Educational Psychology / Unit 9 EDP 0821 short lesson, about 20 seconds
The Word Gap, Contested
Captions available
The idea
Hart and Risley claimed a large income-based gap in the words children hear. A later study found lower-SES children heard fewer adult words but with high variability within groups; another does not support the claim.
In practice
Two low-income homes may differ more than the group averages do.
Where people slip
The word gap is contested; its famous figure is not established.
Your place on the trail
Every lesson rests on earlier ones and opens later ones. Tap any to jump.
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