Author:

Keywords:

Developmental, Typicality, Concept, Categorization

Abstract:

The development of concepts throughout childhood was examined. For eight semantic categories, four at a subordinate level and four at a basic level, typicality ratings were collected for ten members and five non-members. In total, four age groups performed the typicality judgement task: nine-year-olds (n=21), eleven-year-olds (n=29), thirteen-year-olds (n=12) and adults (n=22). In a separate study, we elicited features from different age groups for each of the categories. On the basis of these features, and applicability scores (indicating the applicability of features to the 15 exemplars of each category), different methodologies were applied to predict the typicality ratings in the different age groups to chart developmental changes. In particular, we calculated family resemblance measures, and used a geometric prototype model of typicality to account for the typicality ratings in each age groups. In this way, we were able to chart the evolution of the typicality gradient, and for each of the concepts as a function of age. As features were generated by children of various ages, we were also able to explore the relationship between the perception of similarity at different ages and the typicality gradient. We observed that while younger children’s typicality ratings are more erratic and less consistent, they become more consistent and closer to adult’s ratings as children get older. Results of the modeling and the specific tendencies across age groups are described in more detail.