Two studies focus on whether 2-year-olds (and adults) have consistent preferences for one type of label for objects, using a simple verbal judgement task. Participants compared basic level labels to superordinates in Study 1, and to subordinates in Study 2. Though all labels were familiar, children and adults chose the basic level label as 'best' in comparison to superordinates. For children, subordinates competed with basic labels only when referents were not highly typical of basic categories. For adults, subordinates were preferred as often as basic labels with typical items, and were more preferred with less typical items. These studies demonstrate that toddlers can be effectively tested for label preferences. They also suggest a simple explanation for what we call the refusal effect, when toddlers refuse a perfectly acceptable and familiar label for an object in favour of another label for that object. Toddlers may understand that two familiar labels are applicable, but they prefer one over the other. Future work must address the extent to which 2-year-olds' refusals are consistent with their independently assessed label preferences.
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