Describe the visual reinforcement audiometry paradigm. What do the results of studies using

this paradigm suggest about the development of infant auditory perception and the ability to
learn language?

What will be an ideal response?

In this paradigm, the infant is placed in the mother's lap. The researcher plays a tone
over and over; gradually the tone changes. After the tone changes, a darkened box
lights up with a noisy active toy; this serves as a reinforcer.  The infant will then turn
her head to view the box. The researcher repeats this process—each time the tone
changes the box lights up and the infant turns her head to view it. Gradually, the infant
will learn to turn her head when the tone changes in anticipation of the reinforcer.
When listening to unfamiliar, nonnative speech sounds, younger infants will turn their
heads in anticipation of the reinforcer when these sounds slightly change but older
infants will not because they cannot detect the sound changes. These results suggest
that infants are initially pre-programmed to learn any language, but gradually lose this
ability as they learn their native language.