Year: 2024
Type: article
Abstract: One of the core properties of human language is compositionality: the meaning of a sentence can be understood by the meaning of individual words and the rules for combining them (Szabó, 2020). We investigate the development of conceptual compositionality (the combination of concepts). In our study, 6- to 9-year-old children (N = 40) were shown a card with two objects (e.g., a car and a star). Participants were introduced to two characters (a robot and a wizard) that used their powers to change the objects in different ways (e.g., turning one object pink). In the test trials, participants were asked to predict what a card would look like after both characters used their powers on the same card. All participants successfully learned the characters' powers, but only participants 7.5 years and older succeeded in the compositionality test trials. Our findings suggest that by age 7.5 children can successfully compose functions.
Institution: University of California, Berkeley
Language: English
Subfield: Developmental and Educational Psychology
Field: Psychology
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W7037152690