Do Backward Associations Have Anything to Say About Language?

• Published in: Cognitive science Vol. 47; no. 4; pp. e13282 - n/a
• Main Authors: Chartier, Thomas F., Dautriche, Isabelle
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Wiley Subscription Services, Inc 01.04.2023; Wiley
• Subjects: Backward associations; Chimpanzees; Cognitive ability; Cognitive science; Humans; Infants; Language; Language Acquisition; Language Development; Nonhuman animals; Verbal Learning; Word learning; Backward associations; Infants; Chimpanzees; Language; Word learning; Nonhuman animals

In this letter, we argue against a recurring idea that early word learning in infants is related to the low‐level capacity for backward associations—a notion that suggests a cognitive gap with other animal species. Because backward associations entail the formation of bidirectional associations betw...