The Baby Human, Episode “To Talk”

Analyze Experiments Activity

Directions: As you watch the documentary, take notes on the following experiments that are showcased.

Werker Lab - "Native Language Preference"

Procedure (brief description):

Independent Variable: The two different languages being spoken

Dependent Variable: the sucking of the pacifier
Operational Definition of DV: The baby will suck the pacifier more if they hear their parents’ native tongue.
Conclusions/ Implications for human learning of language and communication: The more sucking means the
baby has a preference.

Weker Lab - "Lexical Words"

Procedure (brief description):

Independent Variable: Words with no meaning, and nouns that convey meaning
Dependent Variable: The level of reaction Nelson has
Operational Definition of DV: Will the baby react more to words with no meaning, or all meaning
Conclusions/ Implications for human learning of language and communication: The baby reacted more to
words with more meaning.

Muir Lab - "Happy Sad Face"

Procedure (brief description):

Independent Variable: The happy/sad face, with the happy/sad tone switched around
Dependent Variable: How the baby reacts and takes interest
Operational Definition of DV: How will the baby react to the happy/sad face, and happy/tone
Conclusions/ Implications for human learning of language and communication:
Weker Lab - "Ba/Da"
Procedure (brief description): *describe the classical conditioning used in this study

Independent Variable: the ba-da sound and the bunny moving

Dependent Variable: The baby’s reaction to the toy and ba-da sound
Operational Definition of DV:
Conclusions/ Implications for human learning of language and communication: babies are the universal
listener of all languages until they are 10 months year old

Kuhl Lab – “Mandarin Exposure”

Procedure (brief description):

Independent Variable: The mandarin being spoken

Dependent Variable: The baby’s attention span to the language being spoken
Operational Definition of DV:
Conclusions/ Implications for human learning of language and communication: The baby, despite not
understanding mandarin, they still are able to pay attention.

Woodward Lab - "Pointing"

Procedure (brief description):

Independent Variable: The pointing at different objects, or the same objects

Dependent Variable: The baby’s attention to whatever object they are pointing at, and if they want to pay
attention
Operational Definition of DV:
Conclusions/ Implications for human learning of language and communication: The baby did not pay attention
once the same thing was pointed at twice, which means it is able to distinct the different items that are
pointed at.

Woodward Lab - "Joint Visual Attention"

Procedure (brief description):

Independent Variable: an object on the table, while someone mentions the item while facing toward/away
from the object
Dependent Variable: The baby’s distinction of what the item might be
Operational Definition of DV:
Conclusions/ Implications for human learning of language and communication:

Johnson Lab - "The Robot"

Procedure (brief description):

Independent Variable: The robot makes noises

Dependent Variable: How the baby communicates with the robot.
Operational Definition of DV:
Conclusions/ Implications for human learning of language and communication:

Jones Lab – “Shape Bias”

Procedure (brief description):

Independent Variable:
Dependent Variable:
Operational Definition of DV:
Conclusions/ Implications for human learning of language and communication: