Search research articles

ABOUT JoVE

Overview Leadership Blog JoVE Help Center

AUTHORS

Publishing Process Editorial Board Scope & Policies Peer Review FAQ Submit

LIBRARIANS

Testimonials Subscriptions Access Resources Library Advisory Board FAQ

RESEARCH

JoVE Journal Methods Collections JoVE Encyclopedia of Experiments Archive

EDUCATION

JoVE Core JoVE Business JoVE Science Education JoVE Lab Manual Faculty Resource Center Faculty Site

Terms & Conditions of Use

Related Concept Videos

Language Development

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...

Piaget's Stage 2 of Cognitive Development

Piaget's Stage 2 of Cognitive Development

The preoperational stage, the second of Jean Piaget's four stages of cognitive development, spans approximately ages 2 to 7 and is characterized by the emergence of symbolic thinking. During this stage, children use language, images, and symbols to represent objects and concepts, enabling them to engage in imaginative and pretend play. This symbolic thinking supports children's ability to perform make-believe actions, such as imagining a broom as a horse or their hand as a phone, blending...

Components of Language

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 and Cognition

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.

Social Foundations of Self II: The Generalized Other

Social Foundations of Self II: The Generalized Other

According to George Herbert Mead, as children progress beyond the game stage, they develop a more comprehensive understanding of societal rules and norms. This cognitive and social development enables them to internalize the expectations of the broader community, refining their ability to regulate behavior.Consistent participation in organized activities is crucial in helping children recognize that their actions are not isolated but contribute to a more significant, interconnected group effort.

Observational Learning

Observational Learning

Albert Bandura's observational learning, also known as imitation or modeling, occurs when a person observes and imitates another's behavior. It is a quicker process than operant conditioning. A well-known example is the Bobo doll study, where children who saw an adult acting aggressively towards the doll were more likely to act aggressively when left alone, compared to those who observed a nonaggressive adult. Many psychologists view observational learning as a form of latent learning because...

You might also read

Related Articles

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

Sort by

Same author

How do children construct a concept of age?

Developmental psychology·2026

Same author

ManyNumbers 3: A Multi-Lab Study of Demographic Correlates of Early Number Knowledge.

Developmental science·2026

Same author

Training "Zero" in preschoolers: Fast referential learning, slow relational integration.

Cognition·2026

Same author

The role of epistemic reasoning in mutual exclusivity inferences.

Journal of experimental child psychology·2026

Same author

Counting without end: A cross-linguistic exploration of infinity beliefs in English and Hindi learners.

Journal of experimental child psychology·2026

Same author

Back to reality: Children's early temporal reasoning applies to real but not hypothetical events.

Child development·2026

Search research articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 29, 2026

Behavioral Assessment of Hearing in 2 to 4 Year-old Children: A Two-interval, Observer-based Procedure Using Conditioned Play-based Responses

Behavioral Assessment of Hearing in 2 to 4 Year-old Children: A Two-interval, Observer-based Procedure Using Conditioned Play-based Responses

Published on: January 23, 2017

Is two a plural marker in early child language?

David Barner¹, Toni Lui, Jennifer Zapf

¹Department of Psychology, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093-0109, USA. barner@ucsd.edu

Developmental Psychology

|September 21, 2011

Summary

The numeral "two" does not function as a plural marker in early child language. Children primarily use plural marking spontaneously, not numerals, for plurality.

Area of Science:

Developmental linguistics
Child language acquisition
Psycholinguistics

Background:

Children learn grammatical number through various cues.
Debate exists on whether numerals like 'two' initially signal plurality before precise quantity understanding.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate the role of the numeral 'two' as a plural marker in early child language.
To examine the relationship between numeral use and plural marking in young children.

Main Methods:

English-speaking 2- and 3-year-olds were asked to label sets of objects.
Children's spontaneous use of numerals and plural markers was analyzed.
Labeling tasks were conducted with and without numeral prompts.

Main Results:

More Related Videos

Defining the Role Of Language in Infants' Object Categorization with Eye-tracking Paradigms

Defining the Role Of Language in Infants' Object Categorization with Eye-tracking Paradigms

Published on: February 8, 2019

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: May 29, 2026

Behavioral Assessment of Hearing in 2 to 4 Year-old Children: A Two-interval, Observer-based Procedure Using Conditioned Play-based Responses

Behavioral Assessment of Hearing in 2 to 4 Year-old Children: A Two-interval, Observer-based Procedure Using Conditioned Play-based Responses

Published on: January 23, 2017

Defining the Role Of Language in Infants' Object Categorization with Eye-tracking Paradigms

Defining the Role Of Language in Infants' Object Categorization with Eye-tracking Paradigms

Published on: February 8, 2019

Children rarely used numerals spontaneously for plural marking.
Numeral users were more likely to use plural markers, indicating obligatory pluralization with numerals.
'Two' showed no special status as a plural marker compared to other numerals.

Conclusions:

The numeral 'two' is not a plural marker in early child language acquisition.
Children appear to treat plural marking as obligatory when using numerals, not as an alternative to them.