Study: Names make it easier to ID things

PITTSBURGH, Dec. 6 (UPI) -- U.S. psychological research suggests using specific names for unfamiliar things and people makes it easier to later identify them.

Carnegie Mellon University researchers Gary Lupyan and David Rakison, in collaboration with James McClelland of Stanford University, conducted an experiment in which college students were asked to imagine they were explorers on a planet. Subtly distinct "aliens" would appear individually on a computer screen in front of them.

The goal was to categorize the aliens into two types: those to be avoided and those to be approached.

One group of participants was told the two types of aliens were called "grecious" and "leebish." After each response, participants in that group saw or heard the label that corresponded with the friendly aliens and those to be avoided. The other group completed the categorization task without the labels.

The researchers found the group that learned names for the two kinds of aliens were able to categorize them much more quickly than did the other group.

The scientists said their findings suggest regardless of familiarity, having different names for things makes it easier to place them into the correct categories.

The study appears in the journal Psychological Science.