Skinner's behaviourism
B.F. Skinner's theoretical approach to language acquisition emphasising environmental factors and reinforcement. Skinner proposed that language is learned through imitation and operant conditioning.
Real World
When a parent claps and says 'Well done!' every time a baby says 'mama', they are applying Skinnerian positive reinforcement — the praise increases the likelihood the child will repeat the word.
Exam Focus
Evaluate Skinner by contrasting with Chomsky — examiners reward AO3 marks for discussing what behaviourism cannot explain, such as overgeneralisation errors.
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