Question

when children use the word \doggie\ to refer to every four-legged animal they see, ________ occurs.
a. underextension
b. overextension
c. telegraphic speech
d. overregularization

please select the best answer from the choices provided

Explanation:

Analyze the language development phenomenon

The scenario describes a child using a specific word ("doggie") to refer to a much broader category of objects (all four-legged animals) than is appropriate in adult language.

Evaluate the options

• Underextension occurs when a child uses a word too narrowly (e.g., using "doggie" only for the family pet).
• Overextension occurs when a child uses a word too broadly to refer to referents that are outside the word's actual meaning (e.g., calling a cow, horse, or cat "doggie").
• Telegraphic speech refers to two-word sentences containing only essential content words (e.g., "more milk").
• Overregularization refers to applying grammatical rules too broadly (e.g., saying "foots" instead of "feet").

Determine the correct choice

The behavior of calling every four-legged animal "doggie" is a classic example of overextension.

Answer:

• A. underextension
• B. overextension (Correct answer)
• C. telegraphic speech
• D. overregularization