · 2024: 5 · 2022: 2 · 2021: 3 · 2020: 3 · 2019: 5 · 2018: 3 · 2017: 3
- FWCI
- 5.20
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- hybrid
- doi.org
- Locations
- Developmental Psychology (publishedVersion, other-oa)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Libraries and Cultural Resources (University of Calgary) (publishedVersion, cc-by)
- Europe PMC (PubMed Central) (acceptedVersion)
- PubMed Central (acceptedVersion)
- Libraries and Cultural Resources (University of Calgary) (submittedVersion, cc-by)
- Funders
- Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council
- Canada Research Chairs Program
- Canada Foundation for Innovation
- Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (HD-36043)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Experimental and Cognitive Psychology › Categorization, perception, and language
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Developmental and Educational Psychology › Language Development and Disorders
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Developmental and Educational Psychology › Child and Animal Learning Development
- Keywords
- generic nouns, generic language, category learning, toddlers, generalization, language and cognition
- MeSH terms
- Child Language, Child, Preschool, Concept Formation, Female, Humans, Learning, Male, Psychological Tests
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