When discussing the acquisition of grammar, which type of theorist would be MOST likely to say, "Context and genetics are overrated, what really matters is imitation and reinforcement?"
A) a social-interaction theorist
B) a behaviorist
C) a cognitive theorist
D) a linguistic approach theorist

Question

When discussing the acquisition of grammar, which type of theorist would be MOST likely to say, "Context and genetics are overrated, what really matters is imitation and reinforcement?"
A) ​a social-interaction theorist
B) ​a behaviorist
C) ​a cognitive theorist
D) ​a linguistic approach theorist

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Behaviorists believe that language acquisition is closely tied to imitation and reinforcement, and that context and genetics are less significant factors. This is in contrast to social-interaction theorists, who emphasize the importance of social context and cognitive theorists, who stress the role of innate linguistic abilities. The linguistic approach, on the other hand, focuses on analyzing the formal structure of language itself.

When Discussing the Acquisition of Grammar, Which Type of Theorist