Chapter 8: Language and decision making Flashcards
What is language?
largely arbitrary systems of communication
What are the components of language?
- lexicon - vocab
- grammar - rules
what are the two important functions of language?
- transmission of information
- social and emotional functions
What are Hockett’s linguistic universals ?
- semanticity
- Arbitrariness
- displacement
- productivity
- culture
What is semanticity?
- meaning conveyed through symbols
- the alphabet
- letters are representations of phonemes
What is Arbitrariness?
No inherent connection between symbol and object
What is displacement ?
used to communicate past, present, and future
What is productivity?
- create new words, phrases, and sentences
- ex. “google it”
What is culture?
- language acquired through culture
- coke vs. pop
What are Phonemes?
- smallest units of sound
- English contains 40-45
- 100s of phonemes
- bit= b/i/ t
- We and wet/e/
What are Morphemes?
- smallest units of meaning combination
- combination of phonemes
- r, re, ish
- play, played, playing
What is Syntax?
- set of rules to construct sentences
- English: subject - verb- object
- The boy eats the apple
What is common ground?
set of knowledge that is shared between two or more people communicating
What is audience design?
change what we say depending on the audience
What is body language?
“It’s awful in there”
Are we hard-wired for languages?
there we 2 bleiefs, One by Noam, and by Skinner
What did B.F Skinner believe about language?
language was learned through operant condition
What did Noam Chomsky believe about language?
- Language is biologically determined:
- language acquisition device
What is the critical period?
language development is maximized in early life
What is prenatal?
preference for the mother’s voice
What is Babbling stage - 6 months
produce and repeat single syllabi
Comprehension vs. Production
children comprehend basic language rules before being able to produce them - latent learning
What are First-year words?
- produce and repeat single syllabi
- Holophrases
- one word that baby uses that means alot of things
What is Telegraphic speech - 2 years
- simple sentences
- overgeneralization
What is Conversations - 4-6 years
- clear understanding of rules
- (grammar and syntax)
Explain language development of bilingualism
- same as monolinguals
- make more mistakes
What are the Benefits of Bilingualism?
- enhanced communication
- metalinguistic
- enhancing our thinking
What is Linguistic determinism?
- enhances our thinking and behaviour
- Sapir- Whorf hypothesis
- linguistic reactivity
Who developed Bounded Rationality ?
Herbert Simon
What is bounded Rationality?
rational decisions are bounded by cognitive limitations
Who developed system 1 and 2?
Tversky and Kahneman
What is System 1?
system 1: Automatic
What is System 2 ?
System 2: Analytical
What are biases and Heuristics?
systematic and predictable errors
What is Representative Bias ?
- Judgment about probability
- Steve and Linda
- make decisions based on how representative something is
- ignores base rate
What is Availability?
- Estimate the likelihood of occurrence based on how “available” information is to us
- you are more likley to see planes crashing than cars crashing
- so you wil feaar planes crashing and not driving
What is Anchoring?
- Decisions affected by an initial anchor, even if the anchor Decisions are arbitrary
- influences
- that we are willing to pay
- Expectations of a wide arrange of things
- buy apple watch for 1000 vs. 500
What is framing?
How information is presented (eg. gains/losses) affects decisions
What is Confirmation Bias?
focus on information that confirms existing beliefs
What is overconfidence bias?
Bias to be overconfidence in our judgment
What are the 6 steps to problem solving?
- step 1: Define the problem
- Step 2: Generate possible solutions
- Step 3: Evaluate options
- Step 4: Decide on a solution
- Step 5: Implement
- Step 6: Evaluate the outcome
step 1: Define the problem
- be specific as possible
- well defined problems
Step 2: Generate possible solutions
- list all possible solutions
- be creative
Step 3: Evaluate options
- eliminate
- rank
Step 4: Decide on a solution
outline steps to put the solution into action
Step 5: Implement
put it into action
Step 6: Evaluate the outcome
- did it work?
- revise solution?
- try another option?
- return to step 2 and repeat
What is Trail and error?
- continue to try different solutions until problem is solved
- commonly used
What is Algorithm?
- step by step problem solving formula
- lego set intruction manual
What is Heuristic?
- General problem problem-solving formula
- Rule of thumb
What is Insight?
- the sudden recognition of a solution to a problem
- the AHA moment
What are Means end analyses ?
choose and analyzes action in a series of smaller steps to meet a goal
What is Distraction by irrelevant information?
failure to focus on relevant info
What are Mental sets?
becoming entrenched in a particular problem solving strategy
What is Functional fixedness?
difficulty perceiving an object being used for something other than what is was designed for
