Case Studies

Question 1

What is a study challenging nativism ?

Answer 1

study of Genie

Question 2

What happened to Genie ?

Answer 2

Genie - between the ages of 20 months and 13 years - was locked up by her father and exposed to no social interaction

Question 3

What happened to Genie as a result of being locked up ?

Answer 3

When she was discovered in 1970, she was found to have no speech.

Question 4

What happened to Genie after she was found ?

Answer 4

Despite numerous interventions, she was not able to acquire language beyond a very simple level

Question 5

What does the Genie study support ?

Answer 5

Supports social interaction theories
- reinforces the concept of a critical period in child’s development.

Question 6

Who created the concept of a critical period ?

Answer 6

Erin Lenneberg

Question 7

What did Erin Lenneberg say ?

Answer 7

Believed that the first few years of life, sufficient social interaction and exposure to language necessary for the mastery of a language

Question 8

What does the study of Jim show ?

Answer 8

-need for caregivers
- supports the social interaction theory and CDS

Question 9

What happened to Jim ?

Answer 9

Jim received very little interaction with speaking adults But was given access to television.

Question 10

What was Jim’s speech like ?

Answer 10

Jim’s speech was severely underdeveloped

Question 11

What does the study of Jim reveal about exposure to ;language ?

Answer 11

Social interaction is needed for language to develop rather than simply being exposed to language

Question 12

Study the supports nativist theory and challenges social interactionism ?

Answer 12

Certain cultures in Papa New Guinea and Samoa

Question 13

What did certain cultures in Papa New Guinea do ?

Answer 13

Communities in Papa New Guinea do not adapt their speech when talking to young children and instead use standard language.
- Did not use CDS

Question 14

Results of language usage of cultures in Cape New Guinea ?

Answer 14

• The children of these communities acquire language the same rate as children who are exposed to CDS

Question 15

Who did the Wug Test ?

Answer 15

Wug Test was developed by Jean Berko

Question 16

What did the Wug Test prove ?

Answer 16

-it established that children are able to apply generalised grammar rules to made up examples. Supports the idea of a ‘ universal grammar’

Question 17

What was the Wug Test ?

Answer 17

• Children were presented with a completely made up concrete noun ( “ wug” which was invented by the researchers ) apply the bound plural morpheme , “ s “ to produce “ wugs” for more than one wug.