Ch. 8 Flashcards
Algorithm
step-by-step learned procedure used to solve a problem
Availability Heuristic
heuristic that involves estimating the likelihood of an occurrence based on the ease with which it comes to mind
Babbling
intentional vocalization that lacks specific meaning
Bilingual
Proficient and fluent at speaking and comprehending two distinct languages
Cognitive Bias
systematic error in thinking
concept
our knowledge and ideas about a set of objects, actions, and characteristics that share core properties
decision making
the process of selecting among a set of possible alternatives
Dialect
language variation used by a group pf people who share a geographic proximity or ethnic background
extralinguistic information
elements of communication that aren’t part of the context of language but are critical to interpreting it’s meaning
framing
the way a question is formulated that can influence the decisions people make
functional fixedness
difficulty conceptualizing that an object typically used for one purpose can be used for another
Generative
allowing an infinite number of unique sentences to be created by combining words in novel ways
Hindsight bias
our tendency to over estimate how well we could have predicted something after it occurred
Homesign
system of signs invented by children with hearing loss of hearing parents who receive no language input
Language
largely arbitrary system of communication that combines symbols (words or sign gestures) in rule-based ways to create meaning
language acquisition device
hypothetical construct in the brain in which nativists believe knowledge of syntax resides
Linguistic determination
view that all thought is represented verbally and that, as a result, our language defines our thinking
linguistic relativity
view that characteristics of language shape out thought process
mental set
phenomenon of becoming stuck in a specific problem-solving strategy, inhibiting our ability to generate alternatives
Metalinguistic
awareness of how language is structured and used
morpheme
smallest meaningful unit of speech
nativist
account of language acquisition that suggests children are born with some basic knowledge of how language works
one-word stage
early period of language development when children use single word phrases to convey an entire thought
phoneme
category of sounds our vocal apparatus produces
phonetic decompostion
reading strategy that involves sounding our words by drawing correspondences between printed letters and sounds
problem solving
generating cognitive strategy to accomplish a goal
representative heuristic
heuristic that involves judging the probability of an event by its superficial similarity to a prototype
semantics
meaning derived from words and sentences
sign language
language developed by members of a community with hearing loss that uses visual rather than auditory communication
Social pragmatics
account of language acquisition that proposes that children infer what words and sentences mean from context and social interactions
syantax
grammatical rules that govern how words are composed into meaningful strings
thinking
any mental activity or processing information
Types of thinking
Learning, remembering, perceiving, communicating, believing, and decoding
whole word recognition
reading strategy that involves identifying common words based on their appearance without having to sound them out
