Attention & Language Flashcards
Selective Attention
- focusing on one part of the sensorium while ignoring other stimuli
- acts as a filter between sensory stimuli and our processing systems
Cocktail Party Phenomenon
phenomenon of being able to focus one’s auditory attention on a particular stimulus while filtering out a range of other stimuli
Divided Attention
ability to perform multiple tasks at the same time
New or complex tasks require undivided attention and utilize ____ _____
controlled (effortful) processing
Familiar or routine actions can be performed with ____ _____
autonomic processing (permits the brain to focus on other tasks with divided attention)
What are the 5 basic components of language?
- phonology
- morphology
- semantics
- syntax
- pragmatics
Phonology
- refers to the actual sound of language
- there are about 40 phonemes in english
Morphology
- refers to the structure of words
- many words are composed of multiple building blocks called morphemes, each of which connotes a particular meaning
Semantics
refers to the association of meaning with a word
Syntax
refers to how words are put together to form sentences
Pragmatics
- refers to the dependence of language on context and pre-existing knowledge
- manner in which we speak may differ depending on the audience and our relationship to that audience
Prosody
- the rhythm, cadence and inflection of our voices
- affects pragmatics
Language acquisition at 9 - 12 months:
babbling
Language acquisition at 12 - 18 months:
about one word per month
Language acquisition at 18 - 20 months:
“explosion of language” and combining of words
Language acquisition at 2 - 3 years:
longer sentences (3 words or more)
Language acquisition at 5 years:
language rules largely mastered
Errors of Growth
- occurs around 3 years of age when the child creates longer sentences but these sentences have a lot of grammatical errors
- child applies a grammatical rule in a situation where it does not apply
Nativist (Biological) Theory of Language
- largely credited to Noam Chomsky
- advocates for existence of some innate capacity for language
- human’s innate ability to produce language is called the language acquisition device (LAD) which is a theoretical pathway in the brain that allows infants to process and absorb language rules
- belief in a critical period (btw 2 years and puberty) for language acquisition
Sensitive Period
- time when environmental input has maximal effect on the development of an ability
- for language development this period exists before the onset of puberty