Your nephew loves cats.You have a large black cat that you named "Midnight." Your nephew readily learned your cat's name,but now calls all cats "Midnight." Surely your nephew does not think that every cat's name is "Midnight." Why is this happening? Your nephew's behavior is an example of ____.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

This is an example of overextension, which occurs when a child applies a word too broadly to objects that do not fit the word's meaning. In this case, the nephew is applying Midnight to all cats, not understanding that Midnight is a specific name for a specific cat.

Your Nephew Loves Cats