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Encyclopedia of Child Behavior and Development pp 991–992Cite as

Nativist Theory

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Synonyms

Innate language acquisition; Nature vs Nurture debate

Definition

A set of theories which contend that human abilities and developmental processes are innate and hard-wired at birth. These theories inform beliefs about developmental processes most closely associated with initial language acquisition.

Description

Language acquisition is the study of the processes by which a person learns a language. Nativist theories hypothesize that language is an innate fundamental part of the human genetic make-up and that language acquisition occurs as a natural part of the human experience. Nativist theorists argue that children are born with an innate ability to organize laws of language, which enables children to easily learn a native language. They believe that children have language-specific abilities that assist them as they work towards mastering a language. This notion is often times contrasted to the behavioralist perspectives of Skinner and Watson who argued that language (i.e.,...

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References

  1. Chomsky, N. (1965). Aspects of the theory of syntax. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press.

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  3. Moerk, E. L. (1994). Corrections in first language acquisition: Theoretical controversies and factual evidence. International Journal of Psycholinguistics, 10, 33–58.

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  4. Pink, S. (1994). The language instinct: How the mind creates language. New York: Harper Collins.

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  5. Skinner, B. F. (1957). Verbal behavior. New York: Copley Publishing Group.

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  6. Yang, C. (2006). The infinite gift: How children can learn and unlearn all the languages of the world. New York: Scribner.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Educational Psychology and Leadership, Texas Tech University, MS 40171, Lubbock, TX, USA

    Kyle A. Litchfield

  2. Department of Educational Psychology and Leadership, Texas Tech University, MS 40171, Lubbock, TX, 79409, USA

    Matthew C. Lambert

Authors
  1. Kyle A. Litchfield
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  2. Matthew C. Lambert
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Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Neurology, Learning and Behavior Center, 230 South 500 East, Suite 100, Salt Lake City, Utah, 84102, USA

    Sam Goldstein Ph.D.

  2. Department of Psychology MS 2C6, George Mason University, Fairfax, VA, 22030, USA

    Jack A. Naglieri Ph.D. (Professor of Psychology) (Professor of Psychology)

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© 2011 Springer Science+Business Media, LLC

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Litchfield, K.A., Lambert, M.C. (2011). Nativist Theory. In: Goldstein, S., Naglieri, J.A. (eds) Encyclopedia of Child Behavior and Development. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-0-387-79061-9_1911

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-0-387-79061-9_1911

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Boston, MA

  • Print ISBN: 978-0-387-77579-1

  • Online ISBN: 978-0-387-79061-9

  • eBook Packages: Behavioral Science

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