PRINCIPLE-BASED INFERENCES IN YOUNG CHILDRENS CATEGORIZATION - REVISITING THE IMPACT OF FUNCTION ON THE NAMING OF ARTIFACTS

Three parallel studies investigated the influence of principle-based i nferences and unprincipled similarity relations on new category learni ng by 3- to 6-year-old children. One of two possible functions of a si ngle novel artifact (which differed between studies) was modeled for a nd practiced by children, who then judged which test objects got the s ame name as the original. Test objects, either globally similar or dis similar in appearance from the original, were designed such that each could be inferred to afford only one of the two possible functions. (A ctual functions of the test objects were not directly observed.) Patte rns of categorization depended systematically on which original functi on had been experienced, indicating that the children used a common-fu nction principle to guide their extension of the name. Therefore, cate gorization into newly learned categories may activate self-initiated, principle-based reasoning in young children. The conditions that promp t such categorization processes in young children are discussed, altho ugh a role for unprincipled similarity relations is not denied.