COUN 5000 5 & 6

Term → Definition: Infant-directed speech

Style of speech that characterizes much of the verbal communication directed toward infants.

Fill in the blank: In Piaget’s Stage Approach to Development, knowledge is a product of ______

Direct motor behavior.

Concept → Example: Encoding, storage, and retrieval are similar to how ______ operates

A computer.

Theory → Critique: Critiques of Chomsky’s nativist approach

Primates can demonstrate some similar abilities, and effective language use also requires social interaction.

Term → Definition: Piaget’s Stage Approach to Development

A theory of cognitive development associated with Swiss psychologist Jean Piaget, who lived from 1896 to 1980.

Term → Definition: Jean Piaget

Swiss psychologist (1896–1980) known for his theory of cognitive development.

Fill in the blank: According to Piaget’s approach, action = ______

Knowledge.

Term → Definition: Piaget’s view of infant learning

Infants learn through direct motor behavior and action.

According to the notes, infants do NOT learn from what three things?

Communication from others, sensation, and perception.

Fill in the blank: In Piaget’s Stage Approach to Development, knowledge is a product of ______

Direct motor behavior.

Concept → Meaning: Why is action important in Piaget’s approach?

Infants gain knowledge through their own actions and motor behavior.

Term → Definition: Challenges to Piaget

Critiques or challenges to Piaget’s explanation of cognitive development. (Review slides 14–19 for the specific challenges.)

Term → Definition: Encoding

The process by which information is initially recorded in a form usable by memory.

Term → Definition: Selective encoding in infants

Infants pick and choose the information to which they pay attention.

Term → Definition: Storage

The placement of material into memory.

Term → Definition: Retrieval

The process by which material in memory storage is located, brought into awareness, and used.

Fill in the blank: The three basic memory processes are ______, ______, and ______

Encoding, storage, and retrieval.

Concept → Example: Encoding, storage, and retrieval are similar to how ______ operates

A computer.

Scenario: A baby pays attention to a particular toy and records information about it in memory. Which process is this?

Encoding.

Scenario: Information about an experience is retained in memory. Which process is this?

Storage.

Scenario: A child recalls information learned previously. Which process is this?

Retrieval.

Term → Definition: Language

A systematic, meaningful arrangement of symbols that provides the basis for communication.

Concept → Function: What does language allow humans to do?

Think about and understand the world, reflect on people and things, and convey thoughts to others.

Fill in the blank: The basic sounds of language are called ______

Phonemes.

Term → Definition: Phonology

The system of basic sounds in a language, called phonemes.

Fact card: How many phonemes does English have, according to the notes?

44.

Term → Definition: Morpheme

The smallest unit of language that has meaning.

Concept → Example: What is an example of a morpheme that can stand alone?

A complete word.

Concept → Example: What is an example of a morpheme that adds information to a word?

“-s” can indicate more than one, and “-ed” can indicate past tense.

Term → Definition: Semantics

The rules that govern the meaning of words and sentences.

Term → Definition: Linguistic comprehension

The understanding of speech.

Term → Definition: Linguistic production

The use of language to communicate.

Fill in the blank: Linguistic ______ generally precedes linguistic ______

Comprehension; production.

Scenario: A baby understands “Pick up your coat and put it on the chair” but can say only a few words. What does this demonstrate?

Linguistic comprehension precedes linguistic production.

Compare: Linguistic comprehension vs. linguistic production

Comprehension is understanding language; production is using language to communicate.

Concept → Definition: Early communication development

The development of infants’ sounds and communication abilities before and during the emergence of their first words.

Term → Definition: Noam Chomsky

Linguist associated with the nativist approach to language development.

Term → Definition: Nativist approach to language

The view that language development is guided by a genetically determined, innate mechanism.

Fill in the blank: According to the nativist approach, people are born with an ______ capacity to use language

Innate.

Concept → Explanation: According to the nativist approach, how does language emerge?

It emerges more or less automatically as a result of maturation.

Term → Definition: Universal grammar

The idea that all the world’s languages share a similar underlying structure.

Term → Definition: Language-acquisition device (LAD)

A proposed innate neural system that allows humans to understand language structure and provides strategies for learning the particular language to which they are exposed.

Fill in the blank: The proposed innate mechanism that helps humans learn language is called the ______

Language-acquisition device (LAD).

Concept → Explanation: What does the LAD supposedly enable the human brain to do?

Understand language structure and learn the characteristics of the language a child hears.

Fill in the blank: Humans have a predisposition to both ______ and ______ words and sentences

Comprehend; produce.

Theory → Critique: What is one critique of Chomsky’s nativist approach involving primates?

Primates can demonstrate some similar abilities, suggesting that humans may not be entirely unique in this respect.

Theory → Critique: Why might an innate capacity for language not be sufficient by itself?

Language still requires substantial social interaction and activity to be used effectively.

Compare: Nativist explanation vs. social-interaction critique

The nativist approach emphasizes innate biological mechanisms; the critique emphasizes the importance of social experiences for effective language use.

Term → Definition: Infant-directed speech

A style of speech that characterizes much of the verbal communication directed toward infants.

Alternative term: Infant-directed speech is also known as ______

Motherese.

Fact card: What happens to pitch during infant-directed speech?

Pitch becomes higher.

Fact card: What happens to the range of frequencies during infant-directed speech?

The range increases.

Fact card: How does intonation change during infant-directed speech?

It becomes more varied.

Fact card: What happens to sentence structure during infant-directed speech?

Sentences are short and simple.

Fact card: What happens to repetition during infant-directed speech?

Words are repeated.

Fact card: What kinds of topics are used during infant-directed speech?

Topics are restricted to items assumed to be understandable to infants.

Application: Is infant-directed speech used only with infants?

No. Similar speech adjustments may also occur when speaking to foreigners.

Fact card: Around what age does infant-directed speech begin taking on more adult qualities?

Around one year of age.

Fact card: How does infant-directed speech change around one year of age?

Sentences become longer and more complex, but words are still spoken slowly.

Concept → Function: How is pitch used when speaking to older infants?

Pitch helps focus attention on important words.

Concept → Explanation: How do parents adjust their speech to a child’s development?

They fine-tune their speech to match the child’s current vocabulary.

Person → Research topic: Jean Berko Gleason

Associated in the notes with research on gender-related differences in the language used with children.

Concept → Example: What are diminutives?

Informal, shortened, or affectionate forms of words, such as “kitty” or “blankie.”

Fact card: According to the notes, how might parents speak to girls differently from boys?

Girls may hear diminutives such as “doggy,” “blankie,” and “birdie,” while boys may hear “dog,” “blanket,” and “bird.”

Fill in the blank: At 32 months, females reportedly hear ______ as many diminutives as males

Twice.

Fact card: How might parents respond differently to boys’ and girls’ requests?

They may respond more directly with “No” to boys but offer girls alternatives such as “Why don’t you do this instead?”

Concept → Comparison: What type of language do boys reportedly hear more often?

Firmer, clearer language.

Concept → Comparison: What type of language do girls reportedly hear more often?

Warmer phrases referring to inner emotional states.

Application: How might gender-related communication styles appear in adult speech?

Women may use tentative suggestions, such as “Maybe we should try to go to a movie,” while men may use more direct suggestions, such as “I know, let’s go to a movie!”

Big-picture card: What is the general point of the notes on gender differences in speech?

Adults may communicate differently with children depending on gender, and these patterns may continue into adulthood.

Fact card: At what age do babies begin smiling reliably at pleasing stimuli?

Around 6–9 weeks.

Fact card: What are examples of stimuli that may elicit early smiles?

Toys, mobiles, and people.

Concept → Development: How does smiling change over infancy?

Babies initially smile at many things and gradually become more selective.

Term → Definition: Social smile

A baby’s smile in response to another person.

Fact card: By around 18 months, toward whom is social smiling directed, according to the notes?

Caregivers.

Scenario: An adult does not respond to a baby, and the baby smiles less. What does this demonstrate?

An infant’s social smiling is influenced by the responsiveness of other people.

Term → Definition: Stranger anxiety

The caution and wariness displayed by infants when encountering an unfamiliar person.

Fact card: When does stranger anxiety typically begin?

Between 6 and 12 months.

Concept → Explanation: Why does stranger anxiety emerge as memory develops?

Infants become better able to distinguish familiar people from unfamiliar people.

Fact card: What cognitive development occurs around 6–9 months that may contribute to fear?

Infants begin anticipating and predicting events.

Concept → Explanation: Why might an unexpected event frighten an infant?

The event differs from what the infant anticipated.

Concept → Individual differences: Do all infants show the same amount of stranger anxiety?

No. Significant differences exist between children.

Fill in the blank: Greater experience with strangers is generally associated with ______ stranger anxiety

Less.

Compare: Do all strangers evoke the same reaction from infants?

No. Infants may show less anxiety toward female strangers than male strangers and toward children than adults.

Term → Definition: Separation anxiety

Distress displayed by infants when a regular caregiver departs.

Fact card: Is separation anxiety found across cultures?

Yes, it is described in the notes as universal across cultures.

Fact card: When does separation anxiety typically begin and peak?

It begins around 7–8 months, peaks around 14 months, and then decreases.

Concept → Example: What questions might an infant's separation anxiety reflect?

“Why is my mother leaving? Where is she going? Will she come back?”

Concept → Significance: Why can stranger anxiety be a sign of social progress?

It reflects cognitive advances and growing emotional and social bonds between infants and their caregivers.

Compare: Stranger anxiety vs. separation anxiety

Stranger anxiety involves unfamiliar people; separation anxiety involves distress when a regular caregiver leaves.

Fact card: At what age do babies begin recognizing facial expressions?

Around 6–8 weeks.

Concept → Development: How does infants’ understanding of facial expressions develop?

They begin recognizing expressions and subsequently learn about emotional intensity.

Fact card: How may babies react to unusual facial expressions?

They may respond to them because the expressions differ from what they expect.

Scenario: A parent maintains a bland, unresponsive facial expression, and the baby becomes distressed. What does this illustrate?

Infants are sensitive to caregivers’ facial responsiveness.

Compare: Which type of emotional expression can babies discriminate earlier: vocal or facial?

Vocal expressions of emotion.

Fact card: By around five months, which vocal emotional expressions can babies distinguish, according to the notes?

Happy and sad vocal expressions.

Concept → Definition: Early self-awareness

Young babies initially lack a clear sense of themselves as separate individuals.

Fact card: Do very young babies typically recognize themselves in photographs or mirrors?

No, not initially.

Term → Definition: Self-awareness

Knowledge of oneself as an individual.

Fact card: Around what age does self-awareness begin to emerge?

Around 12 months, although mirror self-recognition develops at different ages.