Attention/Language Flashcards
What is attention?
refers to concentrating on one aspect of the sensory environment
What is selective attention?
focusing on one part of the sensorium while ignoring other stimuli
What is divided attention?
ability to perform multiple tasks at the same time
What is controlled/effortful processing?
new or complex tasks that require undivided attention
What is automatic processing?
used by familiar or routine actions
What is phonology?
the sound of language
What is categorical perception?
ability to know when the differences in sound represent a change in meaning or not
What is morphology?
the structure of words
What is a phoneme?
a speech sound
What is a morpheme?
building blocks of words that contain meaning
What is semantics?
the association of meaning with a word
What is syntax?
refers to how words are put together to form sentences
What is pragmatics?
refers to the dependence of language on context and preexisting knowledge; manner in which we speak may differ depending on audience
What is prosody?
rhythm, cadence, and inflection of our voices
What is babbling and its timeline?
an important precursor to language which peaks between 9 and 12 months of age
What do children do with language during 12 - 18 months?
add about one word per month
What do children do with language during 18 -20 months?
“explosion of language” and combining words
What do children do with language during 2-3 years?
longer sentences (3 words or more)
When do children master language rules?
5 years old
What is the nativist/biological theory?
Noam chomsky advocates for existence of some innate capacity for language
What is the language acquisitive device (LAD)?
a theoretical pathway in the brain that allows infants to process and absorb language rules
What is the critical period?
a time between 2 years old and puberty in which the child must be exposed to language rules to learn them
What is the sensitive period?
a time when environmental input has maximal effect on the development of an ability - before the onset of puberty
What is the learning/behaviorist theory?
explained language acquisition by operant conditioning
What is the social interactionist theory?
language development focuses on the interplay between biological and social processes
What is the Whorfian hypothesis/linguistic relativity hypothesis?
suggest that our perception of reality is determined by the context of language
What is Broca’s area?
controls the motor function of speech via connections with the motor cortex
What is Wernicke’s area?
responsible for language comprehension
What is the arcuate fasciculus?
a bundle of axons that allow appropriate association between language comprehension and speech production
What is aphasia?
a deficit of language production or comprehension `
What is Broca’s/expressive aphasia?
speech comprehension is intact but the patient will have reduced or absent ability to produce spoken language
What is Wernicke’s/receptive aphasia?
motor production and fluency of speech is retained but comprehension of speech is lost
What is conduction aphasia?
when the arcuate fasciculus is affected and the patient is unable to repeat something that has been said because the connection between these two regions has been lost
