What statement best describes the poverty of the stimulus argument against Skinner’s view that language is acquired by operant conditioning?

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Question restatement: What statement best describes the poverty of the stimulus argument against Skinner’s view that language is acquired by operant conditioning?

Option 1: 'Children learn language through semantics' This answer suggests that semantic aspects drive language learning. While semantics are a component of language, the poverty of the stimulus critique is not claiming that learning arises from semantics alone. The core issue is about the insufficiency of exposure and reinforcement to account for the rich, rule-governed aspects of syntax and structure, not merely meaning.

Option 2: 'Children learn language through punishment and not through reinforcement' This misrepresents Skinner’s account. Skinner emphasizes reinforcement as a key mechanism for language learning, not punishment as the primary driver. The poverty of the stimulus argument targets the limits of reinforcement and the exposure provided, not a shift to punishment-based learning.

Option 3: 'Children learn language through general learning mechanisms' This option references a general-learning perspective. The poverty of the stimulus argument argues that general, data-driven or associative learning mechanisms are insufficient to explain the hierarchical, recursive structure of language, given the quality and quantity of available input as well as the complexity of grammar. The claim here is closer to asserting sufficiency rather than addressing the limitation pointed out by the poverty of the stimulus, making this option not align with the specific critique.

Option 4: 'Children are not exposed to enough language to learn language through reinforcement alone' This statement captures the central idea of the poverty of the stimulus criticism. It argues that the linguistic input children receive is too limited, noisy, and uninformative to yield full grammatical knowledge through reinforcement alone, thereby challenging Skinner’s view and supporting the argument for innate constraints or specialized mechanisms for language acquisition.

Summary of the misalignments: Options 1 and 2 misstate either the focus on semantics or the role of punishment, which are not the core claim of poverty of the stimulus. Option 3 emphasizes general learning mechanisms but does not articulate the key insufficiency highlighted by the argument. Option 4 accurately states that the exposure to language is insufficient for learning via reinforcement alone, which is the essence of the poverty of the stimulus argument against Skinner’s theory.

PSYC20007_2025_SM2 Supplementary or Special Exam: Cognitive Psychology (PSYC20007_2025_SM2)- Requires Respondus LockDown Browser

What statement best describes the poverty of the stimulus argument against Skinner’s view that language is acquired by operant conditioning?

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