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As a theory of language development, interactionism incorporates aspects of ______.

a) Behaviorism and nativism
b) Social learning theory and cognitive development
c) Nativism and structuralism
d) Piaget's theory of cognitive development

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Final answer:

The interactionism theory of language development combines elements of behaviorism and nativism, highlighting a dual influence on language acquisition through environmental reinforcement and an innate biological capability. Answer: (a) Behaviorism and nativism.

Step-by-step explanation:

The interactionism theory of language development incorporates aspects of behaviorism and nativism. Therefore, the correct answer is (a) Behaviorism and nativism.Interactionism emphasizes that language acquisition is a complex interplay of both environmental influences, such as reinforcement and feedback from parents (behaviorism), and an innate biological ability to learn language (nativism). Just like B. F. Skinner proposed that language is learned through reinforcement, Noam Chomsky introduced the concept of a language acquisition device (LAD), an innate mechanism that suggests there is a biological predisposition toward language learning.

Research supports the view that our linguistic abilities are a result of the dynamic relationship between genetic factors and our linguistic environment, where both have significant roles in the process of developing language skills. Young children, especially, are able to master the complexities of language quickly and naturally, pointing to the intrinsic human capacity for language, which is apparently influential early in life and lessens with age.

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