BAPFOHL
March 7, 2001
Is language an instinct?
My notes on this topic from my graduate class
1. Animal instincts
A huge color picture of that disgusting (I mean cute) sea-snail (
Aplysia
)!
A website for researchers studying the brain of the sea-snail (
Aplysia
)
2. Do people have any instincts?
The history of Behaviorism
Hundreds of optical illusions to play with!
A very controversial book that claims that genes for race and IQ are related
(most scientists strongly disagree!)
3. Why Pinker thinks that language is an instinct
My old undergraduate class about language and grammar, with interesting links
A website about American Sign Language
Taiwan Sign Language
Hong Kong Sign Language
Basics about pidgins and creoles, with interesting links
The National Aphasia Association (USA)
The Williams Syndrome Foundation (USA)
4. Why many scientists think that Pinker is wrong
An example of functionalism: a project by À¹¯E¤@