Chapter 9: Language and Thought Flashcards
language
a set of symbols used to communicate
what are two components of language?
language production and language comprehension
language production
the structured and conventional expression of thought through words
speech
the expression of language through sounds
language comprehension
the process of understanding spoken, written, or signed language
what four areas is the study of speech divided?
phonology, semantics, syntax, and pragmatics
phonemes
the smallest unit of sounds in a language; an individual sound such as ba, da, ta; associate with PHONOLOGY
phonology
the study of how individual sounds or phonemes are used to produce language
morphemes
the smallest units of language that convey meaning; associate with SEMANTICS
semantics
the study of how meaning in language is constructed of individual words and sentences
lexical meaning
dictionary meaning of a word (can change over time); associate with SYNTAX
syntax
the system for using words (semantics) and word order (grammar) to convey meaning
pragmatics
the practical aspects of language usage, including speech pace, gesturing, and body language
non-verbal communication
body language; associate with PRAGMATICS
what are the two stages in the first 2-4 months of life?
prevocal learning (babies perceive and distinguish phonemes) and cooing (non-crying vocalization)
babbling (6 months)
meaningless production of sounds, allows baby to experiment with vocalizations
first words at spoken after about….
1 year - ability to comprehend is greater than ability to speak
telegraphic speech (2 years)
speech that consists of minimalistic sentences; grammatical morphemes are dropped (words not necessary for meaning of the spoken phrase)
pragmatics (3 years)
acquired practical info about language use
grammar (4 years)
automatically absorbed many of the rules of grammar
early capacity for language learning may signal presence of:
a language acquisition device in the brain
there is a debate between presence of a:
critical and sensitive period of language learning
critical period
a window of time in development during which certain influences are NECESSARY for appropriate formation of the brain
sensitive period
a point in development during which the brain is more SUSCEPTIBLE to influences
an interactive theory of language suggests that:
experience interacts with biological development to guide and enhance language learning
child-directed speech
speech characterized by exaggerated emotional responses and a slower pace that is cross-culturally common among caregivers communicating with babies and young children
overregularization
the process by which elementary school children over-apply newly learned grammatical rules to improperly “correct” an irregular part of speech, such as a verb (eg. thinked instead of thought)
there are two systems involved in language acquisition:
a system that is automatic and and a system that requires conscious attention (explicit learning)
language production and comprehension is typically located in which hemisphere of the brain?
left
Broca’s area
a brain region located in the frontal lobe that is important for speech production
Broca’s aphasia
a neurological condition arising from damage to Broca’s area where the patient is unable to produce coherent speech
aphasia refers to:
inability in either language production or comprehension
agrammatism
a neurological condition arising from damage to a brain region just anterior to Broca’s area, where the patient is incapable of using words in a grammatical sequence
Wernicke’s area
a brain region located in the temporal lobe that is important for language comprehension
Wernicke’s aphasia
a neurological condition associated with damage to Wernicke’s area where a person cannot understand language
women tend to have stronger language skills and this may be because:
women are more likely to use both hemispheres of the brain to process information whereas men’s processing is more lateralized
mental imagery
picturing things in your mind-conjuring internal visual representations of stored sensory input
what are some forms of thinking that does not require language?
mental imagery and spatial-navigation thinking
most of thinking involves:
language in combination with imagery
linguistic relativity hypothesis
hypothesis suggesting that the vocabulary available for objects or concepts in a language influences how speakers of that language think about them
the major aspect of the linguistic relativity hypothesis was disproved because:
ex. the number of colour words does not impact our visual perception of the colour. however some aspects have gained support
having a simpler language structure means it is easier to:
acquire developmentally
through acquiring a language, we also acquire:
a way of thinking about the world
cognitive control
the ability to direct thought in accord with one’s intentions
executive function
the brain’s ability to control and manage the mental processing of information
dysexecutive syndrome
impairments in the ability to control and direct mental activities (usually after damage to the frontal lobes)
problem solving
determining how to reach a goal
well-defined problems
easy to discern beginning and end states, ex. arithmetic
ill-defined problems
goal is difficult to define in precise terms, ex. real life
what are two types of strategies for problem solving?
algorithm and heuristics
algorithm
a problem-solving solution that always leads to a solution
heuristics
a shortcut thinking strategy (does not guarantee a correct answer to a problem)
insight
solving a problem without intensive effort or concentration (a “eureka” moment)
sudden solutions can occur following an ______
incubation period when the problem was mentally “set aside” for a period of time
mental set
tendency to use problem-solving strategies that have worked in the past-can miss more effective, alternative strategies
functional fixedness
tendency to view objects as having only one function
confirmation bias
tendency to look for information that meets our expectations
decision making
evaluating and choosing from among options
representativeness heuristic
the assumption that individuals share characteristics of the category of which they are a member
availability heuristic
judging easily-recalled events as more common
bounded rationality
the fact that in many situations, our ability to make clear rational decisions is limited or “bounded” by things like a lack of information, time constraints, or emotions attached to aspects of the problem we are trying to solve
metacognition
the ability to understand and control one’s mental activities
obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD)
a mental disorder characterized by repeated, abnormal, anxiety-provoking thoughts and/or repeated rigid behaviours
schizophrenia
a mental disorder characterized by disorganized thoughts lack of contact with reality, and sometimes hallucinations
