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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...

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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.

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Dec 26, 2025

Measuring Statistical Learning Across Modalities and Domains in School-Aged Children Via an Online Platform and Neuroimaging Techniques

Measuring Statistical Learning Across Modalities and Domains in School-Aged Children Via an Online Platform and Neuroimaging Techniques

Published on: June 30, 2020

Infants with Williams syndrome detect statistical regularities in continuous speech.

Cara H Cashon¹, Oh-Ryeong Ha¹, Katharine Graf Estes²

¹Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of Louisville, USA.

|June 15, 2016

Summary

Infants with Williams syndrome (WS) can detect statistical patterns in speech, suggesting this ability is not the cause of their language delays. This study offers the first evidence of statistical learning in infants with developmental delays.

Keywords:

Infancy Language delay Language development Lexical development Statistical learning Williams syndrome

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Last Updated: Dec 26, 2025

Measuring Statistical Learning Across Modalities and Domains in School-Aged Children Via an Online Platform and Neuroimaging Techniques

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Published on: June 30, 2020

Infant Auditory Processing and Event-related Brain Oscillations

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Published on: July 1, 2015

Portable Intermodal Preferential Looking IPL: Investigating Language Comprehension in Typically Developing Toddlers and Young Children with Autism

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Published on: December 14, 2012

Area of Science:

Developmental Psychology
Neuroscience
Genetics

Background:

Williams syndrome (WS) is a rare genetic disorder causing developmental delays.
The underlying reasons for language acquisition delays in WS remain unclear.
Statistical learning is crucial for early language development.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate statistical learning abilities in infants with Williams syndrome.
To determine if infants with WS can detect word boundaries in continuous speech using statistical cues.

Main Methods:

Eighteen infants (8-20 months) with WS were exposed to a continuous speech stream of artificial words.
Participants were tested on their ability to discriminate between valid words and word fragments based on statistical regularities.

Main Results:

Infants with Williams syndrome successfully detected the statistical structure in the speech stream.
They demonstrated the ability to differentiate between statistically defined words and part-words.

Conclusions:

The capacity for statistical learning in speech is intact in infants with WS, despite cognitive and language delays.
These findings indicate that impaired statistical learning is unlikely to be the primary cause of language onset delays in WS.
This research provides novel evidence for statistical learning capabilities in infants experiencing developmental delays.