The Baker-baker paradox

An investigation into the retrieval of proper names among Hungarian-speaking children in a learning task context

Abstract

The paper examines the phenomenon known as the Baker-baker paradox, i.e., it is easier to associate and recall occupations or other types of information with new faces than it is to recall personal names, even when those names have an occupational origin. Previous studies have pointed out that aging has a negative effect on proper name retrieval: after young adulthood, the ability to incorporate and activate personal names in the mental lexicon gradually declines. However, to gain a comprehensive understanding of the effects of ageing, it is also necessary to consider the developmental aspect, that is, to extend research to younger age groups and explore how the processing of proper names develops during childhood. To investigate this aspect, two learning experiments were carried out with Hungarian-speaking children (aged 9–10) using ambiguous words. The first experiment used words that can function as both surnames and occupational titles. The second experiment focused on ambiguous words describing physical features that are also used as family names in Hungarian. The results suggest that surnames with a common noun origin are acquired, stored, and retrieved differently from their original meanings. In other words, the Baker-baker paradox can also be observed among Hungarian children. These findings confirm that proper names constitute a special word class within the mental lexicon.