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cognitive science > Cog sci test 3 > Flashcards

Cog sci test 3 Flashcards

1
Q

what are linguists interested in

A

speakers’ knowledge and use of language

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2
Q

what is linguistics

A

the study of language
- describe and analyze language

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3
Q

grammar

A

the rules that describe a language

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4
Q

phonology

A

the study of sound patterns in language

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5
Q

phonotactic constraints

A

restrictions on possible combinations of sounds

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6
Q

complementary distribution

A

two sounds that never occur in the same environment

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7
Q

contrastive distribution

A

found in the same environment but contrast in meaning
- minimal pairs

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8
Q

allophone

A

different ways that one can say a word
- another way to pronounce phoneme

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9
Q

phoneme

A

similar sounds that a language treats as being the same

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10
Q

morphology

A

the study of the structure of words

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11
Q

morpheme

A

the smallest unit that can have meaning

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12
Q

roots

A

root word cannot break down into similar units
- the basic meaning of a word

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13
Q

compounds

A

two roots combined together (waterfall)

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14
Q

inflectional morphemes

A

serve only grammatical function
- does not change the syntactic category

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15
Q

derivational morpheme

A

change the syntactic category of a word

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16
Q

syntax

A

the study of how words are together into phrases, clauses and sentences

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17
Q

auxiliary verbs

A

occur together with another verb

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18
Q

lexicon

A

mental store of words (not static)

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19
Q

productivity

A

creating more
- sentences

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20
Q

Noam Chomsky

A
  • challenged behaviourists
  • universal grammar (innate)
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21
Q

Language Acquisition device

A
  • allows humans to learn language
  • the set of common grammatical rules are hard-wired into this device
  • people need exposure until the critical period to activate the LAD
  • human specific
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22
Q

critical period

A

proposed by Eric Lenneberg
- after this period language cannot be acquired in a natural fashion (Genie)
- closes after puberty

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23
Q

generative grammar

A
  • developed by Noam Chomsky
  • a set of rules that can predict which combinations of words are able to make grammatically correct sentences
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24
Q

Principles and parameters

A

A framework within generative linguistics
- all languages must have some things in common
- children are born with pre-existing knowledge of language

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25
principles
- absolute rules and generalizations about the way that languages are structured - true for every single human language
26
parameters
- a limited set of options that language must choose among - finite
27
the minimalist program
It is a conceptual framework to guide the developmental grammatical theory - understand the nature of language - what is it, and what properties of language - what is conceptually necessary for language
28
what is natural language processing
a branch of AI focused on the interaction between computers and humans through language - main goal is to enable machines to understand, interpret and generate human language in a way that's both meaningful and useful
29
application of NLP
- chatbots, virtual assistants and automated costumer support etc..
30
limitations
- lack a true understanding - struggle with ambiguity (metaphor, sarcasm and context) - biased or incorrect outputs
31
why did cognitive traits evolve
- not random - they evolved because that provided survival or reproductive advantages to our ancestors
32
variation
- variation in traits - can be physical or cognitive
33
heritability
- traits that have a genetic basis can be passed down to offspring
34
differential survival and reproduction
- individuals with traits that are advantageous in their environment are more likely to survive and reproduce - passing those traits on
35
threats and fear
solutions to specific problems faced by our ancestors (help avoid danger)
36
modern threats
haven't existed long enough for our brains to develop an instinctual fear of them
37
why is evolution important
bridges the gap between biology and cognition - evolutionary function of mental abilities - understand our behaviours (traced back to ancient challenges) - survival and reproductive success
38
Ancestral Environment and model minds
refers to the prehistoric environment where human cognition evolved - optimized for ancient environment conflicts with modern time
39
social cognition
- cooperative (groups) - reading emotions
40
theory of the mind
ability to understand that others have different thoughts and feelings
41
problem solving
- finding food (memory and spatial navigation) and avoiding danger (quick decision-making)
42
decision making biases
cognitive shortcuts like heuristics helped our ancestors survive - loss aversion (losses weighed more)
43
comparative cognition
It examines how different species process information, solve problems, and adapt to their environments. - similarities and differences
44
crows
use tools - demonstrate problem-solving - planning and understanding cause and effect relationships
45
Scrub jays
- hiding food - memory - episodic-like memory and social cognition
46
Great apes
- self-recognition - mirror test
47
which traits are shared across species
memory, problem-solving, and communication - many animals demonstrate cognitive flexibility
48
what traits are unique to humans
- complex languages - abstract reasoning - cultural transmission
49
shared brain structure
- cortex, hippocampus and amygdala involved in memory, learning and emotions
50
functional analogies
While brain structures differ in size and organization, the functions they serve can be remarkably similar across species
51
why is it important to study simpler brains
understand fundamental building blocks of cognition
52
cognition is adaptable
Cognitive traits often evolve to address specific echolocation pressures
53
parallel evolution
Similar cognitive abilities sometimes evolve independently in unrelated species, a phenomenon known as convergent evolution
53
cognitive specialization
Each species develops cognitive skills suited to its niche.
54
domain specific mechanisms
evolved to handle specific tasks
55
general purpose mechanisms
allow flexibility across diverse situations
56
complex communication
we can communicate expression, abstract, symbolic and novel ideas - discuss the future and the past
57
social brain hypothesis
It suggests that languages evolve to manage the complexities of larger social groups.
58
adaptation
trait evolved from a specific function
59
exaptation
trait repurposed for a new function
60
critiques of evolutionary approach
- overemphasis on adaptionism - lack of empirical evidence - ignore cultural and environmental influences

cognitive science (3 decks)

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