Categorical structure among shared features in networksof early-learned nouns

摘要

The shared features that characterize the noun categories that young children learn firstare a formative basis of the human category system. To investigate the potential categoricalinformation contained in the features of early-learned nouns, we examine the graph-the-oretic properties of noun-feature networks. The networks are built from the overlap ofwords normatively acquired by children prior to 21/2 years of age and perceptual and con-ceptual (functional) features acquired from adult feature generation norms. The resultingnetworks have small-world structure, indicative of a high degree of feature overlap in localclusters. However, perceptual features - due to their abundance and redundancy - gener-ate networks more robust to feature omissions, while conceptual features are more dis-criminating and, per feature, offer more categorical information than perceptual features.Using a network specific cluster identification algorithm (the clique percolation method)we also show that shared features among these early-learned nouns create higher-ordergroupings common to adult taxonomic designations. Again, perceptual and conceptual fea-tures play distinct roles among different categories, typically with perceptual featuresbeing more inclusive and conceptual features being more exclusive of category member-ships. The results offer new and testable hypotheses about the role of shared features inhuman category knowledge.