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Acquisition, Learning, or Development of Language? Skinner's “Verbal Behavior” Revisited

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  10 April 2014

Susana López Ornat  and
Pilar Gallo
Susana López Ornat*
Affiliation:
Complutense University of Madrid
Pilar Gallo
Affiliation:
Complutense University of Madrid
*
Correspondence concerning this article should be addressed to Susana López Ornat, Departamento de Psicología Básica II, Facultad de Psicología.Universidad Complutense de Madrid. Campus de Somosaguas. 28223 Madrid (Spain). E-mail: slornat@psi.ucm.es
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Abstract

In 1957, Skinner, in his “Verbal Behavior”, proposed an explanation on how a language is learned. In 1959, Chomsky strongly argued the non-learnability of language, establishing in the field of developmental psycholinguistics the substitution of the term “learning” for that of “acquisition”. Currently, the constructivist models describe language acquisition as a process of ontogenetic, gradual, complex, and adaptive change. This new theoretical framework has been especially useful for rereading Verbal Behavior because it facilitates recovering the Skinnerian learning mechanisms. This can be observed in the recent research trends that recapture reinforcement and imitation (echoic responses), although they are now located in the initial phases of the process and are included in a cognitive dynamic that, by gradually increasing its complexity, can achieve grammar. The new constructivist theoretical framework, by retrieving the functional and referential aspects of language, can also take advantage of the classic Skinnerian proposal about the pragmatic types of verbal behavior, providing it with new meaning.

En 1957 Skinner, en su obra Conducta Verbal, propuso una explicación sobre cómo se aprende un lenguaje. En 1959 Chomsky argumentó contundentemente la no aprendibilidad del lenguaje instaurando en el ámbito de la psicolingüística evolutiva la sustitución del término aprendizaje por el de adquisición. En la actualidad los modelos constructivistas describen la adquisición del lenguaje como un proceso de cambio ontogenético, gradual, complejo y adaptativo. Este nuevo marco teórico ha resultado especialmente idóneo para la re-lectura de la Conducta Verbal porque permite cierta recuperación de los mecanismos de aprendizaje skinnerianos. Esto se manifiesta en las recientes líneas de investigación que recuperan el refuerzo y la imitación (respuestas ecoicas) aunque localizándolos en las fases iniciales del proceso e incluyéndolos en una dinámica cognitiva que, al aumentar gradualmente su complejidad, puede llegar a obtener una gramática. Además, el nuevo marco teórico constructivista, al recuperar las vertientes funcionales y referenciales del lenguaje, puede aprovechar la clásica propuesta skinneriana sobre los tipos pragmáticos de conducta verbal, dotándola de un nuevo sentido.

Keywords

Language LearnabilityImitationReinforcementSkinnerAprendibilidad del LenguajeImitaciónReforzamientoSkinner
Type
Complutense University Celebration of B.F. Skinner's Centennial (1904-2004)
Information
The Spanish Journal of Psychology , Volume 7 , Issue 2 , November 2004 , pp. 161 - 170
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2004

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