2-2 (10/7) Cognition and Language Flashcards
Basic building blocks of abstract thoughts. Mental groupings of similar persons, places, ideas, and objects.
Concepts
Concepts are stored as complex hierarchies in the __________ part of the ________.
Long Term Mem, Semantic Memory
Purpose of ____: To simplify all the information in our memory
Concepts
When one concept is activated, another closely related concept pops into mind.
Priming Concepts
Concept Experiment
Meyer and Schvanneveldt. Pairs of letter strings. Participants are asked if they are both words. Participants were quickest to determine that both were words when they are semantically linked.
How do we form concepts in our mind? Two ways
By definition and by prototype
Typical member of a category that has the most defining features of that category
Prototype
Example of Prototype
Robin vs Penguin. The more prototypical, the more likely we are to recognize them as a category.
1st step to Problem Solving. Mental images, seeing the problem in our minds.
Represent the problem
Representing the problem: Intuitive theories of the way things work. When accurate, they allow us to quickly diagnose and solve problems. Allows for efficiency
Mental Models
Example of Mental Models
Righty tighty, lefty loosey
2nd step in Problem Solving. Aimless.
General Solution
General Solution. Hit or miss approach. The simplest, but not the most efficient
Trial and Error
General Solution. Step by step procedures guaranteed eventually to produce a solution. Must consider and try many different solutions.
Algorithms
General Solution. Mental shortcuts, rules of thumb that may/may not lead to the solution. Speedier, but error prone.
Heuristics
Heuristics example
C O O L K C – CK is a common ending, the word is Clock
General Solution. Solution seems to pop into mind all of the sudden. Seems to arise when we hit a barrier. Relax, reframe the problem
Insight
Blind Spot in PS. People often times conceptualize problems in ways that make the problems seem impossible. Belief that there is no solution.
Representation Failures
Blind Spot in PS. A tendency to think of an object only in the terms of its usual function. We need to think of the problem in other ways.
Function Fixedness
Blind Spot in PS. Inability to view problems from a fresh perspecive
Mental Sets
Blind Spot in PS. Once we think we have a solution to a problem, we can only find evidence to confirm our solution. We need to seek out contradictory evidence.
Confirmation Bias
Blind Spot in PS. Tendency to cling to beliefs even after they are discredited
Belief Perseverance
Biases in Judgement: Tendency to judge the likelihood of an event by how typical the event seems.
Representativeness Bias Heuristic
Biases in Judgement Heuristic. 30 Engineers, 70 lawyers. We tend to think that a random person would be a lawyer.
Representativeness Bias Heuristic
Biases in Judgement: Tendency to estimate the likelihood of an event based on how easily those events come to mind.
Availability Bias Heuristic
Biases in Judgement: are words that start with K or have K as the third letter more common?
Availability Bias Heuristic
Biases in Judgement: Describes the tendency to use one stimuli as an anchor or reference point in judging a second stimuli.
Anchoring Effects Heuristic
Biases in Judgement: Roulette wheel and statistics
Anchoring Effects Heuristics
Biases in Judgement: Our tendency to be influence by thew ay the issue is worded or framed.
Framing effect Heuristic
Biases in Judgement: Condoms are more favorable when viewed as 95% than 5% (flipping the statistic)
Framing Effect Heuristic
Spoken, written or signed words and the ways we combine them to communicate meaning.
Language
What do communication and language do in the animal world?
They increase the chance of survival and reproduction
Number of languages
4,000-10,000
Universal Characteristic. Describes the idea that language is used to convey meaning.
Semanticity
Semanticity. The basic sounds of all spoken languages. The smallest unit of speech. They do not convey meaning on their own.
Phonemes
Semanticity. The smallest units of speech that carry meaning.
Morphemes
Semanticity. Example. Un -hink - able (prefix, root, suffix)
Morphemes
Universal Characteristic. Capacity to use a finite number of words and sets of rules combined to create an infinite variety of novel expression. Based on grammar.
Generativity
Generativity. System of rules that allow us to communicate with others
Grammar
Type of Grammar. Sets of rules used to derive meaning from language. Verb + -ed ____ically indicates the verb is in past tense
Semantic Grammar
Rules of language that govern the arrangement of words in a sentence.
Syntax
Ex. of _____: adjective/noun placement. English: red wine. Spanish: Casa Asul.
Syntax
Lang and Development. BF Skinner, “All behavior controlled by reinforcements…” applied to language
Operant Conditioning
Operant Conditioning. Humans form links between sights of objects and the sounds of the words used to specify them.
Association
Operant Conditioing. Humans learn language by modeling words and syntax. Madeline doesn’t have time for purple vegetables.
Imitation
Operant Conditioning. We learn language by receiving ____ after using it correctly. Giving hugs and praise to children learning language.
Reinforcement
Lang and Development. Noam Chomask - Children acquire language at a rate to fast to be explained by conditioning, sentences too complex. We have a capacity for language that with nurture, develops.
Inborn Universal Grammar.
