Lydia is told to look at two objects, one is her pet dog and the other is an object unknown to her. When her father says, "Look at the turtle!" Lydia, according to the contrast assumption, would assume that
A) her pet dog is also called a turtle.
B) her pet dog now goes by the name "Turtle."
C) the turtle is the unfamiliar object.
D) that the word turtle refers to part of her dog, such as his tail or color.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The contrast assumption in language acquisition suggests that children assume words refer to distinct objects. Therefore, if Lydia knows the word for her dog, she would assume "turtle" refers to the unfamiliar object, not her dog or a part of it.

Lydia Is Told to Look at Two Objects, One Is