Invited Talk

Categories, Induction, and Word Learning as Windows into the Architecture of the Mind

Chair: Ellen M. Markman Stanford University

Central to our understanding of the origins of knowledge are questions about the nature of early categories, how they are acquired, and the role they play in organizing and extending children’s knowledge. I will present findings from research on early categorization and word learning and show how they shed light on fundamental issues in cognitive development such as the relationship between language and thought, the role of innate abilities versus cultural acquisitions, and whether abilities are domain specific or domain general.