Innateness Theory

Question 1

Who supports this theory?

Answer 1

Chomsky (1965)

Question 2

What did Chomsky believe?

Answer 2

Language acquisition was inbuilt

LAD, triggered in our early years enabling us to understand language

Question 3

What is LAD

Answer 3

Language Acquisition Device

Question 4

Research to support the theory

Answer 4

Children will notice when an adult makes a mistake
Understands correction
learn language at the same rate no matter what the language is
Wug experiment

Question 5

Wug Experiment

Answer 5

Berko and Gleason
showed children a picture of an imaginary animal (a wug)
then showed 2 of these imaginary animals. Children automatically apply the plural rule and add an ‘s’ on the end, making the word “Wugs” even though they had never heard this before.

Question 6

What to look for in the data

Answer 6

Overextention
Won’t accept mispronunciation from an adult (fis phenomenon) - they know that it is wrong despite being unable to say it themselves
make up own words and utterances (morphology)

Question 7

Arguments against the theory

Answer 7

Underestimates Imitation (Skinner)
Could still be a general learning skill
Interaction