The Difference Between a Critical Period and a Sensitive Period

Multiple Choice

The difference between a critical period and a sensitive period is that with a critical period ___; with a sensitive period ___.

A) the brain is at a stage where it is the most malleable; the brain is less malleable but with the right environmental stimulation it can be more malleable
B) the environmental stimulation must occur at a specific time window or else the ability never develops; it is possible to acquire the ability outside of the time window with lots of work
C) the time window for a specific environmental stimulation to occur is very flexible; the time window for a specific environmental stimulation is extremely rigid, and without it, the ability won't develop
D) we see abrupt changes in the ability with environmental stimulation; the changes we see are much less abrupt