Language Development in Infancy

Study Notes

Language development begins in infancy, but conversations with infants emerge during this period.
Four broad language domains are phonology, semantics, syntax, and pragmatics.
Infants acquire language alongside brain maturation, progressing from babbling, to one-word utterances, and finally two-word utterances.
Receptive language (comprehension) emerges earlier than expressive language (production).
Vocabulary increases rapidly in the latter half of the second year.
Individual variations in language acquisition are significant. Some learn quickly, others more slowly.
Different styles of language production exist.
Crying and babbling are prelinguistic sound productions.

Infants need to establish connections between sounds and meanings.
Realization that everything has a name is a key initial step.
Infants learn context-restricted (specific context) and context-flexible (various contexts) words.
Most commonly used words are learned first.
Word frequency is not the sole factor in early vocabulary development.
Nouns are frequently the first words learned, followed by verbs.
Capacity to reference objects facilitates word acquisition.

Learning theories posit that basic emotions (e.g., fear, rage, love) are learned through associations and classical conditioning.
Cognitive theories propose that perceptual experiences form memory traces, influencing emotion intensity.

Avoids weaknesses of structural theories.
Emphasizes the adaptive value of emotions during evolution.
Emotions fulfill functions, like regulating internal processes, influencing how events are interpreted and motivating reaction to stimuli.

Distress, sadness, disgust, fear, anger, and joy are primary emotions evident from birth.
These emotions change and vary with maturation and experiences.
Social experiences shape emotional expression; mothers often respond to positive expressions and ignore negative ones.
Social referencing (approx. 10 months old) and emotional contagion are critical.

Infants' sensitivity to expressions of others, like facial expressions, plays a pivotal role in social development (1.5-2-month-olds discriminate among different facial expressions).

Temperament reflects individual differences in behavioral functioning. These differences have biological origins and are relatively stable over time.
There are differences across various cultures and parenting styles.

Attachment is an enduring emotional bond, primarily formed with parents.
Infants display attachment behaviors, notably seeking proximity to caregivers.
Infants establish a preference for some caregivers over others.
Infants develop secure attachments by observing the stability and reliability of relationships.

A standardized procedure to assess attachment security.
Four broad attachment types emerge: secure, insecure-avoidant, insecure-resistant/ambivalent, and disorganized.

Theory of Mind (TOM) involves understanding that others have mental states that differ from one's own, and these mental states can influence their behavior.
TOM typically develops later in childhood.

Social interactions enable infants to identify trustworthy people and sources of information.
Shared language and appropriate behaviors contribute to trust building.