A CROSSDISCIPLINARY PERSPECTIVE ON STUDIES OF RAPID WORD MAPPING IN PSYCHOLINGUISTICS AND BEHAVIOR ANALYSIS

Parallel but independent lines of research in two disciplines, psychol inguistics and behavior analysis, have examined rapid mapping of symbo ls onto corresponding environmental events. Psycholinguists have studi ed ''fast mapping,'' a phenomenon considered critical for the rapid vo cabulary expansion observed in preschool years. Behavior analysts have studied the phenomenon of ''learning by exclusion.'' This paper revie ws the research protocols, questions, and outcomes, in order to: (a) m ake evident their clear similarities; (b) support the argument that bo th disciplines are studying a single phenomenon, and (c) illustrate ho w crossdisciplinary discourse might benefit both disciplines. (C) 1996 Academic Press, Inc.