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language acquisition

the process by which children learn language. Although often used interchangeably with language development, this term is preferred by those who emphasize the active role of the child as a learner with considerable innate linguistic knowledge.

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Psychology term of the day

March 28th 2024

paradox

paradox

n. a surprising or self-contradictory statement that may nevertheless be true. In philosophy, paradoxes are traditionally classified as logical or semantic. A logical paradox occurs when apparently valid arguments lead to a conclusion that seems contradictory or absurd. For example: God is omnipotent: Omnipotent beings can do anything: Therefore, God can make a stone so big he cannot move it: Therefore, he is not omnipotent. A semantic paradox arises from the words in a proposition. For example: This sentence is not true. The language of paradox is particularly common in poetry and religion, where it may be used to disrupt conventional ways of thinking and perceiving. See also vicious circularity. —paradoxical adj.