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Related Concept Videos

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.
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...
Observational Learning01:12

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...
Steps in the Modeling Process01:14

Steps in the Modeling Process

Albert Bandura's theory of observational learning identifies four critical processes: attention, retention, motor reproduction, and reinforcement or motivation.
Attention is the first necessary component for observational learning. It involves focusing on what the model is doing and saying. For example, if you decide to take a drawing class to enhance your skills, you need to pay close attention to the instructor's words and hand movements. The characteristics of the model significantly...

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 13, 2026

Examining Gesture Production in the Presence of Communication Challenges
07:18

Examining Gesture Production in the Presence of Communication Challenges

Published on: January 26, 2024

GESTURE'S ROLE IN CREATING AND LEARNING LANGUAGE.

Susan Goldin-Meadow

    Enfance; Psychologie, Pedagogie, Neuropsychiatrie, Sociologie
    |March 26, 2013
    PubMed
    Summary
    This summary is machine-generated.

    Children who are deaf and lack language exposure can invent their own sign language. These gestures demonstrate resilient properties of language that children naturally develop, highlighting gesture's role in language acquisition.

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    Area of Science:

    • Developmental Psychology
    • Linguistics
    • Cognitive Science

    Background:

    • Children invent language spontaneously when deprived of linguistic input.
    • Congenitally deaf children without prior sign language exposure develop their own gestural communication systems.
    • Gestures produced by deaf children exhibit language-like properties.

    Purpose of the Study:

    • To explore the capacity of children to invent language de novo.
    • To investigate the properties of spontaneously generated sign languages.
    • To understand the role of gesture in language acquisition for both deaf and hearing children.

    Main Methods:

    • Observational studies of congenitally deaf children lacking language exposure.
    • Analysis of gestural communication systems developed by these children.
    • Comparison of deaf children's invented gestures with gestures produced by hearing children.

    Main Results:

    • Deaf children, without any linguistic models, invent gestures that function as a language.
    • These invented gestures possess resilient properties inherent to language, discoverable by any child.
    • Gestures produced by hearing children, while not language itself, precede and predict language development.

    Conclusions:

    • Language is not solely transmitted across generations but can be reinvented.
    • Children possess an innate readiness to develop language, evident in both invented and conventional sign systems.
    • Gesture plays a crucial role in the language-learning process for all children.