Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Concept Videos

Higher Mental Functions of the Brain: Language01:10

Higher Mental Functions of the Brain: Language

Language is a system of communication that allows the expression of thoughts, ideas, and feelings. The brain processes language in both hemispheres.
Language formation and comprehension take place in the dominant hemisphere. The dominant hemisphere is responsible for understanding the meaning of spoken, written, or sign language, as well as the ability to communicate. For most people, the left hemisphere is the dominant one. The right hemisphere, then, gives tone and emotional context to the...
Components of Language01:24

Components of Language

Language, whether spoken, signed, or written, consists of specific components: lexicon and grammar. The lexicon is the vocabulary of a language, comprising its words. Grammar is the set of rules used to convey meaning through the lexicon. For example, English grammar adds “-ed” to most verbs to indicate past tense. Words are formed by combining phonemes, which are the basic sound units of a language. Different languages have different sets of phonemes (e.g., “ah” vs. “eh”). Phonemes combine to...
Language Development01:22

Language Development

Children master language quickly and with relative ease, supported by both biological predisposition and reinforcement. B. F. Skinner (1957) proposed that language is learned through reinforcement, while Noam Chomsky (1965) argued that language acquisition mechanisms are biologically determined.
The critical period for language acquisition suggests that the ability to acquire language is at its peak early in life. As people age, this proficiency decreases. Language development begins very...
Language and Cognition01:27

Language and Cognition

Language serves as a bridge between ideas and communication, influencing how individuals perceive and interact with the world. Psychologists have long debated whether language shapes thought or vice versa. This discussion gained grip with Edward Sapir and Benjamin Lee Whorf in the 1940s, who proposed that language determines thought, a concept known as linguistic determinism. They suggested that the vocabulary and structure of a language influence how its speakers think and perceive reality.
The Nativist Approach01:21

The Nativist Approach

The nativist approach to infant cognitive development proposes that infants are born with inherent knowledge structures that allow them to interpret the world almost immediately. This perspective contrasts with earlier developmental theories, such as those proposed by Jean Piaget, which emphasized a more gradual acquisition of cognitive abilities through interaction with the environment. One key concept in this approach is object permanence — the understanding that objects continue to exist...
Development of the Oral Microbiota01:28

Development of the Oral Microbiota

The establishment of the oral microbiome begins before birth, challenging the long-held belief that the fetal oral cavity is sterile. The presence of oral microbes such as Streptococcus and Fusobacterium in amniotic fluid suggests that microbial exposure may occur in utero, potentially through translocation from the maternal oral or gastrointestinal tract. This early colonization primes the neonatal immune system and sets the stage for subsequent microbial succession. Maternal health,...

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Effects of intertrial reinforcers on rats' timing behavior.

Behavioural processes·2014
Same author

Detection of sounds in the auditory stream: event-related fMRI evidence for differential activation to speech and nonspeech.

Journal of cognitive neuroscience·2001
Same author

Six-month-old infants' preference for lexical words.

Psychological science·2001
Same author

Language. Who's got rhythm?

Science (New York, N.Y.)·2000
Same author

Newborn infants' sensitivity to perceptual cues to lexical and grammatical words.

Cognition·1999
Same author

The effects of posterior parietal and posterior temporal cortical lesions on multimodal spatial and nonspatial competencies in rats.

Behavioural brain research·1999
Same journal

Implicit Bias: Evolution of a Powerful Idea.

Annual review of psychology·2026
Same journal

Introduction.

Annual review of psychology·2026
Same journal

Social Robotics Is Not (Just) About Machines, It Is About People: Psychology's Role in Developing Social Machines.

Annual review of psychology·2025
Same journal

Intensive Longitudinal Methods: Toward a Psychological Science of Daily Life.

Annual review of psychology·2025
Same journal

Human Rationality.

Annual review of psychology·2025
Same journal

Space to Act, Think, and Create.

Annual review of psychology·2025
See all related articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 28, 2026

Infant Auditory Processing and Event-related Brain Oscillations
06:34

Infant Auditory Processing and Event-related Brain Oscillations

Published on: July 1, 2015

Influences on infant speech processing: toward a new synthesis.

J F Werker1, R C Tees

  • 1Department of Psychology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada. Jwerker@cortex.psych.ubc.ca

Annual Review of Psychology
|March 13, 1999
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Infants tune into their native language sounds within the first year, shifting from general to specific sensitivities. This crucial phonological development links speech perception, babbling, and early word learning.

More Related Videos

Experience is Instrumental in Tuning a Link Between Language and Cognition: Evidence from 6- to 7- Month-Old Infants' Object Categorization
05:35

Experience is Instrumental in Tuning a Link Between Language and Cognition: Evidence from 6- to 7- Month-Old Infants' Object Categorization

Published on: April 19, 2017

Non-Nutritive Suck Parameters Measurements Using a Custom Pressure Transducer System
06:19

Non-Nutritive Suck Parameters Measurements Using a Custom Pressure Transducer System

Published on: April 19, 2024

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Jun 28, 2026

Infant Auditory Processing and Event-related Brain Oscillations
06:34

Infant Auditory Processing and Event-related Brain Oscillations

Published on: July 1, 2015

Experience is Instrumental in Tuning a Link Between Language and Cognition: Evidence from 6- to 7- Month-Old Infants' Object Categorization
05:35

Experience is Instrumental in Tuning a Link Between Language and Cognition: Evidence from 6- to 7- Month-Old Infants' Object Categorization

Published on: April 19, 2017

Non-Nutritive Suck Parameters Measurements Using a Custom Pressure Transducer System
06:19

Non-Nutritive Suck Parameters Measurements Using a Custom Pressure Transducer System

Published on: April 19, 2024

Area of Science:

  • Developmental Psychology
  • Linguistics
  • Cognitive Neuroscience

Background:

  • Human infants possess innate perceptual sensitivities for language.
  • These sensitivities are crucial for understanding and producing language by mapping sounds to meaning.
  • The first year of life is a critical period for auditory learning and language acquisition.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review the transition of infant perceptual sensitivity from language-general to language-specific.
  • To explore how this phonological tuning influences word learning.
  • To present an integrated framework for understanding infant speech perception, babbling, and word learning.

Main Methods:

  • Review of existing research on infant speech perception and language acquisition.
  • Analysis of developmental changes in phonological sensitivity during the first year of life.
  • Theoretical integration of perceptual-motor systems and cognitive development.

Main Results:

  • Infant perceptual sensitivities are modified during the first year, becoming tuned to native language phonology.
  • This tuning process is essential for mapping sounds to meaning and facilitating word learning.
  • A transactional framework integrating specialized speech systems with other abilities explains these changes.

Conclusions:

  • The transition to language-specific perception is a key developmental milestone.
  • Early speech perception, babbling, and word learning are interconnected processes.
  • An integrated transactional model provides a comprehensive view of early language development.