Two-year-old Sarai uses the word "doll" to refer to her own Cabbage Patch doll but does not use the word to refer to her sister's Barbie doll. Sarai's error is known as
A) underextension.
B) telegraphic speech.
C) private speech.
D) overextension.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Underextension refers to when a child uses a word in a very restricted way, such as only using "doll" to refer to their own Cabbage Patch doll and not generalizing it to other dolls like their sister's Barbie doll. This is a common language development error in young children.

Two-Year-Old Sarai Uses the Word "Doll" to Refer to Her