Naturalistic Observations the Advantages of Research Proposal

This chapter points out how early environmental influences, however, are also part of the nurture equation, something that is often forgotten. A baby who is picked up when he or she cries, is given stimulation in the nursery, and is given good nutrition will have a better start in life than a baby who is given none of these advantages, even if the deprived and enriched infants in this hypothetical scenario may have relatively the same genetic material. Nurture, in other words, begins very early on, and nurture can affect the later biology of the brain just as much as genetics.

Chapter 6

From birth, it seems as though humans are predisposed to communicate, and to make meaning out of sounds and gestures. Yet despite this apparent hard-wiring to create language, culture also has a profound influence on individual's communication styles, from the words that are used to nonverbal cues. Infants learn from their caregivers and through observation, even while they are predisposed to develop along a certain biological pattern of making meanings from sounds and conveying those meanings to others. Although this pattern may not be as direct as growing taller and heavier with age, it is still a discernable pattern, thus supporting the mixed theory of language and communication.Chapter 6 - Assignment F - Language Developments: Nature, Nurture, or Interaction?

1. Whenever 8-month-old Juan wants his mother, he calls our "mama" and she comes running. Consequently, Juan utters "mama" much more frequently now than he did at 7 months of age.

This is an example of 'nurture.' Juan said 'mama,' and his 'mama' rewarded him with her presence. Thus, through classical conditioning, Juan has been 'shaped' to utter 'mama' when he wants his mother. He is not born wanting to utter the phrase when he looks at his mother; rather he associates nurturance, comfort, and a fulfilled desire to have her presence with the word 'mama.'

2. Even in her very first sentence, it is obvious that 21-month-old Melissa has figured out the basics of subject-predicate word order. Seeing her mother returning from work, for example, she says "Mommy home" rather than "home Mommy."

Melissa's intuitive understanding of word order suggests that 'nature' is at play, as the most important part of her thought 'Mommy' precedes that of 'home.'

Works Cited

Berger, Kathleen Stassen. The Developing Person through Childhood….....