Abstract
The current studies (N = 255, children ages 4–5 and adults) explore patterns of age-related continuity and change in conceptual representations of social role categories (e.g., “scientist”). In Study 1, young children's judgments of category membership were shaped by both category labels and category-normative traits, and the two were dissociable, indicating that even young children's conceptual representations for some social categories have a “dual character.” In Study 2, when labels and traits were contrasted, adults and children based their category-based induction decisions on category-normative traits rather than labels. Study 3 confirmed that children reason based on category-normative traits because they view them as an obligatory part of category membership. In contrast, adults in this study viewed the category-normative traits as informative on their own (not only as a cue to obligations). Implications for continuity and change in representations of social role categories will be discussed.
Original language | English (US) |
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Article number | e12782 |
Journal | Cognitive Science |
Volume | 43 |
Issue number | 8 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - 2019 |
Keywords
- Concepts and categories
- Conceptual development
- Deontic
- Dual character
- Normativity
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Experimental and Cognitive Psychology
- Cognitive Neuroscience
- Artificial Intelligence