Abstract

The semantic competition model is a connectionist model ofword meaning. Following traditional semantic theories, word meaning is considered as the usage of the word consisting of weighted mappings between its syntactic forms and prototypical aspects of its usage. The weights between form und usage are determined by two variables: cue availability and cue reliability. While cue availability indicates the frequency of applying one mapping, cue reliability indicates its contribution to maximal discrimination. To prove the relevance of both variables, three-to six-year-old children were presented with cues for an unknown object that differed in their availability and reliability. In referring to the relatum, the majority of the children oriented themselves significantly towards both, the most available as weil as the most reliable cue. These results confirm the semantic competition model.