Ch.9 Flashcards
Language and thought
What is language?
A system of symbols and rules for combining symbols for the purpose of communication
Define language production
The structured and conventional expression of thoughts through words
What is speech?
The expression of language through sounds
What is language comprehension?
The process of understanding spoken, written, or signed languages
What is a sentence?
A coherent sequence of words that express meaning
What is a word?
The smallest free form in a language
Define morpheme.
The smallest unit of sound that can carry meaning
What is a phoneme?
The smallest unit of sound that can distinguish words in a language
What is syntax?
A system of rules for arranging words to convey a specific meaning
What is pragmatics?
The practical aspect of language use, such as pace, gesturing, tone, and body language
What is the prelinguistic period?
The period prior to the production of the first word
What is fast-mapping?
The ability to link word and meaning after only 1 or 2 exposures
What is overextension in language development?
Using specifics to describe a broader set
What is underextension in language development?
Using general words to describe specific instances
What is telegraphic speech?
Simple two-word sentences that contain only the crucial content
At what age do children typically understand basic rules of grammar?
By 4 years of age
What does the behaviorist theory propose about language acquisition?
Adults shape a child’s speech through reinforcement and imitation
What is the nativist theory of language acquisition?
The idea that certain universal features of language are innate
What does the interactionist view suggest about language acquisition?
Both nature and nurture are important for language acquisition
What are Broca’s area and Wernicke’s area associated with?
Broca’s area is critical for speech production; Wernicke’s area is critical for language comprehension
Define problem solving.
A process in which one begins with a goal and seeks steps that will lead to that goal
What distinguishes a well-defined problem from an ill-defined problem?
In a well-defined problem, the goal and operators are clearly specified
What is an analogy in problem-solving?
A method to discover relationships among numbers, words, symbols, or ideas
What is the hill-climbing strategy?
A heuristic that always moves you in the direction of the goal
What does working backwards mean in problem-solving?
Starting at the endpoint and working backwards to solve the problem
What is functional fixedness?
The tendency to perceive an item only in terms of its most common use
Define decision making.
Evaluating alternatives and making choices among them
What is the availability heuristic?
Basing the estimated probability of an event on the ease with which relevant instances come to mind
What is the representativeness heuristic?
Basing the estimated probability of an event on how similar it is to the typical case of that event
What is the conjunction fallacy?
Estimating the odds of two uncertain events happening together as greater than the odds of either happening alone
What is confirmation bias?
The tendency to be more responsive to evidence that confirms one’s beliefs
What is the framing effect?
The fact that decisions are based on how the issues are presented or how choices are structured
