Lab Prep 4

Question 1

Q1. Describe the nature vs. nurture debate in regards to language development. How might language development occur via nature and nurture

Answer 1

The nuture side for language development was established by behaviourist B.F Skinner in 1957, proposing development of language is no different from other learned behaviours by going through the learning process based on a stimulus-response conditioning.

Especially at early age, when familiar the child reiterates words, the parent will praise the child, which acts as a reinforcement for child to say the word more often. On the other hand, as the child begins to construct sentences, parents or others will provide corrective feedback occasionally such as fixing grammar or pronunciation when the speech is incomprehensible. This conditions the child to learn language such as new words and proper grammar.

Question 2

Describe how the Wechsler Intelligence test is more valid and reliable than the Stanford-Binet tests of intelligence – in doing this you will need to describe what ‘valid’ and ‘reliable’ mean.

Answer 2

When a test measures what it claims to measures then it is valid. A test is reliable when the study is consistent.

Stanford

Not a Valid measure of intelligence

• IQ score generated from formula

less meaning to adults such as when a 50 year old has low intelligence beause he has mental age of 30 year old.

• single score
• main focus: verbal ability
• designed for children

WIT

Valid:

• strength and weakness of the participant in the four performance tasks in broad areas including verbal and non-verbal reasoning abilities compared to other test-takers in the same age group. Stanford-Binet.
• The issue is whether the four areas are sufficient to assess general intelligence. More valid than Stanford- Binet

BUT

• consistent high scores in performance tasks = higher overall average. Varying scores such as high in one task, low in others = pulls down the average, less valid representation of intelligence. This was the problem faced by stanford-binet.

Reliable

• WIT test devised adult and child
• individual scores from performance task more reliable than the average, overall score

Question 3

describe nature argument

Answer 3

Chomsky’s 1959 defied the nurture path for language development, asserting it is impossible for children to have acquired grammar rules, large vocabulary and be able to understand and comprehend language effortlessly in a matter of a few years simply through being exposed and reinforced language. Chomsky suggests humans are born with a language acquisition device that allows language development. Thus, nature asserts as long as the child is exposed to a language-fostered environment, their innate knowledge of language structures allows them to develop language effortlessly.