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- Title
Object Categorisation Using Malay Shape-based Numeral Classifiers.
- Authors
Salehuddin, Khazriyati; Winskel, Heather
- Abstract
Categorisation is fundamental in human cognition and language development. Crosslinguistic studies on categorisation propose numeral classifiers as a linguistic manifestation of human categorisation and conceptualisation. Thus, studies on numeral classifier acquisition enable researchers to examine how children learn to categorise objects in their environment using a constrained framework, and how this ability becomes more refined as children grow older. This study investigated the strategies children utilise in categorising objects into eight Malay shape-based numeral classifier categories using a paired discrimination task. One-hundred-and-forty-eight children ranging in age from 6 to 9 years and a comparison group of adults participated in this study. Results revealed that children categorised objects more readily when there was a strong (two-perceptual feature distinction) than weak (one-perceptual feature distinction) contrast, and when exemplars were typical rather than atypical. There appears to be a gradual transition from a perceptually biased to a broader, more rule-based system.
- Subjects
CHILDREN'S language; MALAY language; COGNITION; SENSORY perception; LANGUAGE &; languages; COGNITIVE development; OBJECT permanence (Psychology); CHILD development
- Publication
GEMA Online Journal of Language Studies, 2011, Vol 11, Issue 3, p53
- ISSN
1675-8021
- Publication type
Article