Behaviorists explain language acquisition in children as a process involving _______ of sounds in the parent's language and ________ of foreign sounds.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Behaviorists believe that children acquire language through reinforcement, where they are praised or rewarded for saying words correctly, and through extinction, where incorrect sounds or words are not reinforced, leading the child to stop using them. The option of shaping (C) is also a part of the behaviorist approach, but it refers more to the process of gradually refining and approximating correct language use through reinforcement of successive approximations. Option D is incorrect as there is a behaviorist explanation for language acquisition.

Behaviorists Explain Language Acquisition in Children as a Process Involving