MCAT Psychological Social Foundations Flashcards: 6b Language Development Thought

What this deck covers

This deck focuses on 6b Language Development Thought, giving you a quick way to review the definitions, rules, and examples that matter most for MCAT Psychological Social Foundations.

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Work through these flashcards in short sessions. Try to answer each prompt before flipping the card, then revisit any cards you miss until the explanation feels automatic.

Flashcard 1: Identify the brain area most associated with language production and speech articulation.

Answer: Broca area. Located in left frontal lobe, damage causes production difficulties.

Flashcard 2: What is syntax in the context of language, and what does it govern?

Answer: Rules for arranging words into grammatically correct sentences. Determines word order and grammatical relationships in sentences.

Flashcard 3: What is the definition of telegraphic speech?

Answer: Two- to three-word utterances lacking function words. Contains content words but omits articles and prepositions.

Flashcard 4: What is the critical (sensitive) period hypothesis for language acquisition?

Answer: Optimal early-life window for native-like language learning. After puberty, achieving native fluency becomes much harder.

Flashcard 5: What does the behaviorist theory (Skinner) emphasize in language acquisition?

Answer: Operant conditioning: imitation plus reinforcement shapes language. Children learn through rewards and copying adults.

Flashcard 6: Identify the concept: a child says "two foots" after learning plural "-s".

Answer: Overgeneralization of morphology (irregular plural rule error). Child applies regular plural rule to irregular noun.

Flashcard 7: What is the definition of a phonological (speech sound) disorder?

Answer: Difficulty producing speech sounds correctly despite typical hearing. May involve substituting, omitting, or distorting speech sounds.

Flashcard 8: Which brain region is most associated with language comprehension?

Answer: Wernicke area (left posterior superior temporal gyrus). Damage causes receptive aphasia with fluent but nonsensical speech.

Flashcard 9: Which brain region is classically associated with language comprehension?

Answer: Wernicke area (posterior superior temporal gyrus). Damage here impairs understanding language (receptive aphasia).

Flashcard 10: What is syntax in language?

Answer: Rules governing how words are combined to form sentences. Determines word order and grammatical structure in sentences.

Flashcard 11: Which theory emphasizes reinforcement and imitation in language learning?

Answer: Behaviorist theory (Skinner). Views language as learned through conditioning and modeling.

Flashcard 12: What is prosody in spoken language?

Answer: Rhythm, stress, and intonation patterns that convey meaning. Suprasegmental features that add emotional and grammatical information.

Flashcard 13: Which theory states that language determines thought and perception (strong form)?

Answer: Linguistic determinism (Sapir-Whorf strong hypothesis). Proposes that the language we speak shapes our reality and cognition.

Flashcard 14: Identify the term for linking Broca and Wernicke areas; damage causes conduction aphasia.

Answer: Arcuate fasciculus. White matter tract connecting language production and comprehension areas.

Flashcard 15: Which brain area is most associated with language production?

Answer: Broca area (left inferior frontal gyrus). Damage causes expressive aphasia with effortful speech.

Flashcard 16: What is the definition of linguistic universalism regarding language and thought?

Answer: Thought is largely independent of language; universals dominate. Opposes Sapir-Whorf; cognition shapes language, not vice versa.

Flashcard 17: What is the typical age range for the one-word (holophrastic) stage?

Answer: Around $12$ to $18$ months. Single words represent entire thoughts or sentences.

Flashcard 18: Which theory states that language determines thought and perception most strongly?

Answer: Linguistic determinism (strong Sapir–Whorf hypothesis). Claims we can't think beyond our language's limits.

Flashcard 19: Identify the aphasia: fluent but meaningless speech with poor comprehension.

Answer: Wernicke aphasia. Preserved fluency but impaired meaning indicates receptive damage.

Flashcard 20: What is linguistic relativity (Sapir–Whorf hypothesis) in its weak form?

Answer: Language influences thought and perception. Suggests language shapes but doesn't limit cognition.

Flashcard 21: What is the definition of babbling in infant language development?

Answer: Early vocalizations of repeated consonant-vowel sounds. Typically emerges around 6-8 months, like "bababa" or "dadada."

Flashcard 22: What is a holophrase in early language development?

Answer: A single word used to express a complete idea. Like 'milk!' meaning 'I want milk' - common around 12 months.

Flashcard 23: Identify the aphasia type: fluent but meaningless speech with poor comprehension.

Answer: Wernicke aphasia. Patients produce word salad but can't understand others well.

Flashcard 24: What is the definition of babbling in infant language development?

Answer: Repetitive consonant-vowel sounds (for example, "ba-ba"). Occurs around 6-8 months, precedes meaningful words.

Flashcard 25: What is Broca aphasia, and what is the primary deficit?

Answer: Nonfluent, effortful speech with relatively preserved comprehension. Broca aphasia arises from frontal lobe damage, disrupting motor aspects of speech while sparing understanding.

Flashcard 26: What is semantics in language?

Answer: Rules and meanings of words and sentences. Focuses on literal meaning, not context or usage.

Flashcard 27: What is the critical (sensitive) period hypothesis for language acquisition?

Answer: Language is most easily acquired during early childhood. After puberty, native-like fluency becomes difficult.

Flashcard 28: What is morphology in language, and what unit does it analyze?

Answer: Study of word structure using morphemes (smallest meaning units). Morphemes include roots, prefixes, and suffixes that carry meaning.

Flashcard 29: What is the typical sequence of early expressive language milestones?

Answer: Cooing → babbling → one-word → two-word/telegraphic speech. Universal progression from simple sounds to complex utterances.

Flashcard 30: What is linguistic determinism as the strong form of Sapir-Whorf?

Answer: Language determines thought; cognition is constrained by language. Extreme view that language completely controls thinking.

Flashcard 31: What is overextension in child language development?

Answer: Using one word for a broader category than intended. Child applies word too broadly (e.g., "dog" for all animals).

Flashcard 32: What is Wernicke aphasia characterized by?

Answer: Fluent but nonsensical speech with impaired comprehension. Results from damage to Wernicke's area in temporal lobe.

Flashcard 33: What is syntax in linguistics?

Answer: Rules that govern word order and sentence structure. Syntax provides the structural framework for arranging words into coherent and grammatically correct sentences.

Flashcard 34: What is the role of the arcuate fasciculus in language processing?

Answer: Connects Broca and Wernicke areas; supports repetition and integration. White matter tract enabling communication between language regions.

Flashcard 35: What is the main claim of the nativist theory of language (Chomsky)?

Answer: Language ability is innate; humans have a language acquisition device. Children don't just imitate - they produce novel utterances.

Flashcard 36: What is the definition of morphemes in language?

Answer: Smallest units of meaning (words or meaningful parts). Include roots, prefixes, and suffixes that carry meaning.

Flashcard 37: What is the function of the arcuate fasciculus in language?

Answer: Connects Broca and Wernicke areas for repetition and integration. White matter tract enabling language area communication.

Flashcard 38: What is the Sapir–Whorf hypothesis (linguistic relativity)?

Answer: Language influences or shapes thought and perception. Strong version: language determines thought; weak: language influences it.

Flashcard 39: What is telegraphic speech in early childhood?

Answer: Two- to three-word utterances lacking function words. Omits articles, prepositions (e.g., "Mommy go store").

Flashcard 40: Identify the aphasia: nonfluent, effortful speech with relatively intact comprehension.

Answer: Broca aphasia. Preserved comprehension but impaired production indicates frontal damage.

Flashcard 41: What is overextension in early language development?

Answer: Applying a word too broadly (e.g., calling all animals "dog"). Common error where children overgeneralize word meanings.

Flashcard 42: What does the Sapir–Whorf (linguistic relativity) hypothesis claim?

Answer: Language influences or shapes habitual thought and perception. Suggests different languages create different worldviews.

Flashcard 43: What is underextension in early word learning?

Answer: Using a word too narrowly for a limited set of examples. Child only calls family pet "dog," not other dogs.

Flashcard 44: What does linguistic relativity (Sapir–Whorf hypothesis) claim about language and thought?

Answer: Language influences cognition and perception (strong vs weak forms). Your native language shapes how you think and perceive.

Flashcard 45: Identify the term for the inability to recall a word despite knowing it (a "tip-of-the-tongue" state).

Answer: Tip-of-the-tongue phenomenon. Demonstrates separation between semantic knowledge and lexical retrieval.

Flashcard 46: What is the definition of the language acquisition device (LAD) in nativism?

Answer: Innate mechanism for learning universal grammar. Chomsky's theory of biologically programmed language learning.

Flashcard 47: What is a morpheme?

Answer: Smallest unit of meaning in a language (e.g., roots, prefixes). Includes free morphemes (cat) and bound morphemes (-s).

Flashcard 48: What is child-directed speech (parentese), and what is its key feature?

Answer: Simplified, high-pitched, exaggerated intonation speech to infants. This speech style aids infant language acquisition by using clear, engaging patterns to highlight linguistic features.

Flashcard 49: What is morphology in language (as tested on the MCAT)?

Answer: Rules for word structure using morphemes. Morphemes are the smallest meaningful units that build words.

Flashcard 50: What is pragmatics in language use?

Answer: Using language appropriately in context (social rules of language). Knowing when to be formal vs casual, or how to make requests politely.

Flashcard 51: Identify the lesion: nonfluent, effortful speech with relatively intact comprehension.

Answer: Broca aphasia (Broca area damage). Produces halting, telegraphic speech but understands others.

Flashcard 52: What is telegraphic speech in child language development?

Answer: Two-word utterances that omit function words (e.g., "want cookie"). Mimics telegram style - only essential content words included.

Flashcard 53: Which brain area is most associated with language comprehension?

Answer: Wernicke area (posterior superior temporal gyrus). Damage causes receptive aphasia with comprehension deficits.

Flashcard 54: What is pragmatics in language?

Answer: Use of language in context, including social rules and implied meaning. Includes tone, turn-taking, and understanding implied meanings.

Flashcard 55: What does the nativist theory propose about language acquisition?

Answer: Language ability is innate; humans have inborn language mechanisms. Chomsky's view: we're biologically wired for language.

Flashcard 56: What does the interactionist theory propose about language development?

Answer: Language develops from biology interacting with social environment. Combines nature (innate capacity) and nurture (social input).

Flashcard 57: What is semantics in language, and what does it primarily concern?

Answer: Meaning of words, phrases, and sentences. Studies how words and sentences convey meaning.

Flashcard 58: What does the nativist theory (Chomsky) propose about language development?

Answer: Language ability is innate; humans have a language acquisition device. Nativist theory posits an inherent biological mechanism that facilitates instinctive language acquisition in humans.

Flashcard 59: What is the definition of the McGurk effect?

Answer: Visual mouth movements alter perceived speech sounds (audiovisual integration). Seeing 'ga' while hearing 'ba' makes you perceive 'da'.

Flashcard 60: Identify the term: a morpheme that can stand alone as a word (for example, "book").

Answer: Free morpheme. Functions independently without needing other morphemes.

Flashcard 61: What is prosody in spoken language?

Answer: Rhythm, stress, and intonation patterns that shape meaning. How we say something affects what it means (e.g., sarcasm).

Flashcard 62: What is telegraphic speech, and what is characteristically omitted?

Answer: Early multiword speech omitting function words and inflections. Content words only, like "baby sleep" instead of "the baby is sleeping."

Flashcard 63: What is underextension in child language development?

Answer: Using one word for a narrower category than intended. Child restricts word meaning (e.g., "dog" only for family pet).

Flashcard 64: Which term describes the weaker view that language influences, but does not determine, thought?

Answer: Linguistic relativism (weak Sapir–Whorf hypothesis). Language shapes but doesn't completely control thinking.

Flashcard 65: What is syntax in language, and what does it govern?

Answer: Rules for combining words into grammatically correct sentences. Determines proper word order and phrase structure in sentences.

Flashcard 66: What is overextension in early childhood language development?

Answer: Using a word too broadly (e.g., calling all men "daddy"). Child applies word beyond its correct referent category.

Flashcard 67: What is babbling in infant language development?

Answer: Early vocalization of repeated consonant-vowel sounds (e.g., "ba-ba"). Precedes meaningful speech, typically emerging around 6 months.

Flashcard 68: What is the difference between a phoneme and a morpheme?

Answer: Phoneme = smallest sound unit; morpheme = smallest meaning unit. Phonemes distinguish words (e.g., /b/ vs /p/); morphemes carry meaning.

Flashcard 69: What is the main claim of the linguistic relativity (Sapir–Whorf) hypothesis?

Answer: Language influences thought and perception of reality. Suggests language structure shapes how speakers think and perceive.

Flashcard 70: Identify the brain area most associated with language comprehension.

Answer: Wernicke area. Located in left temporal lobe, processes language meaning.

Flashcard 71: What is the definition of babbling in infant language development?

Answer: Repetitive consonant–vowel sounds (e.g., "ba-ba") before true words. Precedes first words around 6-10 months of age.

Flashcard 72: Which concept explains why it is harder to distinguish two colors that share a single name in one language?

Answer: Linguistic relativity. Language categories influence perception and discrimination.

Flashcard 73: What is a phoneme?

Answer: Smallest unit of sound that can change meaning in a language. Like /p/ vs /b/ distinguishing "pat" from "bat".

Flashcard 74: What is syntax in language (as tested on the MCAT)?

Answer: Rules for arranging words into grammatical sentences. Determines the grammatical order and structure of sentences.

Flashcard 75: Identify the aphasia: nonfluent, effortful speech with relatively intact comprehension.

Answer: Broca aphasia. Patients understand but struggle to produce fluent speech.

Flashcard 76: What is the Sapir-Whorf hypothesis (linguistic relativity)?

Answer: Language influences thought and perception. Language structure shapes cognitive processes and worldview.

Flashcard 77: What is telegraphic speech in early childhood?

Answer: Two-word, content-heavy phrases lacking function words. Omits articles and prepositions: "Mommy go" instead of "Mommy is going."

Flashcard 78: Identify the term for a child using one word to express a whole idea (for example, "milk" meaning "I want milk").

Answer: Holophrastic speech. Single words carry complete thoughts in early language development.

Flashcard 79: What is the difference between linguistic relativity and linguistic determinism?

Answer: Relativity: language influences thought; determinism: language determines thought. Relativity is weaker claim; determinism claims language controls thought.

Flashcard 80: What is Wernicke aphasia, and what is the primary deficit?

Answer: Fluent but nonsensical speech with impaired comprehension. Wernicke aphasia results from temporal lobe damage, impairing semantic processing and leading to incoherent output.

Flashcard 81: Identify the diagnosis: fluent speech with poor comprehension and nonsensical content after a lesion.

Answer: Wernicke aphasia. Fluent but meaningless speech indicates comprehension damage.

Flashcard 82: Which brain region is most associated with speech production?

Answer: Broca area (left inferior frontal gyrus). Damage causes expressive aphasia with effortful, telegraphic speech.

Flashcard 83: What is overregularization in child language development?

Answer: Applying grammatical rules too broadly (for example, "goed"). Shows understanding of rules but hasn't learned exceptions yet.

Flashcard 84: What is overregularization in language development?

Answer: Applying grammar rules too broadly (for example, "goed"). Shows children actively learn rules, not just imitate.

Flashcard 85: What is the definition of pragmatics in language?

Answer: Use of language in context to achieve goals. Includes turn-taking, politeness, and implied meanings.

Flashcard 86: Which brain area is primarily responsible for language comprehension?

Answer: Wernicke area (dominant hemisphere, usually left). Located in temporal lobe; damage causes receptive aphasia.

Flashcard 87: What is the definition of phonemes in language?

Answer: Smallest units of sound that distinguish meaning. Like /p/ vs /b/ in "pat" vs "bat" - changing one changes meaning.

Flashcard 88: What is a morpheme?

Answer: Smallest unit of meaning in a language. Can be a whole word ("cat") or part ("un-" in "unhappy").

Flashcard 89: Identify the term: adding meaning via prefixes or suffixes (for example, "un-" or "-ed").

Answer: Bound morpheme. Cannot stand alone; must attach to other morphemes.

Flashcard 90: What is Wernicke aphasia most specifically characterized by?

Answer: Fluent but nonsensical speech with impaired comprehension. Damage to left temporal lobe affects language understanding.

Flashcard 91: Which option best describes the McGurk effect in speech perception?

Answer: Visual mouth movements alter perceived spoken sounds. Hearing "ba" while seeing "ga" lip movements produces "da" perception.

Flashcard 92: What does the critical (sensitive) period hypothesis propose about language?

Answer: Language is most easily acquired early; later acquisition is less complete. Explains why adult language learners rarely achieve native fluency.

Flashcard 93: What is pragmatics in language use?

Answer: How context and social rules shape language meaning. Pragmatics examines how situational context and social norms influence the intended meaning of utterances.

Flashcard 94: What is the definition of phonemes in language development?

Answer: Smallest units of sound that distinguish meaning in a language. Like 'p' vs 'b' - changing one sound changes the word's meaning.

Flashcard 95: What is child-directed speech (CDS), also called motherese?

Answer: Simplified, high-pitched, exaggerated intonation speech to infants. Adults naturally modify speech to help infants learn language.

Flashcard 96: What is overextension in early language development?

Answer: Using one word for a broader category than intended. Child might call all four-legged animals "dog."

Flashcard 97: What is the definition of morphemes in language development?

Answer: Smallest units of meaning in a language (e.g., roots, prefixes). Can't be broken down further while retaining meaning (un-, -ed, cat).

Flashcard 98: What is syntax in language?

Answer: Rules for combining words into grammatically correct sentences. Determines proper word order and sentence structure.

Flashcard 99: What is underextension in child language development?

Answer: Using a word too narrowly (word for only one specific example). Child might use "dog" only for their pet, not other dogs.

Flashcard 100: What is the definition of phonemes in language?

Answer: Smallest units of sound that distinguish meaning in a language. Like 'p' vs 'b' - changing one sound changes word meaning.