A child's ability to make connections between new words and referents so rapidly that he or she cannot be considering all possible meanings for the new word is referred to as
A) overregularization.
B) underextension.
C) overextension.
D) fast mapping.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The ability for a child to quickly connect a new word with its referent is called fast mapping. This process happens so quickly that the child cannot consider all the meanings for the new word. A, B, and C are incorrect options as they refer to other language development phenomena. Overregularization is when a child applies a grammatical rule too broadly, such as using "goed" instead of "went." Underextension is when a child applies a word to only a narrow range of referents, such as calling only their own pet cat "cat" but not recognizing other cats as the same. Overextension is when a child applies a word too broadly, such as calling all animals "dog."

A Child's Ability to Make Connections Between New Words and Referents