Biological Bases of Language Development

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Questions and Answers

What do right-hemisphere lesion patients sometimes have difficulty with?

Producing abnormal intonation contour

Recognizing emotional tone of an utterance

Understanding jokes and sarcasm

All of the above (correct)

What percentage of the population is left-hemisphere dominant for language?

80-98% (correct)

90-95%

95-100%

80-90%

What do left-handed people and women tend to show in their language processing?

More right-hemisphere dominance

More left-hemisphere dominance

No difference in processing

More bilateral processing (correct)

What does the equipotentiality hypothesis suggest?

Specialization occurs as a function of experience Signup and view all the answers

What does the invariance hypothesis predict about children's language processing?

Children's language processing looks similar to adults Signup and view all the answers

What does research support regarding language development?

The invariance hypothesis Signup and view all the answers

What did dichotic listening on young children show?

A right-ear advantage for verbal stimuli Signup and view all the answers

What did electrophysiology studies of the brain show in response to speech sounds?

Greater left-hemisphere activity Signup and view all the answers

What is a characteristic of human species that is unique to them?

Capacity to acquire language Signup and view all the answers

What happens when humans have no language in common?

They use a pidgin to communicate Signup and view all the answers

What is true about human language acquisition?

Humans have a natural ability to acquire language Signup and view all the answers

What is the term for the communication system created when people have no language in common?

Pidgin Signup and view all the answers

What is an example of a pidgin language?

Hawaiian Pidgin English Signup and view all the answers

What drives humans to create language?

The desire to communicate Signup and view all the answers

What is the role of language in human society?

It is a means of communication Signup and view all the answers

What is a characteristic of pidgins?

They have limited linguistic structure Signup and view all the answers

What is a significant factor influencing the language outcomes of foreign-born adopted children?

The age at which they were adopted Signup and view all the answers

What is the term for the period during which children are more likely to acquire language naturally and effortlessly?

Sensitive Period Signup and view all the answers

What is the finding regarding the language abilities of deaf children who are exposed to sign language from infancy?

They are more proficient than deaf children exposed to sign language later in childhood Signup and view all the answers

What is the correlation between the age of exposure to a second language and the likelihood of native-like proficiency in that language?

The younger the immigrant, the more native-like their proficiency Signup and view all the answers

What is the main finding regarding the language acquisition rates of mono-zygotic (identical) and di-zygotic (fraternal) twins?

Mono-zygotic twins show more similar rates of language development than di-zygotic twins Signup and view all the answers

What is the genetic component of language impairment, according to twin and adoption studies?

Strong genetic component, seen in both children and adults Signup and view all the answers

What is the role of the FOXP2 gene in language development?

It is one of several genes that enable language acquisition Signup and view all the answers

What is the implication of the Critical Period Hypothesis for language acquisition in adults?

Adults have a harder time acquiring language than children Signup and view all the answers

Study Notes

Language as a Human Universal

Language is a characteristic of the human species, and all human children have the capacity to acquire language.
Language is a universal aspect of human nature, and humans create language even when there is no model to learn from.

Language Creation

Pidgins are communication systems created when people have no language in common.
Pidgins have limited linguistic structure and use lexical items from one or more contact languages.
Example: Hawaiian Pidgin English was created by immigrant workers who shared no language with each other or with their English-speaking employers.

The Human Brain and Language

The right hemisphere of the brain may be involved in the pragmatic aspects of language use.
Right-hemisphere lesion patients may have difficulty understanding jokes, sarcasm, and figurative language.
Individual and sex-related differences exist in brain organization for language processing.

Brain Development and Language Development

Two competing views on the development of left-hemisphere specialization for language:
- Equipotentiality hypothesis: both hemispheres have the potential to host language ability, and specialization occurs through experience.
- Invariance hypothesis: the left hemisphere is specified to host language from birth and maturation has no effect on specialization.
Research supports the invariance hypothesis, with evidence from dichotic listening and electrophysiology studies.

The Critical Period Hypothesis

Evidence supports the critical period hypothesis, including:
- Late acquisition of sign language: deaf children exposed to sign language from infancy are more proficient than those exposed later in childhood.
- Second language acquisition: younger immigrants to the USA tend to sound and perform more like native speakers.

The Genetic Basis of Language Development

The heritability of individual differences in language acquisition rates is strong, with monozygotic twins showing more similar rates than dizygotic twins.
The genetics of language impairment:
- Language impairment has a strong genetic component, with twin and adoption studies supporting this.
- The FOXP2 gene is critical for typical language development, but is not the sole gene responsible for language or speech.

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Description

This quiz covers the biological aspects of language development, including the human vocal tract, brain, and genetic basis of language development.