One piece of evidence that supports the nativist view of language development is

Question

One piece of evidence that supports the nativist view of language development is

BlackTom AI · Accepted Answer

Nativist theory posits a species-specific, innate language faculty—often called Universal Grammar—hard-wired in humans and enabling rapid acquisition of complex grammar with limited input.

1. Relevant knowledge points and concepts
- Nativism (Chomskyan perspective): language acquisition is driven by innate biological structures rather than solely by environment.  
- Species-specificity: if a capacity is observed only in humans, this suggests a biological adaptation unique to our species.  
- Other related concepts: poverty of the stimulus (children acquire grammar despite incomplete input), critical period (sensitive window for language learning), and alternative explanations (behaviorist/statistical/social-pragmatic learning).

2. Step-by-step reasoning
- Nativist theory predicts that the capacity for language is biologically prepared in humans and not a general learned skill shared equally with other species.  
- Observing that complex language (with syntax, recursion, generative grammar) naturally emerges only in humans supports the claim that language is a species-specific innate faculty.  
- Therefore the option stating “language is only observed in humans” aligns directly with the nativist expectation of an innate, human-specific language faculty.

3. Intermediate (conceptual) steps
- Compare empirical patterns: many animals communicate, but none demonstrate human-like generative grammar spontaneously.  
- This uniqueness is evidence favoring an innate, species-typical mechanism rather than purely learned behavior.

4. Why the correct answer is correct
- The statement that language is only observed in humans provides clear evidence of species specificity, a cornerstone of nativist arguments that language ability is biologically endowed in humans.

5. Why the other options are incorrect
- “Infants’ perception of speech sounds develops during the first year.” This describes perceptual tuning (a learning/perceptual process) and does not directly prove an innate grammar.  
- “Infants need to be looking at an object during a naming event to learn the meaning of that word.” This supports social-pragmatic or associative learning mechanisms, not nativist innateness.  
- “Typical development of language occurs regardless of when the child is exposed to language.” This contradicts evidence for critical/sensitive periods; nativists typically acknowledge timing effects (sensitive periods), so this statement does not support nativism.

6. Conclusion
The best choice is “language is only observed in humans,” which matches the provided answer and directly supports the nativist view.

One piece of evidence that supports the nativist view of language development isSingle choice

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