McGraw-Hill OnlineMcGraw-Hill Higher EducationLearning Center
Student Center | Instructor Center | Information Center | Home
PowerWeb
Learning Objectives
Chapter Outline
Factual Multiple Choice
Conceptual Multiple Choice
Glossary
Flashcards
Web Resources
Following Up on the Internet
PowerPoints
Feedback
Help Center


Book Cover
Human Development: Updated, 7/e
James Vander Zanden, Ohio State University
Thomas Crandell, Broome Community College
Corinne Crandell, Broome Community College
Infancy: Cognitive and Language Development

Chapter Outline

Chapter 5 explores the processes by which cognition and language develop during early childhood. Cognitive and language abilities are the most distinctive features of human beings; without them, we would be without culture. The chapter concentrates on the following topics:

1

Cognitive Development. Individual differences in mental representation throughout infancy are shown to be developmentally continuous across childhood and even into adulthood.

2

Piaget's Sensorimotor Period. Piaget explains the child's primary task of integrating motor and perceptual systems in order to begin the process of objectifying the world

3

Learning. Learning is defined and its importance for how we make sense of the world around us is discussed.

4

The Function of Language and Thought. The functional importance of language is discussed, with the emphasis on the role of language in facilitating communication as well as thought.

5

The Relation of Language to Thought. This is examined in accordance with two opposing viewpoints: language as the mere container of thought and language as the determinant of thought.

6

Theories of Language Development. Learning and interactionist theories are examined. These theories state that language is acquired through learning processes, as well as the opposing innateness theory, which views human beings as biologically "prewired" for language usage. Chomsky's nativist theory, whereby the basic structure of language is biologically programmed, is presented in detail.

7

Language Development. The importance of early nonverbal behaviors, prelanguage, language production, and language reception in the communication process is discussed. The sequence of language development in children is examined, beginning with such early vocalizations as cooing and babbling, progressing into holophrastic speech, two-word utterances, and telegraphic speech.








Copyright2003 McGraw-Hill Higher Education
Any use is subject to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
McGraw-Hill Higher Education is one of the many fine businesses of The McGraw-Hill Companies.