Seven-year-olds have a better chance of recovering from aphasia (a disorder that affects language skills) than do 50-year-olds with similar brain damage. What can be said of this data?
A) It suggests that young brains are less developed than older brains.
B) It suggests that old brains take more time to recover from injuries than young brains.
C) It is consistent with the sensitive period hypothesis of language learning.
D) It refutes the sensitive period hypothesis of language learning.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The data is consistent with the sensitive period hypothesis of language learning, which suggests that there is a critical period for language acquisition that ends around puberty. After this age, the brain becomes less plastic and less able to recover from language impairments. The fact that a seven-year-old has a better chance of recovering from aphasia than a 50-year-old with similar brain damage supports this hypothesis.

Seven-Year-Olds Have a Better Chance of Recovering from Aphasia (A