Chapter 8 Flashcards
cognition
mental processes of thinking
morphemes
smallest units of meaning, root words, prefixes and suffixes
semantics
understanding the meaning of words and word combinations
syntax
a system of rules that specify how words can be arranged into sentences
fast mapping
process by which children map a word onto an underlying concept after only one exposure
overextension
child incorrectly uses a word to describe a wider set of objects or actions than is meant to
underextension
child incorrectly uses a word to describe a narrower set of objects than is meant to
3 month old infants
can distinguish phonemes from all languages
6-8 months
babbling
10-13 months
first words
end of 2nd year
sentences
telegraphic speech
content words, less critical words are omitted
metalinguistic awareness
ability to reflect on the use of language
nativist theory
humans are equipped with a language acquisition device that facilitates the learning of a new language
interactionist theories
both environment and biology play a role
linguistic relativity
one’s language determines one’s thought
phonemes
smallest speech units in a language that can by distinguished
language
symbols and rules for combining them that can be used to relay messages
functional fixedness
tendency to perceive an item only in terms of its most common use
mental set
people persist in using problem solving strategies that have worked in the past
algorithm
a methodical, step by step procedure for trying all possible alternative in the search of a solution to a problem
heuristic
a guiding principle or rule of thumb used in solving problems or making decision
incubation effect
new solutions surface for an unsolved problem after not thinking about if for a while
decision making
evaluating alternatives and making choices among them
bounded rationality
people make irrational decisions that are less than optimal
availability heuristic
basing the estimated probability of an event on the ease with which relevant instances come to mind
representativeness heuristic
basing the estimated probability of an event on how similar it is to the typical prototype of that event
conjunction fallacy
estimating that the offs of two uncertain events happening together are greater than either happening alone
recognition heurisitc
if one option is recognized and the other isn’, then the recognized one has higher value
gambler’s fallacy
the belief that the odds of chance event increase if it hasn’t occurred recently
confirmation bias
the tendency to only seek information that is likely to support one’s beliefs and decisions
framing
how decision issues are posed or how choices are structured
loss aversion
losses loom larger than gains of equal size
emergentist theory
neural circuits supporting language emerge gradually in response to language-learning experiences
