Mini essay exam 1
Please use information from the readings, lectures, and in-class discussions to inform your answers. You’re welcome to look up other sources, but you should always cite anything you use (even readings from our course).
Avoid long and/or frequent direct quotations and focus on sources. Your source citations do not count toward your maximum word count.
What is statistical learning? (300–500 words)
Describe (a) what statistical learning is (at a broad level) and why researchers are interested in measuring it for language development, (b) describe at least three concrete examples of different types of statistical learning, and (c) relate the work on statistical learning that you mention to the idea of learning “mechanisms”.
How does one typically run an eye tracking study with infants and young children? (300–500 words)
Imagine you are writing a short entry in an encyclopedia of infant methods that is targeted for undergraduate students. Please describe and/or give some examples of (a) appropriate ages for eye tracking, (b) what equipment is required, (c) how the stimuli are made, and (d) what the researcher analyzes. Briefly describe one specific study, real or hypothetical, where this method is used to test a hypothesis.