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Up front: the acquisition of a concept and a word

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  26 September 2008

Susan Cohen Levine  and
Susan Carey
Susan Cohen Levine
Affiliation:
University of Chicago – Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Susan Carey
Affiliation:
University of Chicago – Massachusetts Institute of Technology
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Abstract

Thirty-six 2- to 3-year-old children were given linguistic and non-linguistic tasks in order to determine whether the words front and back introduce the concept of ‘front–back’ orientation or whether the concept precedes the words. Contrary to prediction, a complex disjunctive concept of ‘front–back’ orientation was found to precede any knowledge of the words front and back. Results of the linguistic task show that the word back is comprehended before front, and further that children at an intermediate state of lexical knowledge interpret front as if it means back.

Type
Articles
Information
Journal of Child Language , Volume 9 , Issue 3 , October 1982 , pp. 645 - 657
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1982

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