Question 1

According to the text,what is the primary mode of communication among humans?

Accepted Answer

Language is the primary mode of communication among humans, as it encompasses both speech and written forms, allowing for complex and nuanced exchanges of ideas and information.

Question 2

Which theory of language development contends that normal development proceeds according to an inborn program that is not significantly influenced by environmental factors?

Accepted Answer

The Nativist theory, associated with linguist Noam Chomsky, argues that the ability to learn language is innate, hard-wired into the brain, and unfolds through natural development rather than being taught or influenced significantly by the environment.

Question 3

Contrary to earlier behaviorist assumptions,____ principles do not play the primary role in language development.

Accepted Answer

B

Question 4

Which of the following appears to be involved when we use the grammatical rules of a language in both producing and comprehending sentences?

Accepted Answer

Broca's area is involved in the production of speech and the use of grammatical rules in both producing and comprehending sentences, making it crucial for language processing.

Question 5

Due to the influence of ____,until about 1960 most psychologists assumed that the development of language ability in children was simply a learned response.

Accepted Answer

Behaviorism, which was a dominant approach in psychology until about 1960, emphasized observable behaviors and considered learning as a process of responding to stimuli. This perspective led psychologists to view language development primarily as a learned behavior.

Question 6

Who proposed that humans are born with specialized brain structures or neural prewiring that facilitate the learning of language?

Accepted Answer

Noam Chomsky proposed the theory of an innate biological mechanism called the Language Acquisition Device (LAD), suggesting that humans are born with a prewired ability to learn language.

Question 7

Genetic research suggests that roughly 200,000 years ago,mutations in the ____ gene may have caused changes in the brains of archaic Homo sapiens,providing them with much finer control over their mouth and throat muscles.

Accepted Answer

The FOXP2 gene is associated with language and speech development. Mutations in this gene around 200,000 years ago are believed to have given archaic Homo sapiens improved control over their mouth and throat muscles, aiding in the development of complex language.

Question 8

Human brains have been shaped to facilitate reflective thought and imagery,abilities essential for complex decision making and problem solving.From this perspective,language use evolved as a means of facilitating the construction of an inner reality that we call ____.

Accepted Answer

Language use evolved as a means of facilitating the construction of an inner reality that we call consciousness. This is because consciousness involves reflective thought, imagery, and the complex decision-making processes that language supports and enhances.

Question 9

The sending and receiving of information is known as ____.

Accepted Answer

Communication is the correct term for the sending and receiving of information, encompassing a wide range of methods including speech, writing, signals, and behavior.

Question 10

A systematic way of communicating information using symbols and rules for combining them is known as ____.

Accepted Answer

Language is a systematic way of communicating information using symbols (such as words) and rules for combining them (such as grammar).

Question 11

Which theory contends that human language is the product of a very long period of biological evolution,spanning millions of years?

Accepted Answer

Gradual increase theory suggests that human language developed over a long period through small evolutionary changes. This contrasts with theories proposing sudden changes or specific cognitive leaps.

Question 12

The theory of language evolution that contends that human language is more a product of sudden cultural evolution is called ____.

Accepted Answer

Threshold theory posits that human language emerged suddenly in the course of human evolution, marking a clear distinction from the gradual development suggested by other theories.

Question 13

A small clump of neurons near the front of the brain influences brain areas that control muscles of the lips,jaw,tongue,soft palate,and vocal cords during speech.What is this area of the brain called?

Accepted Answer

Broca's area is responsible for speech production and the control of facial neurons necessary for the articulation of words, which includes the muscles of the lips, jaw, tongue, soft palate, and vocal cords.

Question 14

The ____ appears to be responsible for the comprehension of speech.

Accepted Answer

Wernicke's area is known for its role in the comprehension of speech, meaning it is involved in understanding the language we hear and read.

Question 15

According to Chomsky's linguistic theory,an innate mechanism that facilitates the learning of language is known as the ____.

Accepted Answer

Chomsky's linguistic theory posits the existence of a Language Acquisition Device (LAD), an innate mechanism that allows humans to acquire language.

Question 16

The oral expression of language is known as ____.

Accepted Answer

Speech is the correct term for the oral expression of language, referring specifically to the process of producing sounds that convey meaning to others.

Question 17

The rules used in language to combine words into sentences is known as ____.

Accepted Answer

Syntax is the set of rules, principles, and processes that govern the structure of sentences in a given language, specifically the order of words and phrases to create well-formed sentences.

Question 18

Recent genetic testing of different animal species provides evidence bolstering the ____ theory.

Accepted Answer

Genetic testing provides evidence for the gradual increase theory, which states that new traits arise gradually over time through the accumulation of small genetic changes.

Question 19

Proponents of the ____ theory believe that language is no older than 50,000 years and is closely tied to the development of tools,imagery,and art.

Accepted Answer

The threshold theory suggests that human language developed rapidly once certain cognitive and cultural thresholds were crossed, around the time when tools, imagery, and art became prevalent, approximately 50,000 years ago.

Question 20

Which of the following observations regarding behaviorism's language theory is incorrect?

Accepted Answer

Behaviorism posits that learning, including language acquisition, is a result of conditioning and reinforcement, implying a more passive role for learners, contrary to the active involvement suggested in choice B.

Quiz 8: Language, thinking, and Intelligence