Lecture 3 - Animals and Critical Period Hypothesis

Question 1

the Yorkie - Bailey

Answer 1

she was able to recognize words from other people: generalizes

applies words to different contexts and different people

mutual exclusivity: new word must apply to new, novel object

Question 2

the critical period hypothesis

Answer 2

to acquire language you have to do it during a critical time period (puberty)

language is innate

there is a time for language acquisition

language acquisition is much more difficult later on

Question 3

Genie

Answer 3

critical period hypothesis

severely abused and deprived a language and stimulation for 13 years

she learned a lot, fast

stalled on sentences

passed the critical point and was able to learn a “first language”

inconclusive: was it a congenital mental disability? was it just abuse?

Question 4

home-signers

Answer 4

deaf children born to hearing parents: they don’t get a lot of language input

they don’t invent a new language on their own but sometimes develop a small, gestural vocabulary

effects of age of acquisition of sign language