Midterm 1 Flashcards
Reinforcers vs Punishers
Reinforcers increase the probability of a behavior being repeated
Punishers decrease the likelihood of behavior being repeated
Taxonomic
Relates to things of a similar kind
- A child is less likely to call a potato a flower
Why are routines important in infancy?
- learning opportunities
- provides them with a sense of comfort
- opportunities for joint attention with caregiver
- gives them the opportunity to hear words and phrases repeated
Domain specific
each factor of language is computed in its own module of the brain
Phonology
rules for how sounds are used
Newborns prefer:
- human faces
- mother’s speech
- human vs non human voices
- real speech vs nonsense speech
What is SICI and how does it help children learn words?
SICI makes word learning easier
- Has a SHAPE
- INDIVIDUATION (countable & easy to identify)
- CONCRETENESS (not abstract)
- IMAGEABILITY (easy to depict, touch, imagine)
Consonant cluster reduction
black -> back
Whole object assumption
children are more likely to map a new label onto an object than onto one of its parts
Behaviorist theory
all learning is the result of operant conditioning
Syntax
rules that govern word order
Corpus callosum
connects 2 hemispheres of the brain allowing us to communicate
Critical Period Hypothesis
Language acquisition has to occur by a specific time frame or it won’t occur at all
Fronting
car -> tar
Intentionality
baby attempting to communicate a clear goal in mind
- gestures with eye contact
- gestures with sound and intonation
Protowords
A sequence of sounds with consistent meaning
ex. baba = bottle
Form
made up of phonology, morphology, and syntax
Social interactionist theory
adult interaction leads to greater participation on child’s part
Extension problem
word needs to be associated with the correct category
Is the Broca’s Area more domain specific or domain general?
domain general because it has other uses outside of language (speech production)
Social pragmatic approach
people are innately social beings
- if you pay attention you can learn words
- eye gazing, pointing, intentionality
Associative learning
learning that certain events occur together (they are associated with each other)
Is behaviorism more domain specific or domain general?
domain general
Knowledge is innate and genetically transmitted rather than learned by experience (nativist)
nature inspired
Overextension: categorical
Usage too broad
- saying “dog” when referring to a cat
What is the first word understood?
child’s name
Longitudinal fissure
separates the two hemispheres of the brain
Universal grammar
language is acquired rapidly, effortlessly, and without direct instruction
Pragmatics
social aspects of language, use
What are the first words?
nouns because they are more concrete and imaginable
- often context bound and part of social routines
Associated: perceptual salience
importance in visual environment
Associated: frequency
number of times 2 things are together
Emergentist Coalition Model
the view that learning strategies emerge out of children’s efforts to decipher language where they draw on a coalition of perceptual, social, and linguistic cues that shift in importance with age
Associated: temporal continuity
happening very close in time
What is content?
the meaning of language (semantics)
- vocabulary
What is communication?
the process of exchanging info, ideas, and needs
Morphology
rules for word derivation
What are the aspects of caregiver responsiveness?
- Waiting and listening
- Following the child’s lead
- Joining in and playing
Stopping
juice -> duce
Constructivism
“active learning” social interaction is important but children also need to figure things out themselves
High amplitude sucking
sucking increases when new stimuli is presented, sucking decreases when they get bored (habituation)
Broca’s Area
Very important for speech production
Agent
person or thing DOING the action
Demonstrative
what is being referred to (this, those, that)
