The whole-object constraint would lead a child to map a new label to the object's entire entity rather than a part or property. Which choice best illustrates this constraint?

The whole-object constraint would lead a child to map a new label to the object's entire entity rather than a part or property. Which choice best illustrates this constraint?

• A. A novel label is applied to the arm of a toy.
• B. A novel label is applied to the whole toy rather than its part.
• C. A novel label is applied to a color patch on the toy.
• D. A novel label is applied to a sound the toy makes.

Answer: (B)

The whole-object constraint is the tendency for children to map a newly heard word to the entire object rather than to its parts or properties. The best illustration is when a novel label is applied to the whole toy instead of any part, because it shows the word being linked to the object as a single unit. The other scenarios focus on a part (the arm), a property (a color patch), or a sound produced by the toy, which are not aligned with attaching the word to the object as a whole.

The whole-object constraint is the tendency for children to map a newly heard word to the entire object rather than to its parts or properties. The best illustration is when a novel label is applied to the whole toy instead of any part, because it shows the word being linked to the object as a single unit. The other scenarios focus on a part (the arm), a property (a color patch), or a sound produced by the toy, which are not aligned with attaching the word to the object as a whole.