Abstract
Neonates prefer human speech to other non-linguistic auditory stimuli. However, it remains an open question whether there are any conceptual consequences of words on object categorization. Previous research shows that naming a distinct set of objects with a consistent label promotes categorization in 6-month-old infants. The current study examined the influence of words and tones on object categorization in 3- to 4-month-old infants. Infants were familiarized to different exemplars of a category accompanied by either a labeling phrase or a tone sequence. In test, infants viewed novel and new within-category exemplars. Infants who heard labeling phrases provided evidence of categorization at test. In contrast, infants who heard tone sequences did not, suggesting that infants as young as three months of age treat words and tones differently vis a vis object categorization.
Full ReferenceFerry, A., Hespos, S., & Waxman, S. (in press 2009). Categorization in 3- and 4-Month-Old Infants: An Advantage of Words Over Tones. Child Development.
