Question 1

One feature of language is that it allows us to lie; if we all lie people will ignore what everyone says. What is the problem with this from the point of view of language evolution?
A) Language could not be used to maintain such large groups
B) It would cause conflict between individuals
C) People could no longer make promises
D) Language will not be evolutionarily stable

Accepted Answer

Language requires trust in order for communication to be effective. If lying becomes common and widely accepted, trust in language will erode and it will become less effective as a means of communication. This means that language will not be evolutionarily stable, as it will not be able to maintain its usefulness over time.

Question 2

Natural Language and Natural Selection (1990) was written by:
A) Pinker & Bloom
B) Chomsky
C) Gopnik
D) Tomasello

Accepted Answer

Natural Language and Natural Selection (1990) was a book written by Steven Pinker and Paul Bloom, which proposed that language acquisition is an innate cognitive ability that has evolved through natural selection.

Question 3

What is, according to Chomsky, the learnability argument?
A) Language learning is not possible without social interaction
B) Language learning is not possible without innate constraints
C) Language learning happens by trial and error
D) Language learning is the result of positive reinforcement not punishment

Accepted Answer

Chomsky's learnability argument is that language learning is not possible without innate constraints. He argues that the human brain is predisposed to learn language based on a set of innate rules or principles, which he called Universal Grammar.

Question 4

Lai et al. (2001) suggest that which gene on chromosome 7 may be implicated in specific language impairment:
A) WOLFP2
B) DOGP2
C) SHEEPP2
D) FOXP2

Accepted Answer

Lai et al. (2001) suggest that FOXP2, a gene located on chromosome 7, may be implicated in specific language impairment. FOXP2 has been linked to speech and language development, as well as other cognitive and neural processes related to language. Mutations in this gene have been associated with a rare monogenetic disorder known as developmental verbal dyspraxia, which affects the ability to produce coordinated speech movements.

Question 5

According to Nagy and Anderson (1984) the average high-school student knows how many words?
A) 25,000
B) 35,000
C) 45,000
D) 65,000

Accepted Answer

Nagy and Anderson (1984) estimated that the average high-school student knows about 45,000 words.

Question 6

A big problem with investigating whether Specific Language Impairment (SLI) is genuinely specific to language is.
A) It is rare, so sample sizes tend to be small
B) SLI is not homogeneous, different people might show different underlying causes
C) There is debate as to what aspects of cognition are specific to language
D) b and c

Accepted Answer

SLI is not a homogenous disorder, and different people might show different underlying causes. Additionally, there is debate in the field as to what aspects of cognition are specific to language, which makes it difficult to determine if SLI is genuinely specific to language. These factors make investigating SLI a challenge.

Question 7

According to Baldwin et al (1996) it is not sufficient to learn the meaning of a word simply by pairing sound with object. What else is needed?
A) Joint attention
B) Repetition
C) Emphasis
D) Pointing

Accepted Answer

Baldwin et al (1996) suggest that joint attention is needed in addition to pairing sound with object for learning the meaning of a word. Joint attention involves the child and caregiver sharing attention on the same object or event, and is believed to play a critical role in early word learning. Repetition, emphasis, and pointing may also play a role in language acquisition, but joint attention is considered a necessary component.

Question 8

Michael Tomasello has suggested that language is:
A) Like any other genetic artefact handed down by our ancestors
B) Unlike any other cultural artefact handed down by our ancestors
C) Like any other cultural artefact handed down by our ancestors
D) None of the above

Accepted Answer

Michael Tomasello argues that language is a cultural artifact that has been handed down by our ancestors, like other cultural artifacts such as tools and art. This is because language is learned through socialization and cultural transmission, rather than being genetically inherited like other biological traits. Therefore, choice C is the best answer.

Question 9

Changing the structure of words in order to reflect their grammatical role (e.g. dog → dogs, give → gave) is known as
A) Inflectional morphology
B) Derivational morphology
C) Syntactic morphology
D) Grammatical morphology

Accepted Answer

Inflectional morphology involves adding or changing morphemes at the end of a word to express grammatical information, such as tense, number, and gender. The examples given in the question (dog → dogs, give → gave) are examples of inflectional morphology. Derivational morphology involves adding morphemes to create new words or change the word's part of speech (e.g. happy → happiness, friend → friendly). Syntactic morphology and grammatical morphology are not terms commonly used to refer to this particular aspect of word structure.

Question 10

The 'Wug' test was studied by:
A) Pinker & Bloom
B) Chomsky
C) Gopnik
D) Tomasello

Accepted Answer

The 'Wug' test was developed by Jean Berko Gleason (not listed in the options), but it is closely associated with the study of language acquisition and development, an area where Alison Gopnik has made significant contributions. The test itself is designed to investigate the understanding of linguistic rules in children.

Question 11

Language is very much like cooperation as it is possible that someone can free ride on useful information provided by other. Which of the following would NOT be a viable solution to this particular problem of language?
A) Indirect reciprocity
B) Reciprocity reciprocal altruism)
C) Inclusive fitness kin selection)
D) Manipulation

Accepted Answer

The answer of Language is very much like cooperation as...

Question 12

Three theories as to why language evolved are:
A) Social grooming, altruism & mating mind
B) Social grooming, social contract & mating mind
C) Social grooming, social contract & altruism
D) Social grooming, social contract & reciprocity

Accepted Answer

The three theories as to why language evolved are social grooming, social contract, and mating mind.

Question 13

Which of the following is not a constraint on word learning?
A) Lexical assumption
B) Whole-object assumption
C) Mutual exclusivity assumption
D) Taxonomic assumption

Accepted Answer

The lexical assumption is not a recognized constraint on word learning. Constraints like the whole-object assumption, mutual exclusivity assumption, and taxonomic assumption are well-documented principles that guide how children learn the meanings of words. The lexical assumption does not fit within the established framework of constraints on word learning.

Question 14

Which sounds are indistinguishable from one another to Spanish speakers?
A) 's' and 'th'
B) 'b' and 'p'
C) 'e' and 'i'
D) 'b' and 'v'

Accepted Answer

Spanish speakers often have difficulty distinguishing between the sounds of the letters 'b' and 'v' because they are pronounced similarly in their language.

Question 15

In the statement 'the man who is wearing the brown apron is cooking sausages' the first occurrence of the word 'is' is part of the ____ phrase, the second occurrence is part of the _____ phrase.
A) verb, noun
B) preposition, verb
C) noun, verb
D) verb, preposition

Accepted Answer

The first occurrence of the word 'is' is part of the noun phrase 'the man who is wearing the brown apron', where 'is wearing' acts as an adjective to describe the man. The second occurrence of the word 'is' is part of the verb phrase 'is cooking', which describes the action the man is currently performing.

Question 16

Communication (or language learning) by pointing things out in the environment is known as:
A) Localising
B) Gestural speech
C) Indexically
D) Ostension

Accepted Answer

Ostension refers to the act of pointing to or referencing objects in the environment as a means of communication or language learning. This method is commonly used in early language development and in situations where a common language is not shared between individuals.

Question 17

What is the problem with trying to unambiguously identify grammar genes?
A) Genes are often pleiotropic, one gene can have many different effects
B) It is difficult to define precisely what a gene is
C) Genes are often polygenic, grammar will require many genes
D) Grammar is the interaction of genes and environmental input

Accepted Answer

The answer of What is the problem with trying to...

Question 18

Which of the following is not an Indo-European language?
A) Hindi
B) Turkish
C) German
D) Greek

Accepted Answer

Turkish is not an Indo-European language but belongs to the Turkic language family. The other options, Hindi, German, and Greek, are all Indo-European languages.

Question 19

The sound 'b' is technically known as
A) A morpheme
B) A phoneme
C) A grapheme
D) A lexeme

Accepted Answer

Phonemes are the smallest unit of sound in a language. 'B' is one such sound, therefore it is a phoneme. Morphemes are the smallest unit of meaning, graphemes are the smallest unit of written language, and lexemes are units of vocabulary.

Question 20

Dunbar proposes that language evolved in order for humans to manage large and complex groups (social networks). What is the average social network size proposed by Dunbar?
A) 50
B) 150
C) 200
D) 300

Accepted Answer

Dunbar's number is 150, which refers to the cognitive limit of the number of stable relationships an individual can maintain in a social network. Beyond this number, it becomes increasingly difficult to remember and manage relationships effectively. Therefore, Dunbar proposes that language evolved as a means for humans to cope with managing larger and more complex social networks.

Quiz 10: The Evolution of Language

One feature of language is that it allows us to lie; if we all lie people will ignore what everyone says. What is the problem with this from the point of view of language evolution?

Natural Language and Natural Selection (1990) was written by:

What is, according to Chomsky, the learnability argument?

Lai et al. (2001) suggest that which gene on chromosome 7 may be implicated in specific language impairment:

According to Nagy and Anderson (1984) the average high-school student knows how many words?

A big problem with investigating whether Specific Language Impairment (SLI) is genuinely specific to language is.

According to Baldwin et al (1996) it is not sufficient to learn the meaning of a word simply by pairing sound with object. What else is needed?

Michael Tomasello has suggested that language is:

Changing the structure of words in order to reflect their grammatical role (e.g. dog → dogs, give → gave) is known as

The 'Wug' test was studied by:

Language is very much like cooperation as it is possible that someone can free ride on useful information provided by other. Which of the following would NOT be a viable solution to this particular problem of language?

Three theories as to why language evolved are:

Which of the following is not a constraint on word learning?

Which sounds are indistinguishable from one another to Spanish speakers?

In the statement 'the man who is wearing the brown apron is cooking sausages' the first occurrence of the word 'is' is part of the phrase, the second occurrence is part of the _ phrase.

Communication (or language learning) by pointing things out in the environment is known as:

What is the problem with trying to unambiguously identify grammar genes?

Which of the following is not an Indo-European language?

The sound 'b' is technically known as

Dunbar proposes that language evolved in order for humans to manage large and complex groups (social networks) . What is the average social network size proposed by Dunbar?