PSY321H1 Lecture : Lec2.1 .pdf
Document Summary
Set of genes: closer to ppl/averse to standing close. Cultural knowledge/skills not in our head from birth. Universal brains develop into culturally variable minds. Many ppl argue -> lang separate ppl from animals. Core concept in our experiences as human & also cultural differences. Critical period hypothesis: window/period to learn certain aspects of lang better than others. Lang ability is a hallmark human characteristic. No other species is dependent on their lang skills or has as complex lang system as humans. 1 source of evidence for a sensitive period of lang acquisition is w/ respect to ppl"s abilities to discriminate among diff sounds. Ppl aren"t able to discriminate easily b/w phonemes that aren"t in their own lang: percentage of infants able to discriminate b/w 2 hindi phonemes. X-axis: age of infant, cultural linguistic background, y-axis: percentage of infants who are able to discriminate. Native english speakers of 6-8 months can readily distinguish b/w 2 sounds from hindi lang.
