Question 1

Bilingualism is associated with all of the following EXCEPT ​

Accepted Answer

Bilingualism is associated with a range of cognitive benefits, including reduced risk of dementia, higher abstract reasoning scores, and increased working memory capacity. However, it is not specifically linked to enhanced processing speed.

Question 2

The linguistic relativity hypothesis predicts that ​

Accepted Answer

The linguistic relativity hypothesis, also known as the Sapir-Whorf hypothesis, suggests that the structure of a language affects its speakers' world view or cognition. Therefore, it predicts that people may have difficulty thinking about concepts for which they lack linguistic terms, aligning with choice A.

Question 3

Which of the following types of theory BEST accounts for the apparent rapidity and ease of language acquisition in early childhood?

Accepted Answer

Nativist theory, proposed by Noam Chomsky, best accounts for the rapid and seemingly effortless acquisition of language in early childhood. It suggests that humans are born with an innate ability or a mental structure prewired to acquire language, known as the Language Acquisition Device (LAD), which allows children to rapidly understand and produce language.

Question 4

You are having a conversation with your psychology professor and he proposes that people have an inborn predisposition to develop language. Which of the following theorists would MOST likely agree with his assertions?

Accepted Answer

Noam Chomsky is known for his theory of an innate language acquisition device, suggesting that humans are born with a predisposition to develop language.

Question 5

The hypothesis that one's language determines the nature of one's thought is the _____ hypothesis.

Accepted Answer

The hypothesis that one's language determines the nature of one's thought is known as the linguistic relativity hypothesis, often associated with the work of Edward Sapir and Benjamin Lee Whorf. This theory suggests that the structure and vocabulary of one's language influence how one perceives and conceptualizes the world.

Question 6

Which of the following is NOT an item of evidence Chomsky would use to support the idea of an inborn language learning mechanism?

Accepted Answer

Chomsky's theory of an inborn language learning mechanism, or Universal Grammar, suggests that the ability to learn language is innate, and thus language learning should exhibit commonalities across different cultures. Choice B, which states that language learning in young children is different across cultures, contradicts this idea, making it not an item of evidence Chomsky would use to support his theory.

Question 7

Noam Chomsky contended that ​

Accepted Answer

Noam Chomsky argued that humans have an innate ability or an inborn biological propensity for language learning, which he termed the Language Acquisition Device (LAD). This theory suggests that the capacity for language is hardwired into the brain, challenging the views that language is primarily learned through social interaction or reinforcement.

Question 8

According to Skinner, children learn a language ​

Accepted Answer

Skinner, a behaviorist, believed that children learn language through processes of imitation, reinforcement, and shaping, rather than through innate mechanisms or cognitive development stages.

Question 9

Dr. Grath believes that both an innate predisposition and a supportive environment contribute to language development. Dr. Grath's views are MOST consistent with those of _____ theories.

Accepted Answer

Interactionist theories of language development propose that both innate biological predispositions and the social environment play crucial roles in the language learning process, aligning with Dr. Grath's views.

Question 10

Which of the following is a criticism of Skinner's model of language acquisition? ​

Accepted Answer

Skinner's model, based on behaviorism, suggests language is learned through imitation and reinforcement. Critics argue it's unreasonable to expect children to learn an infinite number of sentences this way, as language involves creativity and generative grammar beyond mere imitation.

Question 11

Mrs. Bondle seldom corrects her 4-year-old's grammatical errors, such as "Her drinked my milk." However, she is careful to correct factual errors, such as "Tiger ate his milk." Assuming Mrs. Bondle's child develops normal language skills, her pattern of feedback would be inconsistent with ​

Accepted Answer

Behavioral theories emphasize reinforcement and correction of errors in language learning, so Mrs. Bondle's lack of correction of grammatical errors is inconsistent with this view.

Question 12

The hypothesized "language acquisition device" is associated with the _____ theory of language.

Accepted Answer

The "language acquisition device" is a concept proposed by Noam Chomsky, associated with the nativist theory of language. This theory suggests that the ability to acquire language is innate to humans.

Question 13

Approximately _____ of the world's population grows up bilingual.

Accepted Answer

Approximately 50% of the world's population grows up bilingual, experiencing life with two or more languages. This is due to various factors including migration, multicultural societies, and the global importance of learning additional languages for communication and business.

Question 14

You are having a conversation with your psychology professor and she proposes that children acquire language the same way they learn everything else, through reinforcement and other established principles of conditioning. Which of the following theorists would MOST likely agree with her assertions?

Accepted Answer

B. F. Skinner is most associated with the idea that language acquisition occurs through principles of conditioning and reinforcement. He argued that children learn language through operant conditioning, where behaviors (in this case, language use) are reinforced.

Question 15

According to behaviorist theory, children's vocabularies increase and their pronunciation improves as

Accepted Answer

Behaviorist theory, particularly associated with B.F. Skinner, posits that language development occurs through operant conditioning. Children learn to speak and refine their language skills through reinforcement. When parents reward attempts at speech that more closely approximate the correct pronunciation or usage, children are encouraged to refine their speech further. This process is known as shaping.

Question 16

Dr. Sciorro believes that because the majority of children acquire language without any effort, there must be a biological mechanism that facilitates language learning. Dr. Sciorro's views of language development MOST closely mirror those of

Accepted Answer

Noam Chomsky proposed the theory of a universal grammar, suggesting that the ability to acquire language is innate, a view that aligns with Dr. Sciorro's belief in a biological mechanism facilitating language learning.

Question 17

During the first half of the 20th century, the study of cognition was discouraged because ​

Accepted Answer

The theoretical dominance of behaviorism, which focused on observable behaviors rather than internal mental processes, discouraged the study of cognition during the first half of the 20th century.

Question 18

Joe is a bilingual elementary school student.  Relative to his monolingual peers, Joe is likely to excel on tasks requiring ​

Accepted Answer

Bilingualism has been shown to improve working memory and processing speed.

Question 19

The primary disadvantage that bilingual learners have relative to monolingual learners is in the domain of

Accepted Answer

Bilingual learners often experience slower processing speed in language tasks due to the need to navigate between two linguistic systems, which can momentarily delay response times compared to monolingual learners.

Question 20

You are having a conversation with your psychology professor and he proposes that your language determines the nature of your thought. Which of the following theorists would MOST likely agree with his assertions?

Accepted Answer

Benjamin Whorf is most associated with the hypothesis that language determines thought, known as the Sapir-Whorf Hypothesis or linguistic relativity. This theory suggests that the structure of a language affects its speakers' world view or cognition.

Quiz 8: Cognition and Intelligence

Bilingualism is associated with all of the following EXCEPT ​

The linguistic relativity hypothesis predicts that ​

Which of the following types of theory BEST accounts for the apparent rapidity and ease of language acquisition in early childhood?

You are having a conversation with your psychology professor and he proposes that people have an inborn predisposition to develop language. Which of the following theorists would MOST likely agree with his assertions?

The hypothesis that one's language determines the nature of one's thought is the _____ hypothesis.

Which of the following is NOT an item of evidence Chomsky would use to support the idea of an inborn language learning mechanism?

Noam Chomsky contended that ​

According to Skinner, children learn a language ​

Dr. Grath believes that both an innate predisposition and a supportive environment contribute to language development. Dr. Grath's views are MOST consistent with those of _____ theories.

Which of the following is a criticism of Skinner's model of language acquisition? ​

Mrs. Bondle seldom corrects her 4-year-old's grammatical errors, such as "Her drinked my milk." However, she is careful to correct factual errors, such as "Tiger ate his milk." Assuming Mrs. Bondle's child develops normal language skills, her pattern of feedback would be inconsistent with ​

The hypothesized "language acquisition device" is associated with the _____ theory of language.

Approximately _____ of the world's population grows up bilingual.

You are having a conversation with your psychology professor and she proposes that children acquire language the same way they learn everything else, through reinforcement and other established principles of conditioning. Which of the following theorists would MOST likely agree with her assertions?

According to behaviorist theory, children's vocabularies increase and their pronunciation improves as

Dr. Sciorro believes that because the majority of children acquire language without any effort, there must be a biological mechanism that facilitates language learning. Dr. Sciorro's views of language development MOST closely mirror those of

During the first half of the 20th century, the study of cognition was discouraged because ​

Joe is a bilingual elementary school student. Relative to his monolingual peers, Joe is likely to excel on tasks requiring ​

The primary disadvantage that bilingual learners have relative to monolingual learners is in the domain of

You are having a conversation with your psychology professor and he proposes that your language determines the nature of your thought. Which of the following theorists would MOST likely agree with his assertions?

Bilingualism is associated with all of the following EXCEPT

The linguistic relativity hypothesis predicts that

Noam Chomsky contended that

According to Skinner, children learn a language

Which of the following is a criticism of Skinner's model of language acquisition?

Mrs. Bondle seldom corrects her 4-year-old's grammatical errors, such as "Her drinked my milk." However, she is careful to correct factual errors, such as "Tiger ate his milk." Assuming Mrs. Bondle's child develops normal language skills, her pattern of feedback would be inconsistent with

During the first half of the 20th century, the study of cognition was discouraged because

Joe is a bilingual elementary school student. Relative to his monolingual peers, Joe is likely to excel on tasks requiring