Psychology MCAT Practice Exam 2025 – Complete All-in-One Guide to Ensure Your Success!

The term that refers to the innate ability to learn language in the nativist model of language acquisition is the language acquisition device (LAD). This concept, proposed by linguist Noam Chomsky, suggests that humans are born with a set of grammatical rules and principles inherent to all languages, which allows children to acquire language naturally and effortlessly as they are exposed to language in their environment.

This innate mechanism enables children to process and understand the complexities of language, including grammar, syntax, and vocabulary, without needing explicit instruction. The idea of the language acquisition device emphasizes that the capacity for language development is hardwired into the human brain, which differentiates it from other learning processes that require explicit teaching or reinforcement.

In contrast, universal grammar refers to the theoretical structure underlying all languages, while the critical period denotes a time frame within which language acquisition must occur for it to develop properly. Operant conditioning describes a learning process based on rewards and punishments, which does not directly pertain to innate language capacity. Understanding these distinctions highlights why the language acquisition device is central to the nativist perspective on language learning.