Publications [#374400] of Michael Tomasello

Journal Articles

1. Vasil, J; Price, D; Tomasello, M (2024). Thought and language: Effects of group-mindedness on young children's interpretation of exclusive we.. Child development, 95(3), e155-e163. [doi]
   (last updated on 2025/06/16)

   Abstract:
   The current study investigated whether age-related changes in the conceptualization of social groups influences interpretation of the pronoun we. Sixty-four 2- and 4-year-olds (N = 29 female, 50 White-identifying) viewed scenarios in which it was ambiguous how many puppets performed an activity together. When asked who performed the activity, a speaker puppet responded, "We did!" In one condition, the speaker was near one and distant from another puppet, implying a dyadic interpretation of we. In another condition, the speaker was distant from both, thus pulling for a group interpretation. In the former condition, 2- and 4-year-olds favored the dyadic interpretation. In the latter condition, only 4-year-olds favored the group interpretation. Age-related conceptual development "expands" the set of conceivable plural person referents.