In the methods for studying language acquisition, habituation is used as what type of procedure?

In the methods for studying language acquisition, habituation is used as what type of procedure?

• A. Recording and transcribing what children say
• B. Showing pictures with names
• C. Habituation
• D. Asking questions

Answer: (C)

Habituation is a method used to study how infants learn and perceive language. In studies of language acquisition, researchers repeatedly present a linguistic stimulus—such as a syllable sequence or a word-object pairing—until the infant’s attention or response declines, showing that the stimulus has become familiar. Then a new stimulus is introduced. If the infant’s response increases again (dishabituation), it indicates they notice a difference and have learned something about the original input. This approach lets researchers infer discrimination and memory for language without requiring the child to speak, using measures like looking time or sucking/heart-rate changes. It’s not simply recording, asking questions, or only showing pictures; it’s about using repetition to gauge learning and recognition.

Habituation is a method used to study how infants learn and perceive language. In studies of language acquisition, researchers repeatedly present a linguistic stimulus—such as a syllable sequence or a word-object pairing—until the infant’s attention or response declines, showing that the stimulus has become familiar. Then a new stimulus is introduced. If the infant’s response increases again (dishabituation), it indicates they notice a difference and have learned something about the original input. This approach lets researchers infer discrimination and memory for language without requiring the child to speak, using measures like looking time or sucking/heart-rate changes. It’s not simply recording, asking questions, or only showing pictures; it’s about using repetition to gauge learning and recognition.