Criticisms of Skinner

Question 1

What is the first objection called?

Answer 1

Developmental Milestones

Question 2

What does the developmental milestones criticism say?

Answer 2

Children around the world learn language at the same pace even when some children arent spoken to directly until they can respond coherently

Question 3

Why does the Developmental Milestones criticism object to Skinners theory?

Answer 3

If Skinner’s theory was correct, children would learn language at different speeds

Question 4

What is the second objection to Skinner’s theory called?

Answer 4

Logical Mistakes

Question 5

What does the Logical Mistakes criticism say?

Answer 5

If children learn all words by imitation, then why do they sometimes make up words?

Question 6

What are some words that children make up?

Answer 6

“goed”, “foots” etc.

Question 7

How does the Logical Mistakes criticism object to Skinner’s theory?

Answer 7

It says why would children only imitate their parents when there are some words the parents dont say?

Question 8

What is the third main objection to Skinner’s theory?

Answer 8

Exceptions

Question 9

What does the Exceptions criticism say?

Answer 9

Children who arent able to speak have a normal comprehension of speech

Question 10

What was a study which represented the Exceptions criticism?

Answer 10

Lenneburg studied a boy who could not speak so couldnt imitate but had normal language comprehension

Question 11

How does the Exceptions criticism object to Skinners theory?

Answer 11

Children who cant follow Imitation an Reinforcement still understand language

Question 12

What is the 4th main objection of Skinners theory called?

Answer 12

Critical Period

Question 13

What does the Critical Period criticism say?

Answer 13

Some children with little language contact when they’re young can still learn language quickly if they’re still young. If they’re past the critical period it is much harder

Question 14

Why does the Critical Period criticism object to Skinners theory?

Answer 14

Because it says that children who are older than in this critical period find it difficult to acquire language

Question 15

What is the 5th main objection to Skinners theory called?

Answer 15

Caretaker Reinforcement

Question 16

What does the Caretaker Reinforcement say about grammar?

Answer 16

If children learn correct vocab usage and grammar from their parents, then the parents must be correcting them on these things all of the time when they are not.

Question 17

How does the Caretaker Reinforcement criticism object to Skinners theory?

Answer 17

As it says children instead reinforce their childrens sentences based on truth value rather than if they made a grammatically correct sentence

Question 18

What is the 6th main objection to Skinners theory called?

Answer 18

Resistance to Correction

Question 19

What does the Resistance to Correction Criticism say?

Answer 19

If children learn their language based on corrections from their parents, why do they never accept their parents corrections?

Question 20

How does the Resistance to Correction criticism object to Skinners theory?

Answer 20

Because it shows that the reinforcement aspect of Skinners process does not work for helping young children learn their language

Question 21

What is the final main objection to Skinners theory called?

Answer 21

Functions of Language

Question 22

What does the Functions of Language Criticism say?

Answer 22

Children have multiple purposes for learning language, such as loving the sound of saying words as many young children do

Question 23

What is an example of a linguist who supports the Functions of Language criticism? What does he say?

Answer 23

David Crystal says children start using language as they love the phonological aspects of it, which is why they rhyme

Question 24

How does the Functions of Language criticism object to Skinners theory?

Answer 24

Because Skinners theory only thinks that there are 2 purposes to learning language, being - Getting what they want, and Getting attention