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Compares Skinner's operant conditioning with Chomsky's Universal Grammar and the critical period hypothesis.
How do babies go from 'goo-goo' to complex sentences in just a few years without a single formal lesson? Imagine if a toddler could outperform a genius at learning a new language—simply because of their age.
In the 1950s, B.F. Skinner proposed that language is simply a learned behavior, no different from a rat learning to press a lever for food. Through operant conditioning, children learn words because they are reinforced by their environment. When a baby says 'mama' and receives a smile or a hug, that linguistic behavior is strengthened. Skinner argued that imitation and association are the primary drivers of speech. To a behaviorist, the human mind is a tabula rasa (blank slate), and language is 'written' onto it by parents and caregivers through constant feedback loops.
Quick Check
According to Skinner, what is the primary mechanism that causes a child to repeat a specific word?
Answer
Reinforcement (or operant conditioning), where the child receives a positive response or reward for using the word.
Noam Chomsky revolutionized psychology by arguing that Skinner’s model was insufficient. He pointed to the poverty of the stimulus: children hear fragmented, often grammatically incorrect speech, yet they produce infinite unique sentences they have never heard before. Chomsky proposed that humans are born with a Language Acquisition Device (LAD)—an innate biological 'module' containing the rules for Universal Grammar. This theory suggests that while the specific language (English, Urdu, etc.) is learned, the underlying structure of language is hardwired into our DNA.
Consider a child who says, 'I goed to the park.' 1. The child has likely never heard an adult say 'goed.' 2. Therefore, they are not imitating. 3. Instead, they are applying a general rule () to an irregular verb. 4. This overregularization proves the child is using an internal grammar system (LAD) rather than just repeating what they hear.
Quick Check
Why does 'overregularization' (like saying 'mouses' instead of 'mice') support Chomsky's theory over Skinner's?
Answer
Because the child is creating a word they have never heard reinforced, proving they are using innate grammatical rules rather than just imitation.
If language is innate, can we learn it at any time? Eric Lenneberg proposed the Critical Period Hypothesis, suggesting there is a specific window—from birth until roughly puberty—when the brain is most plastic and receptive to language. During this time, the LAD is 'active.' If a child is deprived of linguistic input during this window, the neural pathways for syntax may never fully develop. This suggests that language acquisition is a 'use it or lose it' biological process, highlighting the essential interaction between our nature (biology) and nurture (environment).
The case of 'Genie,' a girl kept in total isolation until age 13, provides a tragic test of the Critical Period: 1. After her rescue, Genie was able to learn a large vocabulary (words). 2. However, she could never master syntax (the arrangement of words into grammatical sentences). 3. Her sentences remained telegraphic, such as 'Apples sauce buy store.' 4. This suggests that while vocabulary can be learned later, the 'grammar engine' of the brain has a strict biological deadline.
Which concept suggests that the linguistic input children receive is not enough to explain their complex output?
What is the primary difference between Genie's language ability and a typical toddler's?
Skinner believed that the mind is a 'blank slate' at birth regarding language.
Review Tomorrow
In 24 hours, try to explain the difference between 'vocabulary' and 'syntax' using the case of Genie as an example.
Practice Activity
Listen to a toddler speak today. Write down one instance where they use a 'rule' incorrectly (like 'I seed it') and explain which theory this supports.