Final Language Development Test Bank Chapter 7

Chapter 7

Language Development

Total

Assessment

Guide

Chapter 7

Language Development

Total

Assessment

Guide

Chapter 7

Language Development

MULTIPLE CHOICE

7-1. What is the systematic, meaningful arrangement of symbols for the purposes of communication also known as?

a) sign language

b) talking

c) language

d) information processing

Learning Objective: LO 7.1 Identify the formal characteristics of language, and describe how prelinguistic communication develops.

Topic: The Fundamentals of Language and Prelinguistic Communication

Difficulty Level: Easy

Skill Level: Remember the Facts

APA Learning Objective: 1.1 Describe key concepts, principles, and overarching themes in psychology.

7-2. Which term refers to the basic sounds of language that can be combined to produce words and sentences?

a) symbols

b) letters

c) alphabet

d) phonemes

Learning Objective: LO 7.1 Identify the formal characteristics of language, and describe how prelinguistic communication develops.

Topic: The Fundamentals of Language and Prelinguistic Communication

Difficulty Level: Easy

Skill Level: Remember the Facts

APA Learning Objective: 1.1 Describe key concepts, principles, and overarching themes in psychology.

7-3. Which term refers to the smallest language unit that has meaning?

a) morpheme

b) phonology

c) letter

d) symbol

Learning Objective: LO 7.1 Identify the formal characteristics of language, and describe how prelinguistic communication develops.

Topic: The Fundamentals of Language and Prelinguistic Communication

Difficulty Level: Easy

Skill Level: Remember the Facts

APA Learning Objective: 1.1 Describe key concepts, principles, and overarching themes in psychology.

7-4. What are semantics?

a) the smallest language units that have meaning

b) rules that govern the meaning of words and sentences

c) the basic sounds of language

d) the systematic, meaningful arrangements of symbols

Learning Objective: LO 7.1 Identify the formal characteristics of language, and describe how prelinguistic communication develops.

Topic: The Fundamentals of Language and Prelinguistic Communication

Difficulty Level: Moderate

Skill Level: Remember the Facts

APA Learning Objective: 1.1 Describe key concepts, principles, and overarching themes in psychology.

7-5. The ability to understand speech is also known by what term?

a) phonology

b) comprehension

c) audition

d) production

Learning Objective: LO 7.1 Identify the formal characteristics of language, and describe how prelinguistic communication develops.

Topic: The Fundamentals of Language and Prelinguistic Communication

Difficulty Level: Easy

Skill Level: Remember the Facts

APA Learning Objective: 1.1 Describe key concepts, principles, and overarching themes in psychology.

7-6. The ability to use language to communicate is also known by what term?

a) phonological morphology

b) linguistic comprehension

c) fluency

d) linguistic production

Learning Objective: LO 7.1 Identify the formal characteristics of language, and describe how prelinguistic communication develops.

Topic: The Fundamentals of Language and Prelinguistic Communication

Difficulty Level: Easy

Skill Level: Remember the Facts

APA Learning Objective: 1.1 Describe key concepts, principles, and overarching themes in psychology.

7-7. What general rule governs the pace of language production and language comprehension?

a) Comprehension precedes production.

b) Production and comprehension develop at the same rate over time.

c) Production precedes comprehension.

d) No predictable link has been established between production and comprehension for a
given individual.

Learning Objective: LO 7.1 Identify the formal characteristics of language, and describe how prelinguistic communication develops.

Topic: The Fundamentals of Language and Prelinguistic Communication

Difficulty Level: Moderate

Skill Level: Understand the Concepts

APA Learning Objective: 1.1 Describe key concepts, principles, and overarching themes in psychology.

7-8. Todd’s mother notices that he makes a variety of sounds including cooing, crying, gurgling, and murmuring, along with facial expressions, gestures, imitation, and other nonlinguistic means. What is Todd demonstrating?

a) phonology

b) morphology

c) semantics

d) prelinguistic communication

Learning Objective: LO 7.1 Identify the formal characteristics of language, and describe how prelinguistic communication develops.

Topic: The Fundamentals of Language and Prelinguistic Communication

Difficulty Level: Moderate

Skill Level: Apply What You Know

APA Learning Objective: 1.3 Describe applications of psychology.

7-9. What is the term for a baby’s speech-like but meaningless sounds?

a) cooing

b) babbling

c) gurgling

d) murmuring

Learning Objective: LO 7.1 Identify the formal characteristics of language, and describe how prelinguistic communication develops.

Topic: The Fundamentals of Language and Prelinguistic Communication

Difficulty Level: Easy

Skill Level: Remember the Facts

APA Learning Objective: 1.1 Describe key concepts, principles, and overarching themes in psychology.

7-10. At what age does babbling first appear?

a) 10 to 12 months

b) 4 to 6 months

c) 2 to 3 months

d) 1 to 2 months

Learning Objective: LO 7.1 Identify the formal characteristics of language, and describe how prelinguistic communication develops.

Topic: The Fundamentals of Language and Prelinguistic Communication

Difficulty Level: Moderate

Skill Level: Remember the Facts

APA Learning Objective: 1.1 Describe key concepts, principles, and overarching themes in psychology.

7-11. Given that babbling is a universal phenomenon, what does that suggest about the origins of language production?

a) All languages must have developed from a wordless “proto-language.”

b) Language is a culturally learned phenomenon.

c) Language development should follow an unpredictable developmental sequence.

d) Language production may have an innate basis in humans.

Learning Objective: LO 7.1 Identify the formal characteristics of language, and describe how prelinguistic communication develops.

Topic: The Fundamentals of Language and Prelinguistic Communication

Difficulty Level: Difficult

Skill Level: Analyze It

APA Learning Objective: 2.1 Use scientific reasoning to interpret psychological phenomena.

7-12. What are one-word utterances that stand for a whole phrase, but whose meaning depends on the particular context in which they are used?

a) phonemes

b) semantics

c) holophrases

d) morphemes

Learning Objective: LO 7.2 Explain how speech develops in infancy and how early language differs from that used by adults.

Topic: First Words: The Production of Speech

Difficulty Level: Easy

Skill Level: Remember the Facts

APA Learning Objective: 1.1 Describe key concepts, principles, and overarching themes in psychology.

7-13. Dieter has started using his first words to communicate. Statistically, how old is Dieter likely to be?

a) 2 years

b) 14 months

c) 8 months

d) 6 months

Learning Objective: LO 7.2 Explain how speech develops in infancy and how early language differs from that used by adults.

Topic: First Words: The Production of Speech

Difficulty Level: Moderate

Skill Level: Apply What You Know

APA Learning Objective: 1.3 Describe applications of psychology.

7-14. What typically happens to a child’s vocabulary between the ages of 16 and 24 months?

a) The process of cooing and babbling begins.

b) Vocabulary increases from about 50 to 400 words.

c) Vocabulary increases from about 1,000 to 5,000 words.

d) Language use drops to near-zero, during a “vocabulary latency” period.

Learning Objective: LO 7.2 Explain how speech develops in infancy and how early language differs from that used by adults.

Topic: First Words: The Production of Speech

Difficulty Level: Moderate

Skill Level: Remember the Facts

APA Learning Objective: 1.1 Describe key concepts, principles, and overarching themes in psychology.

7-15. What is a child most likely to refer to when she uses her first words?

a) feelings

b) needs

c) objects

d) dreams

Learning Objective: LO 7.2 Explain how speech develops in infancy and how early language differs from that used by adults.

Topic: First Words: The Production of Speech

Difficulty Level: Moderate

Skill Level: Analyze It

APA Learning Objective: 2.1 Use scientific reasoning to interpret psychological phenomena.

7-16. Allison is sitting in her high chair while her father prepares her dinner. Allison tries to get her father’s attention by saying “eat” and “cookie.” What are Allison’s words an example of?

a) syllogisms

b) phonemes

c) morphemes

d) holophrases

Learning Objective: LO 7.2 Explain how speech develops in infancy and how early language differs from that used by adults.

Topic: First Words: The Production of Speech

Difficulty Level: Moderate

Skill Level: Apply What You Know

APA Learning Objective: 1.3 Describe applications of psychology.

7-17. What kind of speech omits non-critical words in a sentence?

a) holophrasic

b) telegraphic

c) phonemic

d) semantic

Learning Objective: LO 7.2 Explain how speech develops in infancy and how early language differs from that used by adults.

Topic: First Words: The Production of Speech

Difficulty Level: Moderate

Skill Level: Understand the Concepts

APA Learning Objective: 1.2 Develop a working knowledge of psychology’s content domains.

7-18. Armando calls his favorite blanket a “blankie.” When he sees other blankets in the house, however, he does not refer to them as a “blankie” because he uses that name only for his favorite blanket. What is Armando demonstrating with his speech?

a) underextension

b) overextension

c) referential style

d) holophrasing

Learning Objective: LO 7.2 Explain how speech develops in infancy and how early language differs from that used by adults.

Topic: First Words: The Production of Speech

Difficulty Level: Difficult

Skill Level: Apply What You Know

APA Learning Objective: 1.3 Describe applications of psychology.

7-19. Which term refers to the overly restrictive use of words, common among children just mastering spoken language?

a) holographic speech

b) referential style

c) overextension

d) underextension

Learning Objective: LO 7.2 Explain how speech develops in infancy and how early language differs from that used by adults.

Topic: First Words: The Production of Speech

Difficulty Level: Easy

Skill Level: Remember the Facts

APA Learning Objective: 1.1 Describe key concepts, principles, and overarching themes in psychology.

7-20. When Jana is riding in the car with her parents, she occasionally points at passing vehicles and calls out “see cars,” even though some of the vehicles are buses and trucks. What is Jana’s speech an example of?

a) overextension

b) rehearsal

c) phonemic fluency

d) self-awareness

Learning Objective: LO 7.2 Explain how speech develops in infancy and how early language differs from that used by adults.

Topic: First Words: The Production of Speech

Difficulty Level: Moderate

Skill Level: Apply What You Know

APA Learning Objective: 1.3 Describe applications of psychology.

7-21. Which term describes the overly broad use of words, including overgeneralizing their meaning?

a) referential style

b) overextension

c) expressive style

d) telegraphic speech

Learning Objective: LO 7.2 Explain how speech develops in infancy and how early language differs from that used by adults.

Topic: First Words: The Production of Speech

Difficulty Level: Easy

Skill Level: Remember the Facts

APA Learning Objective: 1.1 Describe key concepts, principles, and overarching themes in psychology.

7-22. Which term describes a style of communicating in which language is used primarily to label objects?

a) semantic style

b) underextended style

c) referential style

d) overextended style

Learning Objective: LO 7.2 Explain how speech develops in infancy and how early language differs from that used by adults.

Topic: First Words: The Production of Speech

Difficulty Level: Moderate

Skill Level: Remember the Facts

APA Learning Objective: 1.1 Describe key concepts, principles, and overarching themes in psychology.

7-23. Renaldo and Clara spend time with their baby, teaching her to say what she wants and to tell her parents how she feels. What is this style of speech called?

a) expressive

b) underextension

c) overextension

d) referential

Learning Objective: LO 7.2 Explain how speech develops in infancy and how early language differs from that used by adults.

Topic: First Words: The Production of Speech

Difficulty Level: Moderate

Skill Level: Apply What You Know

APA Learning Objective: 1.3 Describe applications of psychology.

7-24. Which term refers to a style of communication in which language is used primarily to convey feelings and needs related to oneself and others?

a) phonemic

b) recursive

c) referential

d) expressive

Learning Objective: LO 7.2 Explain how speech develops in infancy and how early language differs from that used by adults.

Topic: First Words: The Production of Speech

Difficulty Level: Moderate

Skill Level: Remember the Facts

APA Learning Objective: 1.1 Describe key concepts, principles, and overarching themes in psychology.

7-25. How do mothers in the United States compare to mothers in Japan in the styles of speech they use with their children?

a) Mothers in the United States tend to use an overextended style, whereas mothers in Japan tend to use an underextended style of speech.

b) Mothers in the United States tend to use an expressive style, whereas mothers in Japan tend to use a referential style of speech.

c) Mothers in the United States tend to use an underextended style, whereas mothers in Japan tend to use an overextended style of speech.

d) Mothers in the United States tend to use a referential style, whereas mothers in Japan tend to use an expressive style of speech.

Learning Objective: LO 7.2 Explain how speech develops in infancy and how early language differs from that used by adults.

Topic: First Words: The Production of Speech

Difficulty Level: Difficult

Skill Level: Remember the Facts

APA Learning Objective: 1.1 Describe key concepts, principles, and overarching themes in psychology.

7-26. Melissa is teaching her baby to speak by learning the names of lots of familiar and different objects that the baby sees. What style of speech is Melissa advocating?

a) expressive

b) underextended

c) overextended

d) referential

Learning Objective: LO 7.2 Explain how speech develops in infancy and how early language differs from that used by adults.

Topic: First Words: The Production of Speech

Difficulty Level: Difficult

Skill Level: Apply What You Know

APA Learning Objective: 1.3 Describe applications of psychology.

7-27. Which term refers to the way an individual combines words and phrases to form sentences?

a) pragmatic speech

b) grammar

c) private speech

d) syntax

Learning Objective: LO 7.3 Summarize the rapid advances made by preschoolers in their comprehension and production of language, and distinguish private speech from social speech.

Topic: Language Advances During the Preschool Years

Difficulty Level: Easy

Skill Level: Remember the Facts

APA Learning Objective: 1.1 Describe key concepts, principles, and overarching themes in psychology.

7-28. By age 6, how large is the vocabulary of an average child?

a) 3,000 words

b) 8,000 words

c) 14,000 words

d) 30,000 words

Learning Objective: LO 7.3 Summarize the rapid advances made by preschoolers in their comprehension and production of language, and distinguish private speech from social speech.

Topic: Language Advances During the Preschool Years

Difficulty Level: Moderate

Skill Level: Remember the Facts

APA Learning Objective: 1.1 Describe key concepts, principles, and overarching themes in psychology.

7-29. Which term describes instances in which new words are associated with their meaning after only a brief encounter?

a) encoding

b) egocentric speech

c) fast mapping

d) private speech

Learning Objective: LO 7.3 Summarize the rapid advances made by preschoolers in their comprehension and production of language, and distinguish private speech from social speech.

Topic: Language Advances During the Preschool Years

Difficulty Level: Easy

Skill Level: Remember the Facts

APA Learning Objective: 1.1 Describe key concepts, principles, and overarching themes in psychology.

7-30. Which term describes the system of rules that determines how our thoughts can be expressed?

a) egocentric speech

b) fast mapping

c) private speech

d) grammar

Learning Objective: LO 7.3 Summarize the rapid advances made by preschoolers in their comprehension and production of language, and distinguish private speech from social speech.

Topic: Language Advances During the Preschool Years

Difficulty Level: Easy

Skill Level: Remember the Facts

APA Learning Objective: 1.1 Describe key concepts, principles, and overarching themes in psychology.

7-31. At approximately what age can a child first follow the principles of grammar most of the time?

a) 3 years of age

b) 4 years of age

c) 5 years of age

d) 6 years of age

Learning Objective: LO 7.3 Summarize the rapid advances made by preschoolers in their comprehension and production of language, and distinguish private speech from social speech.

Topic: Language Advances During the Preschool Years

Difficulty Level: Moderate

Skill Level: Remember the Facts

APA Learning Objective: 1.1 Describe key concepts, principles, and overarching themes in psychology.

7-32. When a person is communicating effectively and appropriately with others, the person is following the general rules of __________.

a) morphemes

b) fast mapping

c) pragmatics

d) private speech

Learning Objective: LO 7.3 Summarize the rapid advances made by preschoolers in their comprehension and production of language, and distinguish private speech from social speech.

Topic: Language Advances During the Preschool Years

Difficulty Level: Moderate

Skill Level: Understand the Concepts

APA Learning Objective: 1.1 Describe key concepts, principles, and overarching themes in psychology.

7-33. When a young child learns how to take turns in conversation, stay on topic, and give appropriate responses such as “please” and “thank you,” what is the child demonstrating knowledge of?

a) egocentric speech

b) pragmatics

c) social speech

d) fast mapping

Learning Objective: LO 7.3 Summarize the rapid advances made by preschoolers in their comprehension and production of language, and distinguish private speech from social speech.

Topic: Language Advances During the Preschool Years

Difficulty Level: Moderate

Skill Level: Apply What You Know

APA Learning Objective: 1.3 Describe applications of psychology.

7-34. When young children use speech that is spoken aloud and directed toward themselves, it is generally identified by which term?

a) scaffolded speech

b) syntactic resonance

c) fast mapping

d) private speech

Learning Objective: LO 7.3 Summarize the rapid advances made by preschoolers in their comprehension and production of language, and distinguish private speech from social speech.

Topic: Language Advances During the Preschool Years

Difficulty Level: Moderate

Skill Level: Remember the Facts

APA Learning Objective: 1.1 Describe key concepts, principles, and overarching themes in psychology.

7-35. Which term is used for speech directed toward another person and meant to be understood by that person?

a) social speech

b) pragmatics

c) syntax

d) private speech

Learning Objective: LO 7.3 Summarize the rapid advances made by preschoolers in their comprehension and production of language, and distinguish private speech from social speech.

Topic: Language Advances During the Preschool Years

Difficulty Level: Easy

Skill Level: Remember the Facts

APA Learning Objective: 1.1 Describe key concepts, principles, and overarching themes in psychology.

7-36. Before the age of 3, most children are unable to effectively demonstrate __________ speech.

a) pragmatic

b) private

c) egocentric

d) social

Learning Objective: LO 7.3 Summarize the rapid advances made by preschoolers in their comprehension and production of language, and distinguish private speech from social speech.

Topic: Language Advances During the Preschool Years

Difficulty Level: Moderate

Skill Level: Understand the Concepts

APA Learning Objective: 1.1 Describe key concepts, principles, and overarching themes in psychology.

7-37. The vocabulary of a typical 6-year-old child is from 8,000 to 14,000 words, although that vocabulary grows by another __________ words between the ages of 9 and 11.

a) 1,000

b) 2,000

c) 5,000

d) 10,000

Learning Objective: LO 7.4 Describe the development of language in middle childhood and the role metalinguistic awareness plays in understanding how language works.

Topic: Language Development During Middle Childhood: Mastering Language

Difficulty Level: Moderate

Skill Level: Understand the Concepts

APA Learning Objective: 1.1 Describe key concepts, principles, and overarching themes in psychology.

7-38. Alesander is 6 years old, and although he pronounces most words clearly, he has difficulty pronouncing “j,” “v,” “th,” and “zh” sounds, which are examples of __________.

a) metalinguistics

b) phonemes

c) word blends

d) morphemes

Learning Objective: LO 7.4 Describe the development of language in middle childhood and the role metalinguistic awareness plays in understanding how language works.

Topic: Language Development During Middle Childhood: Mastering Language

Difficulty Level: Difficult

Skill Level: Apply What You Know

APA Learning Objective: 1.3 Describe applications of psychology.

7-39. When school-age children understand the rules of language indicating how words and phrases can be combined to form sentences, they have grasped the concept of __________.

a) metalinguistic skills

b) metacognition

c) syntax

d) metamemory

Learning Objective: LO 7.4 Describe the development of language in middle childhood and the role metalinguistic awareness plays in understanding how language works.

Topic: Language Development During Middle Childhood: Mastering Language

Difficulty Level: Moderate

Skill Level: Understand the Concepts

APA Learning Objective: 1.1 Describe key concepts, principles, and overarching themes in psychology.

7-40. When school-age children become more competent with the rules governing the use of language to communicate in a given social setting, they are demonstrating knowledge of __________.

a) pragmatics

b) semantics

c) phonemes

d) metalinguistic awareness

Learning Objective: LO 7.4 Describe the development of language in middle childhood and the role metalinguistic awareness plays in understanding how language works.

Topic: Language Development During Middle Childhood: Mastering Language

Difficulty Level: Moderate

Skill Level: Understand the Concepts

APA Learning Objective: 1.1 Describe key concepts, principles, and overarching themes in psychology.

7-41. The sentences “I’m SO thrilled to be here,” “I’m so THRILLED to be here,” “I’m so thrilled to be HERE,” and “I’M so thrilled to be here” differ in __________.

a) syntax

b) grammar

c) phonemes

d) intonation

Learning Objective: LO 7.4 Describe the development of language in middle childhood and the role metalinguistic awareness plays in understanding how language works.

Topic: Language Development During Middle Childhood: Mastering Language

Difficulty Level: Moderate

Skill Level: Analyze It

APA Learning Objective: 2.1 Use scientific reasoning to interpret psychological phenomena.

7-42. Which term refers to an understanding of one’s own use of language?

a) metamemory

b) comprehension

c) metalinguistic awareness

d) receptive communication

Learning Objective: LO 7.4 Describe the development of language in middle childhood and the role metalinguistic awareness plays in understanding how language works.

Topic: Language Development During Middle Childhood: Mastering Language

Difficulty Level: Easy

Skill Level: Remember the Facts

APA Learning Objective: 1.1 Describe key concepts, principles, and overarching themes in psychology.

7-43. Children rely on __________ when information is fuzzy or incomplete, such as asking for clarifications of information.

a) metacognitive skills

b) metalinguistic awareness

c) pragmatics

d) syntax

Learning Objective: LO 7.4 Describe the development of language in middle childhood and the role metalinguistic awareness plays in understanding how language works.

Topic: Language Development During Middle Childhood: Mastering Language

Difficulty Level: Difficult

Skill Level: Understand the Concepts

APA Learning Objective: 1.2 Develop a working knowledge of psychology’s content domains.

7-44. Almost every time Amos articulates the word “da,” his father picks him up with joy, smiles, and praises his son for trying to say “dad.” The father’s behavior reinforces Amos’s behavior. Which theory of language acquisition is this an example of?

a) learning theory approach

b) universal grammar

c) nativist approach

d) infant-directed speech

Learning Objective: LO 7.5 Identify the major perspectives on language acquisition, and summarize the strengths and weaknesses of each.

Topic: Language Acquisition

Difficulty Level: Moderate

Skill Level: Apply What You Know

APA Learning Objective: 1.3 Describe applications of psychology.

7-45. Which theory proposes that language acquisition follows the basic laws of reinforcement and conditioning?

a) nativist approach

b) learning theory approach

c) universal grammar

d) infant-directed speech

Learning Objective: LO 7.5 Identify the major perspectives on language acquisition, and summarize the strengths and weaknesses of each.

Topic: Language Acquisition

Difficulty Level: Easy

Skill Level: Remember the Facts

APA Learning Objective: 1.1 Describe key concepts, principles, and overarching themes in psychology.

7-46. Which theorist proposed the nativist approach and universal grammar to explain how children learn their language skills?

a) B.F. Skinner

b) Benjamin Lee Whorf

c) Noam Chomsky

d) Lev Vygotsky

Learning Objective: LO 7.5 Identify the major perspectives on language acquisition, and summarize the strengths and weaknesses of each.

Topic: Language Acquisition

Difficulty Level: Moderate

Skill Level: Remember the Facts

APA Learning Objective: 1.1 Describe key concepts, principles, and overarching themes in psychology.

7-47. Which theory proposes that a genetically determined, innate mechanism directs language development?

a) learning theory approach

b) the relativistic hypothesis

c) universal grammar

d) nativist approach

Learning Objective: LO 7.5 Identify the major perspectives on language acquisition, and summarize the strengths and weaknesses of each.

Topic: Language Acquisition

Difficulty Level: Easy

Skill Level: Remember the Facts

APA Learning Objective: 1.1 Describe key concepts, principles, and overarching themes in psychology.

7-48. The notion that all of the world’s languages share a similar underlying structure is summarized in which concept?

a) universal grammar

b) reactionist approach

c) language division approach

d) cultural-learning theory

Learning Objective: LO 7.5 Identify the major perspectives on language acquisition, and summarize the strengths and weaknesses of each.

Topic: Language Acquisition

Difficulty Level: Easy

Skill Level: Understand the Concepts

APA Learning Objective: 1.2 Develop a working knowledge of psychology’s content domains.

7-49. Which term refers to a neural system of the brain hypothesized to permit understanding of language?

a) nativist understanding device (NUD)

b) language-acquisition device (LAD)

c) speech generator unit (SGU)

d) universal grammar detector (UGD)

Learning Objective: LO 7.5 Identify the major perspectives on language acquisition, and summarize the strengths and weaknesses of each.

Topic: Language Acquisition

Difficulty Level: Easy

Skill Level: Remember the Facts

APA Learning Objective: 1.1 Describe key concepts, principles, and overarching themes in psychology.

7-50. Which of Noam Chomsky’s linguistic concepts relates to how the human brain is uniquely and genetically predisposed to comprehend and produce language?

a) infant-directed speech

b) nativist retrieval

c) language-acquisition device

d) universal grammar

Learning Objective: LO 7.5 Identify the major perspectives on language acquisition, and summarize the strengths and weaknesses of each.

Topic: Language Acquisition

Difficulty Level: Difficult

Skill Level: Understand the Concepts

APA Learning Objective: 1.2 Develop a working knowledge of psychology’s content domains.

7-51. Which theory of language acquisition combines several schools of thought to propose that language development is produced through a combination of genetically predetermined predispositions and environmental circumstances?

a) universal grammar

b) interactionist perspective

c) learning theory approach

d) language-attainment hypothesis

Learning Objective: LO 7.5 Identify the major perspectives on language acquisition, and summarize the strengths and weaknesses of each.

Topic: Language Acquisition

Difficulty Level: Moderate

Skill Level: Understand the Concepts

APA Learning Objective: 1.1 Describe key concepts, principles, and overarching themes in psychology.

7-52. The __________ states that language can shape and possibly determine the way people from various cultures perceive the world.

a) pragmatic speech theory

b) interactionist perspective

c) nativist position

d) linguistic-relativity hypothesis

Learning Objective: LO 7.6 Compare and contrast the different theories about the relationship between language and thought.

Topic: How Are Language and Thought Related?

Difficulty Level: Easy

Skill Level: Remember the Facts

APA Learning Objective: 1.1 Describe key concepts, principles, and overarching themes in psychology.

7-53. Which theorist proposed the linguistic relativity hypothesis?

a) Lev Vygotsky

b) Jean Piaget

c) Noam Chomsky

d) Benjamin Lee Whorf

Learning Objective: LO 7.6 Compare and contrast the different theories about the relationship between language and thought.

Topic: How Are Language and Thought Related?

Difficulty Level: Moderate

Skill Level: Understand the Concepts

APA Learning Objective: 1.1 Describe key concepts, principles, and overarching themes in psychology.

7-54. What general conclusion can be drawn correctly from the research evidence linking language and thought?

a) Language shapes thought.

b) Thought shapes language.

c) Language and thought influence one another.

d) Language shapes thought, thought shapes language, and language and thought influence
one another.

Learning Objective: LO 7.6 Compare and contrast the different theories about the relationship between language and thought.

Topic: How Are Language and Thought Related?

Difficulty Level: Difficult

Skill Level: Analyze It

APA Learning Objective: 2.1 Use scientific reasoning to interpret psychological phenomena.

7-55. Infant-directed speech used to be known by what outdated and gender-assuming term?

a) lady language

b) daddytalk

c) newspeak

d) motherese

Learning Objective: LO 7.7 Describe how infant-directed speech affects children’s language development.

Topic: The Language of Infant-Directed Speech

Difficulty Level: Easy

Skill Level: Remember the Facts

APA Learning Objective: 1.1 Describe key concepts, principles, and overarching themes in psychology.

7-56. Which type of speech typically is directed toward infants and characterized by short, simple sentences?

a) infant-directed speech

b) universal grammar

c) natural holography

d) babbling

Learning Objective: LO 7.7 Describe how infant-directed speech affects children’s language development.

Topic: The Language of Infant-Directed Speech

Difficulty Level: Easy

Skill Level: Remember the Facts

APA Learning Objective: 1.1 Describe key concepts, principles, and overarching themes in psychology.

7-57. Rebecca wants her baby to stop playing and crawl across the room to her. Rebecca uses the short phrase “Come to Mommy” to prompt her baby. What is this an example of?

a) retroactive speech

b) universal grammar

c) morphology

d) infant-directed speech

Learning Objective: LO 7.7 Describe how infant-directed speech affects children’s language development.

Topic: The Language of Infant-Directed Speech

Difficulty Level: Moderate

Skill Level: Apply What You Know

APA Learning Objective: 1.3 Describe applications of psychology.

7-58. A child is asked, “Do you want to play with your blankie, your dolly, or your kitty?” Based on well-documented findings, what is the sex of the child receiving this message?

1. a boy
2. a girl
3. equally likely to be a girl or a boy
4. there is no evidence that it should be either a girl or a boy

Learning Objective: LO 7.7 Describe how infant-directed speech affects children’s language development.

Topic: The Language of Infant-Directed Speech

Difficulty Level: Difficult

Skill Level: Apply What You Know

APA Learning Objective: 1.2 Develop a working knowledge of psychology’s content domains.

7-59. Based on research linking socioeconomic status and language use, what recommendation should be made to parents when speaking to their children?

1. Children should initiate conversations with their parents, focusing on their feelings and needs.
2. Parents should speak to their children often, using varied language.
3. Parents should use a small vocabulary, repeating the same words each day in the same contexts.
4. Children should be spoken to only when necessary, to encourage them to develop their own language skills independently.

Learning Objective: LO 7.8 Explain how socioeconomic status influences language development in children.

Topic: The Links Between Language Development and Poverty

Difficulty Level: Moderate

Skill Level: Apply What You Know

APA Learning Objective: 1.3 Describe applications of psychology.

7-60. Which term refers to the ability to communicate in more than one language?

a) pragmatics

b) bilingualism

c) syntax

d) metalinguistics

Learning Objective: LO 7.9 Compare bilingual education to the immersion approach, and identify the cognitive benefits of being bilingual.

Topic: English Language Learners: Bilingual Education Versus Immersion

Difficulty Level: Easy

Skill Level: Remember the Facts

APA Learning Objective: 1.1 Describe key concepts, principles, and overarching themes in psychology.

7-61. When non-English speaking children are initially taught in their native language, while at the same time learning English, the technique is called __________.

a) bilingualism

b) bilingual education

c) pragmatics

d) metalinguistics

Learning Objective: LO 7.9 Compare bilingual education to the immersion approach, and identify the cognitive benefits of being bilingual.

Topic: English Language Learners: Bilingual Education Versus Immersion

Difficulty Level: Moderate

Skill Level: Remember the Facts

APA Learning Objective: 1.1 Describe key concepts, principles, and overarching themes in psychology.

7-62. Because they have a wider range of linguistic possibilities to select from, children who are __________ tend to show more cognitive flexibility than their peers.

a) low in socioeconomic status

b) native language speakers

c) deaf

d) bilingual

Learning Objective: LO 7.9 Compare bilingual education to the immersion approach, and identify the cognitive benefits of being bilingual.

Topic: English Language Learners: Bilingual Education Versus Immersion

Difficulty Level: Easy

Skill Level: Remember the Facts

APA Learning Objective: 1.1 Describe key concepts, principles, and overarching themes in psychology.

ESSAY QUESTIONS

7-63. Describe the sequence of language development during the first two years, and give an example of each type of communication. Why does this sequence develop in this way?

• Language begins with prelinguistic communication. Before an infant can speak, she or he nonetheless makes vocalizations that have communicative power. For example, cooing, crying, gurgling, murmuring, and other noises are often made in response to relevant environmental stimulation.
• Babbling next takes place, around the age of 2 to 3 months. An infant repeating “bee-bee-bee-ba-ba-bee-bee-ba” would be an example.
• First words are usually spoken around the age of 10 to 14 months, although they could be earlier or later in particular children. Single words, such as “kitty” or “Dada,” predominate until about 18 months of age.
• Holophrases represent the next stage, where single words signify entire concepts. “Ma” for “I want my mother to come near me now” would be an example.
• Two-word sentences appear at about 18 months, followed by telegraphic speech a little later.
• The progression outlined here is logical. Infants can’t start communicating with full, grammatically correct sentences, but rather must build on a steady platform of advances: sounds, to words, to communicative words, to two-word utterances, to sentences. All the while, vocabulary is growing at a fabulous pace, and linguistic production advances steadily over this period.

Learning Objective: LO 7.2 Explain how speech develops in infancy and how early language differs from that used by adults.

Topic: First Words: The Production of Speech

Difficulty Level: Difficult

Skill Level: Understand the Concepts

APA Learning Objective: 1.2 Develop a working knowledge of psychology’s content domains.

7-64. Summarize three theories of language acquisition, noting the strengths and weaknesses of each.

• The learning theory approach suggests that language is acquired in the same way as any other behavior: through reinforcement, conditioning, shaping, and so on. It certainly is true that a wide variety of social behaviors are molded following learning principles, and it is also true that reinforcement of grammatical and syntactic rules can shape language use. However, reinforcement is an unlikely method of generating the infinite variety of language constructions people use, especially forms of grammar that take shape spontaneously.
• The nativist approach argues that humans are born with a language acquisition device, a theoretical construct for detecting, using, and applying a universal grammar. Strong evidence in support of this position comes from cross-cultural, cross-species, and developmental evidence. However, the existence of and clear specification of the parameters of a language acquisition device or a universal grammar weakens this position.
• An intermediate position is adopted by the interactionist view, which holds that innate linguistic capabilities are shaped within an environmental context. As with many perspectives on development, this intermediate view likely holds the majority of the truth.

Learning Objective: LO 7.5 Identify the major perspectives on language acquisition, and summarize the strengths and weaknesses of each.

Topic: Language Acquisition

Difficulty Level: Difficult

Skill Level: Analyze It

APA Learning Objective: 2.1 Use scientific reasoning to interpret psychological phenomena.

7-65. Explain why the relationship between language and thought is reciprocal, and give examples of research evidence to support each direction of causality.

• Benjamin Lee Whorf proposed that language shapes thought, a controversial position spurred by his anecdotal claims that members of different cultures conceptualize their worlds differently through language use.
• Nonetheless, there is some evidence for this position. For example, language provides categories, which in turn help children structure, predict, and anticipate events in their world, thereby influencing their thought processes.
• The opposing view, that thought influences language, was held by thinkers such as Jean Piaget, and is equally controversial.
• Evidence in favor of this position comes from cross-cultural research and studies of prelinguistic children. People’s ability to categorize and perceive aspects of their cultural environment, in absence of language, illustrates that some forms of thinking precede language.
• The balanced view that language and thought influence one another is held by the majority of thinkers in this area, and is also supported by research evidence.
• For example, thoughts are pretty difficult to communicate without some kind of language system, making the think-first-then-communicate direction quite plausible. Conversely, greater language facility typically spurs greater cognitive ability, as new concepts and new ways of describing them are mastered.

Learning Objective: LO 7.6 Compare and contrast the different theories about the relationship between language and thought.

Topic: How Are Language and Thought Related?

Difficulty Level: Difficult

Skill Level: Understand the Concepts

APA Learning Objective: 1.2 Develop a working knowledge of psychology’s content domains.

7-66. Explain the differences in infant-directed speech in various cultures.

• Although words differ across languages, the way that words are spoken to infants shows a high degree of cross-cultural similarity.
• Six of the ten most frequent major characteristics of speech directed at infants used by native speakers of English and Spanish are common to both languages.
• These include exaggerated intonation, high pitch, lengthened vowels, repetition, lower volume, and heavy stress on certain words.
• Deaf mothers use a form of infant-directed speech when communicating with their infants because they use sign language at a significantly slower tempo than when communicating with adults, and they frequently repeat the signs.

Learning Objective: LO 7.7 Describe how infant-directed speech affects children’s language development.

Topic: The Language of Infant-Directed Speech

Difficulty Level: Difficult

Skill Level: Understand the Concepts

APA Learning Objective: 1.2 Develop a working knowledge of psychology’s content domains.

7-67. Summarize how living in poverty affects language development.

• A longitudinal study examined the relationship between living in poverty and language development in children.
• As levels of affluence increased, parents spent more time talking to their children.
• Children of families receiving welfare assistance were exposed to 13 million fewer words by age 4 compared to families with professional occupations.
• Children of families receiving welfare assistance were twice as likely to hear prohibitions compared to children in more affluent families.
• The greater the number and variety of words heard during development, the better children’s performance on measures of intellectual achievement.

Learning Objective: LO 7.8 Explain how socioeconomic status influences language development in children.

Topic: The Links Between Language Development and Poverty

Difficulty Level: Difficult

Skill Level: Analyze It

APA Learning Objective: 2.1 Use scientific reasoning to interpret psychological phenomena.

REVEL QUIZZES

The following questions appear at the end of each module and at the end of the chapter in Revel for Life Span Development, Fourth Edition.

Quiz: The Course of Language Development

EOM Q7.1.1

The basic sounds of language that can be combined to produce words and sentences are called __________.

a) morphemes

b) comprehensives

c) semantics

d) phonemes

Learning Objective: LO 7.1 Identify the formal characteristics of language, and describe how prelinguistic communication develops.

Difficulty: Easy

Skill: Remember

EOM Q7.1.2

__________ is a universal phenomenon in which infants spontaneously produce all of the sounds from every language.

a) Phonemic speech

b) Babbling

c) Telegraphic speech

d) Symbolism

Learning Objective: LO 7.1 Identify the formal characteristics of language, and describe how prelinguistic communication develops.

Difficulty: Easy

Skill: Understand

EOM Q7.1.3

One-word utterances, called __________, stand for a whole phrase and derive their meaning from the context in which they are used.

a) holophrases

b) morphemes

c) semantics

d) underextensions

Learning Objective: LO 7.2 Explain how speech develops in infancy and how early language differs from that used by adults.

Difficulty: Easy

Skill: Understand

EOM Q7.1.4

__________, in which new words are associated with their meaning after only a brief encounter, is responsible for the 14,000-word vocabulary of the average 6-year-old.

a) Overextension

b) Fast mapping

c) Pragmatics

d) Telegraphic comprehension

Learning Objective: LO 7.3 Summarize the rapid advances made by preschoolers in their comprehension and production of language, and distinguish private from social speech.

Difficulty: Easy

Skill: Understand

EOM Q7.1.5

Roberto points out to his mother that he purposefully tries to use smaller words with his little brother than he does with his older brother. This is an example of __________.

a) holophrases

b) private speech

c) telegraphic speech

d) metalinguistic awareness

Learning Objective: LO 7.4 Describe the development of language in middle childhood and the role metalinguistic awareness plays in understanding how language works.

Difficulty: Moderate

Skill: Apply

Quiz: The Origins of Language Development

EOM Q7.2.1

A mother who rewards a child for making a sound that approximates ma is an example of which perspective on language acquisition?

a) linguistic-relativity theory

b) learning theory approach

c) universal grammar theory

d) innate skill approach

Learning Objective: LO 7.5 Identify the major perspectives on language acquisition, and summarize the strengths and weaknesses of each.

Difficulty: Moderate

Skill: Apply

EOM Q7.2.2

The __________ approach to language acquisition posits that children are born with the innate capacity to use language, which emerges as they mature.

a) relativist

b) reinforcement

c) nativist

d) interdependent

Learning Objective: LO 7.5 Identify the major perspectives on language acquisition, and summarize the strengths and weaknesses of each.

Difficulty: Easy

Skill: Understand

EOM Q7.2.3

What do the learning theory approach and the interactionist approach to language development both have in common?

a) Both approaches emphasize the importance of biology on language development.

b) Both approaches emphasize the importance of the environment on language development.

c) Both terms can be used interchangeably to represent the same approach.

d) These two approaches actually do not have anything in common.

Learning Objective: LO 7.5 Identify the major perspectives on language acquisition, and summarize the strengths and weaknesses of each.

Difficulty: Difficult

Skill: Analyze

EOM Q7.2.4

The __________ hypothesis suggests that language provides categories that help children construct perceptions of people and events in their surroundings.

a) linguistic-relativity

b) environmental-interactionist

c) language-interdependence

d) reinforcement-behaviorist

Learning Objective: LO 7.6 Compare and contrast the different theories about the relationship between language and thought.

Difficulty: Easy

Skill: Understand

EOM Q7.2.5

Vygotsky believed that by age 2, the development of thought and language have become __________.

a) universal

b) environmental

c) innate

d) interdependent

Learning Objective: LO 7.6 Compare and contrast the different theories about the relationship between language and thought.

Difficulty: Easy

Skill: Understand

Quiz: Children’s Conversations: Speaking to and with Children

EOM Q7.3.1

The use of rising pitch, singsong intonation, repetitive sounds, and short, simple sentences are all characteristics of __________.

a) telegraphic speech

b) universal speech

c) infant-directed speech

d) immersion speech

Learning Objective: LO 7.7 Describe how infant-directed speech affects children’s language development.

Difficulty: Easy

Skill: Understand

EOM Q7.3.2

In a classic study, parents classified as professionals spent significantly more time __________ their children than did parents who received welfare assistance.

a) lecturing

b) interacting with

c) prohibiting

d) shopping with

Learning Objective: LO 7.8 Explain how socioeconomic status influences language development in children.

Difficulty: Easy

Skill: Remember

EOM Q7.3.3

It is estimated that by age 4, children from poorer families have been exposed to some __________ fewer words than children of more affluent families.

a) 2 million

b) 5 million

c) 9 million

d) 13 million

Learning Objective: LO 7.8 Explain how socioeconomic status influences language development in children.

Difficulty: Easy

Skill: Understand

EOM Q7.3.4

Disadvantages faced by children who lack English language skills include __________.

a) poor cognitive skills and lack of creativity

b) inability to pay attention and linguistic inflexibility

c) fear of teachers and lack of social skills

d) slow academic progress and isolation from other children

Learning Objective: LO 7.9 Compare bilingual education to the immersion approach, and identify the cognitive benefits of being bilingual.

Difficulty: Easy

Skill: Remember

EOM Q7.3.5

__________, an approach to educating students whose first language is not English, initially teaches the curriculum in the student’s native language while the child is learning English.

a) Bilingual education

b) Second-language learning

c) English-only education

d) Immersion instruction

Learning Objective: LO 7.9 Compare bilingual education to the immersion approach, and identify the cognitive benefits of being bilingual.

Difficulty: Easy

Skill: Understand

Chapter Quiz: Language Development

EOC Q7.1

__________ are the rules that govern the meaning of words and sentences.

a) Semantics

b) Extensions

c) Phonetics

d) Morphemes

Learning Objective: LO 7.1 Identify the formal characteristics of language, and describe how prelinguistic communication develops.

Difficulty: Easy

Skill: Understand

EOC Q7.2

When 2-year-old Helena says, “My socks on,” rather than “I put on my socks,” she is using __________.

a) holographic phrases

b) prelinguistic speech

c) telegraphic speech

d) fundamental communication

Learning Objective: LO 7.2 Explain how speech develops in infancy and how early language differs from that used by adults.

Difficulty: Moderate

Skill: Apply

EOC Q7.3

In the months spanning their third birthday, the number of ways children combine words and phrases to form sentences, known as __________, doubles each month.

a) extension

b) semantics

c) syntax

d) expansion

Learning Objective: LO 7.3 Summarize the rapid advances made by preschoolers in their comprehension and production of language, and distinguish private from social speech.

Difficulty: Easy

Skill: Remember

EOC Q7.4

__________ is the aspect of language relating to communicating effectively and appropriately with other.

a) Mapping

b) Comprehension

c) Dynamics

d) Pragmatics

Learning Objective: LO 7.3 Summarize the rapid advances made by preschoolers in their comprehension and production of language, and distinguish private from social speech.

Difficulty: Easy

Skill: Understand

EOC Q7.5

Jeremy, age 6, is trying to wait patiently so he can receive two marshmallows instead of taking one marshmallow right away. Based on research what strategy would he be most inclined to use to help him wait?

a) Stare at the marshmallow the whole time.

b) Sing a song to remind himself that he will get a bigger treat if he waits.

c) Focus on aspects of the marshmallow other than how it might taste.

d) Lick the marshmallow.

Learning Objective: LO 7.4 Describe the development of language in middle childhood and the role metalinguistic awareness plays in understanding how language works.

Difficulty: Moderate

Skill: Apply

EOC Q7.6

Who argued for the nativist approach to understanding language development?

a) Lev Vygotsky

b) Jean Piaget

c) B. F. Skinner

d) Noam Chomsky

Learning Objective: LO 7.5 Identify the major perspectives on language acquisition, and summarize the strengths and weaknesses of each.

Difficulty: Moderate

Skill: Analyze

EOC Q7.7

Chomsky’s analysis suggests that all the world’s languages share a similar underlying structure he calls __________.

a) universal grammar

b) predominant influence

c) shared acquisition

d) universal relativity

Learning Objective: LO 7.5 Identify the major perspectives on language acquisition, and summarize the strengths and weaknesses of each.

Difficulty: Easy

Skill: Remember

EOC Q7.8

According to the __________, language development comes about through a combination of genetically determined predispositions and environmental circumstances.

a) environmental hypothesis

b) behavioral perspective

c) relativity hypothesis

d) interactionist perspective

Learning Objective: LO 7.5 Identify the major perspectives on language acquisition, and summarize the strengths and weaknesses of each.

Difficulty: Easy

Skill: Understand

EOC Q7.9

The proposition that language shapes and may even determine the ways people in a particular culture perceive and understand the world is known as the __________.

a) nativist-acquisition hypothesis

b) universal-linguistic theory

c) linguistic-relativity hypothesis

d) learning theory approach

Learning Objective: LO 7.6 Compare and contrast the different theories about the relationship between language and thought.

Difficulty: Easy

Skill: Understand

EOC Q7.10

Unlike Whorf, Piaget believed that __________.

a) symbolic function is independent of thought

b) thinking shapes language

c) linguistics influences symbolic function

d) language determines perception

Learning Objective: LO 7.6 Compare and contrast the different theories about the relationship between language and thought.

Difficulty: Moderate

Skill: Apply

EOC Q7.11

Infant-directed speech is __________.

a) used primarily by more affluent parents

b) typically used with girls but not boys

c) harmful to language development

d) very similar across cultures

Learning Objective: LO 7.7 Describe how infant-directed speech affects children’s language development.

Difficulty: Easy

Skill: Remember

EOC Q7.12

In infant-directed speech, parents tend to use twice as many __________ with their daughters than with their sons.

a) diminutives

b) simple sentences

c) prohibitions

d) proper nouns

Learning Objective: LO 7.7 Describe how infant-directed speech affects children’s language development.

Difficulty: Easy

Skill: Remember

EOC Q7.13

The greater the __________ children have been exposed to, the better they perform on a variety of measures of intellectual achievement at age 3.

a) difficulty of languages

b) number of challenges

c) variety of childcare providers

d) number and variety of words

Learning Objective: LO 7.8 Explain how socioeconomic status influences language development in children.

Difficulty: Moderate

Skill: Understand

EOC Q7.14

__________ is the educational approach that teaches English language learners solely in English. 

a) Bilingualism

b) Inversion

c) Universalism

d) Immersion

Learning Objective: LO 7.9 Compare bilingual education to the immersion approach, and identify the cognitive benefits of being bilingual.

Difficulty: Easy

Skill: Understand

EOC Q7.15

Bilingual speakers show __________ than students who speak only one language.

a) more language confusion

b) greater cognitive flexibility

c) more emotional problems

d) greater musical ability

Learning Objective: LO 7.9 Compare bilingual education to the immersion approach, and identify the cognitive benefits of being bilingual.

Difficulty: Moderate

Skill: Apply