By 10 months of age, Alan has a vocabulary of a dozen words. B. F. Skinner would have attributed Alan's rapid speech development mainly to _____.
A) his unusually high I.Q.
B) an unusual language-acquisition talent
C) the amount his parents talk to him
D) rapid physical development

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

B.F. Skinner believed that language development was largely determined by environmental factors, particularly the amount of reinforcement or feedback that a child receives for their language attempts. In this case, Alan's rapid vocabulary development at 10 months old is likely due to the amount that his parents talk to him and provide positive reinforcement for his attempts at language. It is unlikely to be attributed to his IQ or an unusual talent, as these factors have not been demonstrated to be major contributors to language acquisition. Rapid physical development may be a contributing factor in some ways, such as improved motor control for producing speech sounds, but it is not the main factor that Skinner identified.

By 10 Months of Age, Alan Has a Vocabulary of a Dozen