Language Development and Innateness: Early Evidence and Theories in Psychology

What did Mehler et al. (1998) study about neonates?

They studied whether 4-day-old infants could differentiate between French and Russian speech.

What method did Mehler et al. use in their study?

They connected a dummy to a tape recorder that played recordings based on the infants' sucking behavior.

What was the result of Mehler et al.'s study regarding infants' language preference?

Infants showed more interest when the language switched from Russian to French, indicating familiarity with their native language.

What criticism was raised about the results of Mehler et al.'s study?

Critics suggested that the infants' reaction might be due to acoustic changes rather than language preference.

What did Vannasing et al. (2016) investigate?

They investigated brain activity in 1-day-old infants exposed to native French and non-native Arabic stories.

What technology did Vannasing et al. use to measure brain activity?

Functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS).

What was observed in the brain activity of infants exposed to their native language?

Activity was most prominent in the left medio-temporal lobe.

At what age does babbling typically occur in infants?

Between 6 to 12 months.

When do children typically say their first words?

Around 12 months.

What is the 'vocabulary explosion'?

A rapid increase in vocabulary that occurs after children learn around 50 words.

What did Goldfield and Reznick (1990) find regarding vocabulary development?

They found a vocabulary spurt in the 18-22 month stage for some children.

What did Ganger and Brent (2004) conclude about vocabulary spurts?

They argued that spurts are the exception rather than the rule, with most children showing gradual vocabulary growth.

What is the 'Poverty of the Stimulus' argument in language acquisition?

It suggests that children are not exposed to enough linguistic input to learn complex syntax without innate knowledge.

Who proposed that language is a distinct biological makeup of our brains?

Steven Pinker (1994).

What is syntax in the context of language?

Syntax refers to the rules that govern the structure of sentences, including the relationships between words.

What role do adults play in correcting children's syntax?

Adults may not directly correct children's syntax but often repeat back the correct phrasing.

What did Saxton et al. (2005) suggest about children's language learning?

They suggested that children learn from subtle feedback and adult modeling rather than direct correction.

What is the significance of intonation in early language learning?

Intonation may be learned in the womb and helps infants recognize their native language.

What is the primary finding of the Mehler et al. (1998) study regarding language recognition?

Infants can recognize and prefer their native language shortly after birth.

What is the implication of infants' preference for their native language?

It suggests that language learning begins in the womb, influenced by maternal speech.

What does the term 'inflection point' refer to in language development studies?

An inflection point refers to a significant change in the rate of vocabulary growth, often associated with a vocabulary spurt.

How did the findings of Goldfield & Reznick differ from those of Ganger & Brent?

Goldfield & Reznick found evidence of vocabulary spurts, while Ganger & Brent found that gradual growth was more common.

What is the relationship between language lateralization and age in infants?

Language is typically lateralized in the left hemisphere, with differences observed based on exposure to native vs. non-native languages.

What does the BabyLM challenge test for?

It tests if models show 'syntactic awareness' across 10 million words that an infant is likely to know.

What is the difference between child-directed speech and overheard speech?

Child-directed speech is tailored for children, while overheard speech is not specifically directed at them.

How many epochs were used for training the winning AI model in the BabyLM challenge?

500 epochs.

What evidence suggests that artificial neural networks (ANNs) lack human-like linguistic biases?

There is strong evidence indicating that ANNs miss human-like linguistic biases.

What percentage of children's utterances are typically grammatical?

>90% of utterances are grammatical.

What kind of errors do children commonly make in language acquisition?

Errors such as 'Look at all those sheeps' and 'My teacher holded the rabbits'.

What does the longitudinal study by Maslen et al. (2004) suggest about children's use of irregular verbs?

Children initially make more mistakes with irregular verbs but start improving after age three.

What is the language acquisition device according to Pinker (1999)?

It allows us to use rules to generate an infinite number of grammatical utterances.

What is an example of over-generalization in language learning?

Using 'Mouses' instead of 'Mice' for the plural of 'mouse'.

What happens to irregular forms of words over time?

If they drop out of common usage, their exception forms become less regularized.

What is phonology in the context of language?

Phonology refers to the speech sounds and their biological predispositions.

What did Werker and Lalonde (1988) study regarding phoneme distinctions?

They studied how different language speakers can discriminate between phonemes present in their own and other languages.

What did the results of Werker and Lalonde's study indicate about infants?

Infants can differentiate between phonemes in all languages, but this ability diminishes as they grow older.

What is the role of the phonological loop according to Baddeley et al. (1998)?

It is a language learning device that helps hold phonology in mind while pairing it with meaning.

What are the three constraints children apply when learning new words?

Whole object assumption, basic level assumption, and mutual exclusivity.

What is pragmatics in language communication?

Pragmatics involves understanding communication in context, including literal and underlying meanings.

What does the phrase 'Can you pass the salt?' actually mean in context?

It means 'Would you pass it?' rather than 'Are you able to?'.

What is the conclusion regarding innate systems in language development?

There are arguments for innate systems in most areas of language, strongest for syntax, but input is also important.

What is the distinction between a narrow and broad language faculty?

It refers to the debate on whether language capabilities are limited to specific rules or encompass broader cognitive abilities.