On the emergence of semantic and conceptual distinctions.

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Abstract
Three studies investigated the development of children's knowledge of conceptual distinctions (a) between the ontological categories of events and all physical objects (E-PO) and (b) between animals, plants, and other physical objects (A-P-PO). Ss in Exp I were 8 children each from kindergarten, Grade 1, and Grade 4 and 16 undergraduates; Ss in Exp II were 24 other children, in groups like those in Exp I, and the same 16 adults; in Exp III, another 16 1st graders participated. Two patterns of development were seen. In the E-PO case, a totally new distinction was discovered, which seemed to occur in an all-or-none fashion. In the A-P-PO case, no new distinction was learned and the pattern of development was the opposite of that in the E-PO case. It is argued that the 2 patterns reflect basic types of developmental change that are linked to the organization of knowledge at the ontological level. (22 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved)

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