In developmental psychology, when a five-year-old like Donna uses shorter, simpler sentences compared to adults, this behavior is best described as which of the following?

• A. Egocentric speech
• B. Telegraphic speech
• C. Overregularization
• D. Child-directed speech

Answer: (D)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Understand the key terms involved in the question: Egocentric speech, Telegraphic speech, Overregularization, and Child-directed speech.
2. Egocentric speech refers to a child's tendency to talk without considering the listener's perspective, often seen in young children during early language development.
3. Telegraphic speech is characterized by short, simple sentences that omit less critical words, similar to how telegrams were written, commonly used by toddlers and young children.
4. Overregularization occurs when children apply regular grammatical rules to irregular words, such as saying 'goed' instead of 'went'.
5. Child-directed speech is the simplified and exaggerated way adults speak to young children to help them learn language, not the child's own speech pattern; therefore, the behavior described (a child using shorter, simpler sentences) is best described as telegraphic speech.