PSY 3136 Chapter Notes - Chapter 1: Nicaraguan Sign Language, Twin Study, Twin

• School: University of Ottawa
• Department: Psychology
• Course: PSY 3136
• Professor: Christopher Fennell

Document Summary

Nicaraguan sign language: in 1978 the government of nicaragua open the nation"s first public school for the deaf. The children came together and initially had no shared language. The younger they were at first exposure, the more spatial modulations were used in their signing. The common basis of language creation and acquisition: evidence in phenomena such as creolization and the development of nsl is the same capacity that underlies language acquisition. Language bio program hypothesis: humans are endowed with core grammar and a species- specific capacity for syntax. This is shown through the similarities between creole and child"s language. Twin studies may underestimate genetic contributions because monozygotic twins may differ genetically and in unmeasured aspects of the prenatal environment. Genetic factions account for a quarter of the variance in children"s language skills from two to four years and more than half the variance from seven to twelve years. Heritability estimates differ based on grammatical or lexical skills are being assessed.