Do Children Commit Categorizing Errors While Using Proper Names?
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Keywords

social communication
learning singular names
learning general names
learning proper nouns
categorization

Abstract

The author of the article regards the source of the distinction for singular names/general names not to have a cultural character, but a cognitive one, and on these grounds tries to solve one important modern problem: how is it that when a child learns words, the child commonly applies an aggressive strategy and does not make category mistakes connected with the (apparent) use of some singular names – individual names (when it is required to refrain from applying this strategy). Next, the author argues that although a child at the age of two can properly use a singular name, it does not constitute any evidence that it can properly use a proper name, as psychologists assume. For that to happen the child would have to understand the nature of a proper noun.

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