Describe the visual reinforcement audiometry paradigm. What do the results of studies using
this paradigm suggest about the development of infant auditory perception and the ability to
learn language?
What will be an ideal response?
In this paradigm, the infant is placed in the mother's lap. The researcher plays a tone
over and over; gradually the tone changes. After the tone changes, a darkened box
lights up with a noisy active toy; this serves as a reinforcer. The infant will then turn
her head to view the box. The researcher repeats this process—each time the tone
changes the box lights up and the infant turns her head to view it. Gradually, the infant
will learn to turn her head when the tone changes in anticipation of the reinforcer.
When listening to unfamiliar, nonnative speech sounds, younger infants will turn their
heads in anticipation of the reinforcer when these sounds slightly change but older
infants will not because they cannot detect the sound changes. These results suggest
that infants are initially pre-programmed to learn any language, but gradually lose this
ability as they learn their native language.
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Experiments are powerful and help determine cause because the experimenter manipulates a variable between groups holding other factors constant. This manipulated variable is the:
a. independent variable c. extraneous variable b. dependent variable d. control variable
All groups have unspoken rules of conduct, which establish acceptable behavior in most situations and are referred to as social __________
Fill in the blank(s) with correct word
In Eidelson and Epstein's study on the belief systems of happy and unhappy couples, it was found that:
a. unhappy couples believed they could change themselves but not their partners b. unhappy couples put much effort into communicating clearly with their partners c. unhappy couples believed they could not change themselves nor could their partners change d. unhappy couples believed their partners could not understand their needs without explicit communication
When children are threatened, criticized, and punished excessively by adults, they
A) renew their efforts to master new tasks. B) feel too much guilt and their exuberant play breaks down. C) lose the ability to form a sense of morality. D) form a superego by identifying with the same-sex parent.