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01:16Language
Language is a unique communication system that uses words and systematic rules to organize and transmit information. Unlike other forms of communication, which may involve postures, movements, odors, or vocalizations, language relies on symbols and grammar. This makes human communication distinct from that of other species, who also communicate but do not use language in the same way humans do.
Corballis and Suddendorf (2007) and Tomasello and Rakoczy (2003) highlight the role of language in...
Corballis and Suddendorf (2007) and Tomasello and Rakoczy (2003) highlight the role of language in...
01:24Components 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...
01:22Language 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...
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...
01:27Language 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.
01:10Tip-of-the-Tongue Phenomenon
The tip-of-the-tongue (TOT) phenomenon is a cognitive experience characterized by a temporary inability to retrieve specific information from memory despite having a strong feeling of knowing the information. Although individuals cannot access the target word or detail, they frequently recall related elements, such as its initial letter, syllable count, or context. This partial retrieval often causes frustration, as one might recognize a familiar face or know that a name starts with a specific...
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Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 17, 2026
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
Cross-language word segmentation by 9-month-olds.
D M Houston1, P W Jusczyk, C Kuijpers
1Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland, USA.
Psychonomic Bulletin & Review
|November 18, 2000
Summary
English-learning infants can segment Dutch words from fluent speech, similar to Dutch-learning infants. This cross-language word segmentation may be aided by shared rhythmic structures in both languages.
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Area of Science:
- Developmental Psychology
- Linguistics
- Cognitive Science
Background:
- Infants' ability to segment words from fluent speech is crucial for language acquisition.
- The role of prosody, specifically stress patterns, in word segmentation is a key area of research.
- Understanding cross-language perception in infants can shed light on universal and language-specific aspects of language development.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate whether English-learning infants can segment Dutch words from fluent Dutch speech.
- To compare the word segmentation abilities of Dutch-learning and English-learning infants in Dutch.
- To explore the potential influence of cross-linguistic prosodic similarities on word segmentation.
Main Methods:
- Utilized the Headturn Preference Procedure (HPP) with 9-month-old infants.
- Infants were familiarized with specific Dutch word pairs.
- Tested infants on passages containing familiarized words versus control passages.
Main Results:
- Both Dutch-learning and English-learning infants demonstrated equivalent ability to segment familiarized Dutch words from fluent speech.
- English-learning infants successfully extracted target words from Dutch passages, despite phonetic differences.
- The findings suggest a robust capacity for word segmentation that transcends language-specific phonetic input.
Conclusions:
- 9-month-old English-learning infants possess the ability to segment words from a phonetically distinct language (Dutch).
- This cross-language segmentation ability suggests that infants may leverage general prosodic cues, such as stress patterns, common to both Dutch and English.
- The findings highlight the flexibility of early language learning mechanisms and the potential role of universal prosodic structures.