Dogs
can learn the names of objects, but they likely focus on different features
when learning words than humans do, new research finds.
When
toddlers learn
words for objects, they focus on shape. This means that once your kid
gets that a tennis ball is called a "ball," they're quick to realize
the same word applies to beach balls, basketballs and golf balls.
Kids
wouldn't, however, assume that a stuffed teddy bear is a ball just because it
has the same fuzzy texture as a tennis ball. Nor would they call something a
ball just because it is the same size as the balls they are familiar with. This
tendency to categorize objects based on shape above other features is called
"shape bias."
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