Behaviorists' accounts of language development claim that:
A) children use input to formulate language rules.
B) children imitate what they area and are reinforced when they are correct.
C) children use a universal grammar to develop language.
D) social interaction is critical to language development.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Behaviorists believe that children acquire language through reinforcement and conditioning. They imitate what they hear and are rewarded when they produce correct language forms. Therefore, the correct answer is B.

The other choices are not consistent with the behaviorist perspective. Choice A is more in line with a cognitive view, where children learn language through developing rules based on their input. Choice C is associated with the innate language acquisition device proposed by Chomsky, which is not supported by behaviorists. Choice D is important for social interactionist theories of language development, but not central to a behaviorist perspective.

Behaviorists' Accounts of Language Development Claim That