EXPLANATION, ASSOCIATION, AND THE ACQUISITION OF WORD MEANING

A newly emerging view of concept structure, the concepts-in-theories v iew, suggests that adult concepts are intrinsic mixes of two different sorts of relations: (a) those involving domain-general tabulations of frequencies and correlations and (b) those involving domain-specific patterns of explanation. Empirical results from early cognitive develo pment suggest that, by the time first words are acquired, most concept s have this intrinsic mix even though changes in the nature of the mix can produce marked developmental changes in apparent concepts, word m eanings, and their use. The concepts-in-theories view suggests that th e sorts of constraints needed to model the representation and acquisit ion of concepts cannot be based solely on either perceptual or grammat ical bases; they must also arise from biases given by specific pattern s of explanation, patterns that may depart from standard notions of in tuitive theories. These in turn suggest different views of possible co nstraints on the acquisition of word meaning.