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Reply: Measuring Variability in Early Child Language: Don't Shoot the Messenger
Author(s) -
Fenson Larry,
Bates Elizabeth,
Dale Philip,
Goodman Judith,
Reznick J. Steven,
Thal Donna
Publication year - 2000
Publication title -
child development
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 3.103
H-Index - 257
eISSN - 1467-8624
pISSN - 0009-3920
DOI - 10.1111/1467-8624.00147
Subject(s) - psychology , language development , developmental psychology , language acquisition , linguistics , cognitive psychology , mathematics education , philosophy
Feldman et al. criticize the MacArthur Communicative Development Inventories (CDIs) as having too much variability, too little stability, and insufficient ability to predict early language delay. We present data showing that these characteristics of the CDI are authentic reflections of individual differences in early language development rather than measurement deficiencies. We also respond to their critical assertions concerning sociodemographic influences on the CDI scores.