Explain BF Skinner's behaviourism

Led by BF Skinner in the 1950s and 1960s, it was the position that children acquire
language just as they acquire other behaviors-through a system of Positive and Negative
Reinforcement. A child is encouraged to imitate the language and behavior if its parents and
receives Positive Reinforcement in the form of gratification of needs. Positive reinforcement- a child
will be more likely to speak like this again. Negative reinforcement- a child is less likely to use the
response because it is corrected or no praise is given at all.

What to look for in the text: Adults explicitly teaching, with children responding. Children imitating/
repeating adult’s speech. Children repairing mistakes after being corrected by adults.

MZ

Related English Language A Level answers

All answers ▸

Can you explain a theory of pragmatic development in Child Language Acquisition?


Compare and contrast how the speaker of Text A and the speakers of Text B express their ideas about Parisian art galleries and works of art


What is the difference between a co-ordinating clause and a subordinating clause?


What is the difference between semantics and pragmatics?