Chapter 8

Question 1

cognition

Answer 1

mental processes of thinking

Question 2

morphemes

Answer 2

smallest units of meaning, root words, prefixes and suffixes

Question 3

semantics

Answer 3

understanding the meaning of words and word combinations

Question 4

syntax

Answer 4

a system of rules that specify how words can be arranged into sentences

Question 5

fast mapping

Answer 5

process by which children map a word onto an underlying concept after only one exposure

Question 6

overextension

Answer 6

child incorrectly uses a word to describe a wider set of objects or actions than is meant to

Question 7

underextension

Answer 7

child incorrectly uses a word to describe a narrower set of objects than is meant to

Question 8

3 month old infants

Answer 8

can distinguish phonemes from all languages

Question 9

6-8 months

Answer 9

babbling

Question 10

10-13 months

Answer 10

first words

Question 11

end of 2nd year

Answer 11

sentences

Question 12

telegraphic speech

Answer 12

content words, less critical words are omitted

Question 13

metalinguistic awareness

Answer 13

ability to reflect on the use of language

Question 14

nativist theory

Answer 14

humans are equipped with a language acquisition device that facilitates the learning of a new language

Question 15

interactionist theories

Answer 15

both environment and biology play a role

Question 16

linguistic relativity

Answer 16

one’s language determines one’s thought

Question 17

phonemes

Answer 17

smallest speech units in a language that can by distinguished

Question 18

language

Answer 18

symbols and rules for combining them that can be used to relay messages

Question 19

functional fixedness

Answer 19

tendency to perceive an item only in terms of its most common use

Question 20

mental set

Answer 20

people persist in using problem solving strategies that have worked in the past

Question 21

algorithm

Answer 21

a methodical, step by step procedure for trying all possible alternative in the search of a solution to a problem

Question 22

heuristic

Answer 22

a guiding principle or rule of thumb used in solving problems or making decision

Question 23

incubation effect

Answer 23

new solutions surface for an unsolved problem after not thinking about if for a while

Question 24

decision making

Answer 24

evaluating alternatives and making choices among them

Question 25

bounded rationality

Answer 25

people make irrational decisions that are less than optimal

Question 26

availability heuristic

Answer 26

basing the estimated probability of an event on the ease with which relevant instances come to mind

Question 27

representativeness heuristic

Answer 27

basing the estimated probability of an event on how similar it is to the typical prototype of that event

Question 28

conjunction fallacy

Answer 28

estimating that the offs of two uncertain events happening together are greater than either happening alone

Question 29

recognition heurisitc

Answer 29

if one option is recognized and the other isn’, then the recognized one has higher value

Question 30

gambler’s fallacy

Answer 30

the belief that the odds of chance event increase if it hasn’t occurred recently

Question 31

confirmation bias

Answer 31

the tendency to only seek information that is likely to support one’s beliefs and decisions

Question 32

framing

Answer 32

how decision issues are posed or how choices are structured

Question 33

loss aversion

Answer 33

losses loom larger than gains of equal size

Question 34

emergentist theory

Answer 34

neural circuits supporting language emerge gradually in response to language-learning experiences