Whole Object Constraint in mapping new words to objects asserts:

Whole Object Constraint in mapping new words to objects asserts:

• A. Map a novel label to a property of an object
• B. Map a novel label to the entire object rather than a part or property
• C. Map a novel label to color
• D. Map a novel label to the object's function

Answer: (B)

The key idea here is that learners tend to map a new word to the entire object rather than to a specific part or a property. This bias helps children quickly attach a label to the thing they see, without getting stuck choosing among many possible features like color, shape, or function. When a novel word is heard alongside a new object, the natural assumption is that the word names the object as a whole, not one of its attributes. That’s why mapping a novel label to the entire object aligns with how early word learning typically works. Mapping the label to a color, a function, or a specific property would be a more restricted interpretation, and the whole-object approach is the default strategy that guides how new nouns are learned.

The key idea here is that learners tend to map a new word to the entire object rather than to a specific part or a property. This bias helps children quickly attach a label to the thing they see, without getting stuck choosing among many possible features like color, shape, or function. When a novel word is heard alongside a new object, the natural assumption is that the word names the object as a whole, not one of its attributes. That’s why mapping a novel label to the entire object aligns with how early word learning typically works. Mapping the label to a color, a function, or a specific property would be a more restricted interpretation, and the whole-object approach is the default strategy that guides how new nouns are learned.