, Test Bank
to accompany
Language in Mind: An Introduction to Psycholinguistics, Second Edition
Julie Sedivy
Chapter 2: Origins of Human Language
Multiple Choice
1. The theoretical perspective that humans’ ability to learn language is not the result of innate or
genetically based predisposition that evolved specifically for language, but an aspect of our
cognitive abilities, including general abilities of learning and memory is known as
a. anti-nativist theory.
b. linguistic theory.
c. psychodynamic theory.
d. evolutionary theory.
Answer: a
Textbook Reference: 2.1 Why Us?
Bloom’s Level: 1. Remembering
2. Which language researcher attempted to define language with 16 characteristics, or design
features, of spoken human language?
a. Chomsky
b. Hockett
c. Pinker
d. Darwin
Answer: b
Textbook Reference: 2.1 Why Us?
Bloom’s Level: 1. Remembering
3. Bees introduced into a hive of bee species different from their own will likely “dance”
according to
a. the new hive style.
b. their own unique style, unrelated to past experience.
c. the style of their own genetic ancestors.
d. a combination of old and new styles.
Answer: c
Textbook Reference: 2.1 Why Us?
Bloom’s Level: 1. Remembering
4. Which of Hockett’s design features of human language can also be attributed to honeybee
communication?
a. Arbitrariness
b. Duality of patterning
,c. Reflexiveness
d. Interchangeability
Answer: d
Textbook Reference: 2.1 Why Us?
Bloom’s Level: 4. Analyzing
5. Experiments in which apes are taught a language or symbolic system indicate that apes can
a. learn to use symbols to communicate, but only if they are not arbitrary.
b. learn to use words accurately, but only to refer to objects that are physically present.
c. use combinations of familiar symbols to express new concepts.
d. combine words into sentences as well as a human 3-year-old is able to.
Answer: c
Textbook Reference: 2.1 Why Us?
Bloom’s Level: 3. Applying
6. Even though vervet monkeys seem to be able to produce specific distress calls from birth
without the benefit of experience, they acquire the ability to respond appropriately to those calls
only after several months of life, presumably due to experience. This finding suggests that
a. human language and vervet calls arise from different cognitive mechanisms.
b. vervet calls are a direct evolutionary precursor of human language.
c. the ability to produce human language is innate but the ability to understand it is not.
d. human infants need a great deal of exposure to language before they can understand it, but less
exposure is needed to produce it.
Answer: a
Textbook Reference: 2.1 Why Us?
Bloom’s Level: 5. Evaluating
7. An example of Hockett’s productivity characteristic in non-human primate communication
would be demonstrated by an ape making the sign for
a. banana in order to ask a researcher for a banana.
b. banana when the researcher points to a banana.
c. sweet sausage when asked to identify a banana before having learned the sign for banana.
d. door when asked to identify a banana.
Answer: c
Textbook Reference: 2.1 Why Us?
Bloom’s Level: 3. Applying
8. The awareness between two or more individuals that they are paying attention to the same
thing is known as
a. homesign.
b. linguistic code.
c. universal grammar.
d. joint attention.
Answer: d
Textbook Reference: 2.2 Social Underpinnings of Language
Bloom’s Level: 1. Remembering
© 2019 Oxford University Press
, 9. Given a choice between two buckets in which only one bucket contains a treat, a chimpanzee
will be _______ likely to choose a bucket that a human reached for _______ a bucket that a
human pointed to.
a. less; than
b. more; than
c. equally; as
d. as un-; as
Answer: b
Textbook Reference: 2.2 Social Underpinnings of Language
Bloom’s Level: 1. Remembering
10. Hare and Tomasello found that chimpanzees will reach for a bucket containing a treat if a
human reaches for the same bucket—but not if the human points to the bucket to signal the
presence of a treat in it. This suggests that chimpanzees do not understand the
a. intention of others to act in certain ways.
b. language of others.
c. intention of others to communicate with them.
d. sign language of others.
Answer: c
Textbook Reference: 2.2 Social Underpinnings of Language
Bloom’s Level: 2. Understanding
11. Researchers have found that chimpanzees are not able to understand pointing cues but dogs
are able to do so. This suggests that compared to chimpanzees, dogs
a. are more intelligent.
b. are better at picking up social cues.
c. have superior language skills.
d. are more motivated by food.
Answer: b
Textbook Reference: 2.2 Social Underpinnings of Language
Bloom’s Level: 4. Analyzing
12. A 30-month-old child, who at 6 months engaged relatively little with her parents in joint-
attention activities, is expected to _________ than a 30-month-old who had at 6 months engaged
more in joint-attention activities.
a. have a smaller vocabulary
b. demonstrate worse social skills
c. exhibit more imperative pointing
d. exhibit more declarative pointing
Answer: a
Textbook Reference: 2.2 Social Underpinnings of Language
Bloom’s Level: 2. Understanding
13. Research suggests that human children produce more examples of _______ communication
than apes, who produce primarily _______ messages.
a. imperative; declarative
b. declarative; imperative
© 2019 Oxford University Press
to accompany
Language in Mind: An Introduction to Psycholinguistics, Second Edition
Julie Sedivy
Chapter 2: Origins of Human Language
Multiple Choice
1. The theoretical perspective that humans’ ability to learn language is not the result of innate or
genetically based predisposition that evolved specifically for language, but an aspect of our
cognitive abilities, including general abilities of learning and memory is known as
a. anti-nativist theory.
b. linguistic theory.
c. psychodynamic theory.
d. evolutionary theory.
Answer: a
Textbook Reference: 2.1 Why Us?
Bloom’s Level: 1. Remembering
2. Which language researcher attempted to define language with 16 characteristics, or design
features, of spoken human language?
a. Chomsky
b. Hockett
c. Pinker
d. Darwin
Answer: b
Textbook Reference: 2.1 Why Us?
Bloom’s Level: 1. Remembering
3. Bees introduced into a hive of bee species different from their own will likely “dance”
according to
a. the new hive style.
b. their own unique style, unrelated to past experience.
c. the style of their own genetic ancestors.
d. a combination of old and new styles.
Answer: c
Textbook Reference: 2.1 Why Us?
Bloom’s Level: 1. Remembering
4. Which of Hockett’s design features of human language can also be attributed to honeybee
communication?
a. Arbitrariness
b. Duality of patterning
,c. Reflexiveness
d. Interchangeability
Answer: d
Textbook Reference: 2.1 Why Us?
Bloom’s Level: 4. Analyzing
5. Experiments in which apes are taught a language or symbolic system indicate that apes can
a. learn to use symbols to communicate, but only if they are not arbitrary.
b. learn to use words accurately, but only to refer to objects that are physically present.
c. use combinations of familiar symbols to express new concepts.
d. combine words into sentences as well as a human 3-year-old is able to.
Answer: c
Textbook Reference: 2.1 Why Us?
Bloom’s Level: 3. Applying
6. Even though vervet monkeys seem to be able to produce specific distress calls from birth
without the benefit of experience, they acquire the ability to respond appropriately to those calls
only after several months of life, presumably due to experience. This finding suggests that
a. human language and vervet calls arise from different cognitive mechanisms.
b. vervet calls are a direct evolutionary precursor of human language.
c. the ability to produce human language is innate but the ability to understand it is not.
d. human infants need a great deal of exposure to language before they can understand it, but less
exposure is needed to produce it.
Answer: a
Textbook Reference: 2.1 Why Us?
Bloom’s Level: 5. Evaluating
7. An example of Hockett’s productivity characteristic in non-human primate communication
would be demonstrated by an ape making the sign for
a. banana in order to ask a researcher for a banana.
b. banana when the researcher points to a banana.
c. sweet sausage when asked to identify a banana before having learned the sign for banana.
d. door when asked to identify a banana.
Answer: c
Textbook Reference: 2.1 Why Us?
Bloom’s Level: 3. Applying
8. The awareness between two or more individuals that they are paying attention to the same
thing is known as
a. homesign.
b. linguistic code.
c. universal grammar.
d. joint attention.
Answer: d
Textbook Reference: 2.2 Social Underpinnings of Language
Bloom’s Level: 1. Remembering
© 2019 Oxford University Press
, 9. Given a choice between two buckets in which only one bucket contains a treat, a chimpanzee
will be _______ likely to choose a bucket that a human reached for _______ a bucket that a
human pointed to.
a. less; than
b. more; than
c. equally; as
d. as un-; as
Answer: b
Textbook Reference: 2.2 Social Underpinnings of Language
Bloom’s Level: 1. Remembering
10. Hare and Tomasello found that chimpanzees will reach for a bucket containing a treat if a
human reaches for the same bucket—but not if the human points to the bucket to signal the
presence of a treat in it. This suggests that chimpanzees do not understand the
a. intention of others to act in certain ways.
b. language of others.
c. intention of others to communicate with them.
d. sign language of others.
Answer: c
Textbook Reference: 2.2 Social Underpinnings of Language
Bloom’s Level: 2. Understanding
11. Researchers have found that chimpanzees are not able to understand pointing cues but dogs
are able to do so. This suggests that compared to chimpanzees, dogs
a. are more intelligent.
b. are better at picking up social cues.
c. have superior language skills.
d. are more motivated by food.
Answer: b
Textbook Reference: 2.2 Social Underpinnings of Language
Bloom’s Level: 4. Analyzing
12. A 30-month-old child, who at 6 months engaged relatively little with her parents in joint-
attention activities, is expected to _________ than a 30-month-old who had at 6 months engaged
more in joint-attention activities.
a. have a smaller vocabulary
b. demonstrate worse social skills
c. exhibit more imperative pointing
d. exhibit more declarative pointing
Answer: a
Textbook Reference: 2.2 Social Underpinnings of Language
Bloom’s Level: 2. Understanding
13. Research suggests that human children produce more examples of _______ communication
than apes, who produce primarily _______ messages.
a. imperative; declarative
b. declarative; imperative
© 2019 Oxford University Press
