PrepTest 62, Section 3, Question 1
In a recent study, a group of young children were taught the word "stairs" while walking up and down a flight of stairs. Later that day, when the children were shown a video of a person climbing a ladder, they all called the ladder stairs.
In a recent study, a group of young children were taught the word "stairs" while walking up and down a flight of stairs. Later that day, when the children were shown a video of a person climbing a ladder, they all called the ladder stairs.
In a recent study, a group of young children were taught the word "stairs" while walking up and down a flight of stairs. Later that day, when the children were shown a video of a person climbing a ladder, they all called the ladder stairs.
In a recent study, a group of young children were taught the word "stairs" while walking up and down a flight of stairs. Later that day, when the children were shown a video of a person climbing a ladder, they all called the ladder stairs.
Which one of the following principles is best illustrated by the study described above?
When young children repeatedly hear a word without seeing the object denoted by the word, they sometimes apply the word to objects not denoted by the word.
Young children best learn words when they are shown how the object denoted by the word is used.
The earlier in life a child encounters and uses an object, the easier it is for that child to learn how not to misuse the word denoting that object.
Young children who learn a word by observing how the object denoted by that word is used sometimes apply that word to a different object that is similarly used.
Young children best learn the names of objects when the objects are present at the time the children learn the words and when no other objects are simultaneously present.
Explanations
First thing's first: this isn't an argument, just some interesting facts about kids and their experiences with stairs and ladders.
At first, they interact with stairs and hear the word "stairs" repeatedly. Later, they see a video of someone climbing a ladder, which they mistakenly refer to as stairs.
It turns out to be a principle question, so I want something like, "Kids sometimes mistakenly associate one object for another when the uses of those objects are very similar."
Let's see.
Nah, this lost me at "without seeing the object." These kids climbed the stairs they used, so they could presumably see them, and the watched the video of the ladder-climber. So this makes no sense.
Nope. This is plausible, but it's not proven out by the information. Moreover, this doesn't really help us understand why they'd mistake a ladder for stairs because they're watching how the ladder is used.
No way. Sort of like A, I have absolutely no proof for this. We didn't talk about early age versus late age in the passage, so I can't pick this.
Perfect. A little wordier than my prediction, but right nonetheless. Rephrased, this suggests that kids who learn a word by using the associated thing occasionally mistake it for another thing with a similar use.
No. Similar to B, I don't know how children learn words best (or worst for that matter). Moreover, we don't know if any other objects were present during the kids' use of the stairs.
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