Explanation, association, and the acquisition of word meaning

Abstract

A newly emerging view of concept structure, the concepts-in-theories view, 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 development suggest that, by the time first words are acquired, most concepts have this intrinsic mix even though changes in the nature of the mix can produce marked developmental changes in apparent concepts, word meanings, and their use. The concepts-in-theories view suggests that the sorts of constraints needed to model the representation and acquisition of concepts cannot be based solely on either perceptual or grammatical bases; they must also arise from biases given by specific patterns of explanation, patterns that may depart from standard notions of intuitive theories. These in turn suggest different views of possible constraints on the acquisition of word meaning.