The Development of Simile Comprehension: From Similarity to Scalar Implicature. Issue 4 (25th January 2021)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Long, Madeleine; Shukla, Vishakha; Rubio‐Fernandez, Paula
• Is Part Of: Child development. Volume 92:Issue 4(2021)
• Page Start: 1439
• Page End: 1457
• Publication Date: 2021-01-25
• Subjects: Child development -- Periodicals; Child psychology -- Periodicals; Child Development -- Periodicals; Child Development; Pediatrics -- Periodicals; Pedicatrics; 305.231
• DOI: 10.1111/cdev.13507
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0009-3920

Abstract

Abstract : Similes require two different pragmatic skills: appreciating the intended similarity and deriving a scalar implicature (e.g., "Lucy is like a parrot" normally implies that Lucy is not a parrot), but previous studies overlooked this second skill. In Experiment 1, preschoolers ( N = 48; ages 3–5) understood "X is like a Y" as an expression of similarity. In Experiment 2 ( N = 99; ages 3–6, 13) and Experiment 3 ( N = 201; ages 3–5 and adults), participants received metaphors ("Lucy is a parrot") or similes ("Lucy is like a parrot") as clues to select one of three images (a parrot, a girl or a parrot‐looking girl). An early developmental trend revealed that 3‐year‐olds started deriving the implicature "X is not a Y, " whereas 5‐year‐olds performed like adults.