Infant discrimination of rapid auditory cues predicts later language impairment

Do language abilities develop in isolation? Are they mediated by a unique neural substrate, a "mental organ" devoted exclusively to language? Or is language built upon more general abilities, shared with other cognitive domains, and mediated by common neural systems? Here, we review results suggesting that language and gesture are "close family", then turn to evidence that raises questions about how real those "family resemblances" are, summarizing dissociations from our developmental studies of several different child populations. We then examine both these veins of evidence in light of some new findings from the adult neuroimaging literature and suggest a possible reinterpretation of these dissociations as well as new directions for research with both children and adults.

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Language, gesture, and the developing brain.

http://matt.colorado.edu/teaching/highcog/fall11/readings/d4.pdf

Becoming symbol-minded

Continuity in attachment classification from infancy to late adolescence was examined and related to autobiographical memories of childhood, divorce, and maladjustment. Eighty-four White middle-class children (48 girls) were seen in a modified Strange Situation at 12 months and given the Adult Attachment Interview at 18 years. In addition, data were collected on 13-year-olds' childhood recollections as well as adolescent, mother, and teacher ratings of maladjustment at 13 and 18 years of age. Divorce status of parents also was obtained. Results indicated no continuity in attachment classification from 1 to 18 years of age and no relation between infant attachment status and adolescent maladjustment. Divorce was related to 13-year-olds' childhood recollections as well as to insecure attachment status at 18 years. Eighteen-year-olds with insecure attachment classification were more likely to rate themselves as maladjusted. The results support the idea of attachment as an evolving representation dependent upon the nature of the family environment as indexed by divorce.

Attachment over Time

Well-known sayings, quotations, and proverbs help provide us with bases for understanding socially acceptable thoughts and deeds. Generally, in Western cultures, it is believed that adherence to the Golden Rule and acting in a charitable manner will lead to interpersonal and intrapersonal profit, whereas those who subscribe to Machiavellian rhetoric will suffer because of his or her own moral ignorance, selfishness, and vice. In short, common sense dictates that those whose social behaviors are judged to be skillful, successful, and acceptable over time and across settings will lead productive, honorable, and successful lives. Those judged as incompetent are predicted to suffer a variety of malevolent consequences.

Interpersonal Problem-Solving and Social Competence in Children

The role of imitation in language acquisition is examined, including data from the psycholinguistic, operant, and social learning areas. From the psycholinguistic data, four empirical statements have been extracted: (1) there is no evidence that spontaneous imitations of adult speech influence grammatical development, (2) imitation of speech does not appear to occur with frequency beyond age 3 years, (3) speech and hence imitation are not necessary for the comprehension of linguistic structures, and (4) most utterances of a child are novel and therefore could not have been exactly modeled. The first and second propositions are seen to be based on a too restrictive definition of imitation-immediate and exact copying. Selective imitation-a functional relationship involving similarity of a particular form or function of the model's responses-is proposed as an alternative, thus leaving the validity of statements (1) and (2) in question. Concerning assertion (4), certain data from the operant literature are presented as evidence of the compatibility of novel responding and modeling, imitation, and reinforcement. Finally, it is proposed that statement (3) suggests a mechanism by which selective imitation can be understood. A three-stage process is proposed in which comprehension of a grammatical form sets the stage for selective imitation of that structure, which leads in turn to spontaneous production. Thus imitation is a process by which new syntactic structures can be first introduced into the productive mode.

Is language acquired through imitation

The development and outcomes of childhood shyness - a multiple psychophysiological measure approach, L.A. Schmidt and N.A. Fox a social cognitive perspective on peer aggression and vicitimization, S. Graham and J. Juvonen CALLED - a model of early word learning, W.E. Merriman a diathesis-stress model of achievement, A.K. Boggiano and J. Forward secrets, lies and suggestibility - a conversational perspective on memory and cognition in young children, M. Siegal, P.A. Newcombe and C.C. Peterson.

Annals of child development : a research annual

The effect of contingent vs noncontingent feedback on accuracy of imitative production of 8 Polish words was examined for 7 males and 7 females at a rural day care center. In addition, a second measure, on which discrimination of correct and incorrect forms of the same Polish words was required, was administered before and after production training. Accuracy of production improved over sessions for the group receiving contingent feedback; accuracy of production in the noncontingent feedback group did not improve. Both groups performed at chance level during the initial discrimination test and improved significantly and nondifferentially on the later test. The results are discussed in terms of their implications for language development and imitation.

Ross Vasta

Papers

Is language acquired through imitation

Annals of child development : a research annual

Accuracy of Imitative Production and Discrimination: Effects of Contingent Feedback: