Language And Mental Development

Originally published in 1977, this book considers the role language plays in psychological development. It tries to avoid general discussions of "language and thought", an approach already sufficiently developed by philosophers and (although somewhat less) by psychologists. Instead it attempts to focus specifically upon what we can learn about the topic from available research findings at the time. Theoretical considerations are developed only when necessary to clarify an issue or to facilitate the integration of presented material. The aim of the work is simple – to share with the reader the author’s thoughts and understanding of available knowledge of the role of language in mental development.

This book discusses the role of language as a cognitive and communicative tool in a child's early development.

An invaluable resource for students taking advance courses in language and cognitive development, also for practitioners who have an interest in language development of normal children and in children with developmental difficulties.

For students of developmental psychology, this book should be a useful reference guide to the main concepts concerned with "motherese", scaffolding, socio-cognitive learning and joint problem solving. It is also a contribution to the debate on the influence of social behaviour on development.

"Theory of mind" is the phrase researchers use to refer to children's understanding of people as mental beings, who have beliefs, desires, emotions, and intentions, and whose actions and interactions can be interpreted and explained by taking account of these mental states. The gradual development of children's theory of mind, particularly during the early years, is by now well described in the research literature. What is lacking, however, is a decisive explanation of how children acquire this understanding. Recent research has shown strong relations between children's linguistic abilities and their theory of mind. Yet exactly what role these abilities play is controversial and uncertain. The purpose of this book is to provide a forum for the leading scholars in the field to explore thoroughly the role of language in the development of the theory of mind. This volume will appeal to students and researchers in developmental and cognitive psychology.

Leading scholars examine the relationship between child language acquisition and cognitive development.

To what extent, and in what ways, is a child's cognitive development influenced by their early experience of, and access to, language? What are the affects on development of impaired access to language? This book considers how possessing an enhanced or impaired access to language influences a child's development.