Can I read Correlation versus prediction in children's word learning: Cross-linguistic evidence and simulations on EtoBox?

Correlation versus prediction in children's word learning: Cross-linguistic evidence and simulations by Eliana Colunga; Linda B. Smith; Michael Gasser is a Psychology article available to read on EtoBox.

What is Correlation versus prediction in children's word learning: Cross-linguistic evidence and simulations about?

The ontological distinction between discrete individuated objects and continuous substances, and the way this distinction is expressed in di¤erent languages has been a fertile area for examining the relation between language and thought. In this paper we combine simulations and a cross-linguistic word learning task as a way to gain insight into the nature of the learning mechanisms involved in word learning. First, we look at the e¤ect of the different correlational structures on novel generalizations with two kinds of learning tasks implemented in neural networks-prediction and correlation. Second, we look at English-and Spanish-speaking 2-3-year-olds' novel noun generalizations, and find that count/mass syntax has a stronger e¤ect on Spanish-than on English-speaking children's novel noun generalizations, consistent with the predicting networks. The results suggest that it is not just the correlational structure of di¤erent linguistic cues that will determine how they are learned, but the specific learning mechanism and task in which they are involved.

Who reads Correlation versus prediction in children's word learning: Cross-linguistic evidence and simulations?

Author

Eliana Colunga; Linda B. Smith; Michael Gasser

Publisher

Cambridge University Press (CUP)

Published

2009

Language

EN

Field

Psychology (Social Sciences)