One of Chomsky's most persuasive arguments for refuting Skinner's theory of language acquisition was his observation that children
A) produce sentences they have never heard.
B) show similar language development across cultures.
C) are rewarded for using correct language.
D) learn to follow complex language rules, even though they are not aware of doing so.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Chomsky argued that children produce sentences they have never heard before, which is evidence that they are not simply imitating what they hear from others. This contradicts Skinner's theory that language is learned through operant conditioning or reinforcement.

One of Chomsky's Most Persuasive Arguments for Refuting Skinner's Theory