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A probabilistic approach to language learning
Author(s) -
Lenneberg Eric H.
Publication year - 2007
Publication title -
behavioral science
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.371
H-Index - 45
eISSN - 1099-1743
pISSN - 0005-7940
DOI - 10.1002/bs.3830020102
Subject(s) - referent , contrast (vision) , language acquisition , computer science , probabilistic logic , artificial intelligence , concept learning , linguistics , natural language processing , psychology , cognitive psychology , cognitive science , mathematics education , philosophy
Abstract Experiments designed to study “concept formation,” especially “language learning” do not usually resemble the actual situations in which concepts are formed and languages learned. For example, subjects in such experiments are usually required to learn the “names” of objects divided into “mutually exclusive” categories. In contrast, the child learning names of objects in his environment has no such ready‐made, clear‐cut divisions to guide him. Also the child is confronted with objects between which he can clearly discriminate but which nevertheless happen to be called by the same name. In this paper experiments are described in which the dis‐criminability between objects is controlled by using as referents equally discriminable colors. The frequency with which members of referent categories are called by particular names is varied by the experiment, and the resulting effects of these variations as language learning are studied.