PSYC14H3 Chapter Notes - Chapter 5: Diana Baumrind, Collectivism
Document Summary
Universal brains develop into culturally variable minds humans are cultural beings able to learn and accumulate cultural info well (distinguish from proto-chimpanzee ancestors) allowed us to succeed in amazingly diverse array of environments. Some specialize shortly after birth (ex: imprinting) Others (like humans) continue specialize through their lives in some domains. Most species go through critical developmental transition emphasizing acquisition of new skills to emphasizing specialization and exploitation of skills already acquired these developmental transitions = existence of sensitive period. Sensitive periods for language acquisition language ability is hallmark human characteristic; no other species is as dependent on language skills or has as complex language system as humans. Most compelling kind of evidence comes from forbidden experiment : raise child w/ no language input until 15 or so and try to teach language and measure their performance. No such experiments but case studies: figure 5. 2 genie, and wild boy of aveyron.
