Chapter 8 - Language, Thinking and Reasoning - Key words Flashcards
Largely arbitrary system of communication that combines symbols (such as words or gestural signs) in rule-based ways to create meaning.
Language
Category of sounds our vocal apparatus produces
Phonemes
Smallest meaningful unit of speech
Morphemes
Grammatical rules that govern how words are composed into meaningful strings
Syntax
elements of communication that aren’t part of the content of language but are critical to interpreting its meaning
extralinguistic information
meaning derived from words and sentences
semantics
language variation used by a group of people who share geographic proximity or ethnic background
dialect
intentional vocalization that lacks specific meaning
babbling
early period of language development when children use single-word phrases to convey an entire thought
one-word stage
language developed by members of a deaf community that uses visual rather than auditory communication
sign language
proficient and fluent at speaking and comprehending two distinct languages
bilingual
awareness of how language is structured and used
metalinguistic
Systems of signs invented by deaf children of hearing parents who receive no language input
homesign
allowing an infinite number of unique sentences to be created by combining words in novel ways
- i.e. language is this.
Generative
account of language acquistion that suggests children are born with some basic knowledge of how language works
nativist account - developed by Noam Chomsky
Hypothetical construct in the brain in which nativisists believe knowledge of syntax resides
Language acquisition device
Account of language acquisition that proposes that children infer what words and sentences mean from context and social interactions
Social Pragmatics account
View that all thought is represented verbally and taht, as a result, our language defines our thinking
linguistic determinism
view that characteristics of langauge shape our thought processes
linguistic relativity
reading strategy that involves identifying common words based on their appearance without having to sound them out
whole-word recognition
reading strategy that involves sounding our words by drawing correspondences between printed letters and sounds
phonetic decomposition
any mental activity or processing of information, including learning, remembering, perceiving, communicating, believing, and deciding
thinking
our knowledge and ideas about a set of objects, actions, and characteristics that share core properties
concept
the process of selecting among a set of possible alternatives
decision making
the way a question is formulated, which can influence the decisions people make
framing
generating a cognitive strategy to accomplish a goal
problem solving
step-by-step learned procedure used to solve a problem
algorithm
phenomenon of becoming stuck in a specific problem-solving strategy, inhibiting our ability to generate alternatives
mental set
difficulty conceptualizing that an object typically used for one purpose can be used for another
functional fixedness
