Lecture 8

Question 1

Define language

Answer 1

system of symbols, sounds,
meanings, and rules of combination that allows for communication among humans

Question 2

Phonemes vs morphemes

Answer 2

Phonemes: the smallest units of sound
Morphemes: the smallest units of meaning

Question 3

What do phrases and sentences consist of

Answer 3

Phrases are composed of morphemes
Sentences: strings of morphemes and
phrases that express a thought or intention

Question 4

What are some examples of non verbal communication

Answer 4

• vocal intonation
• body language (crossed arms)
• gestures (often involving the hands or fingers)
• physical distance
• facial expressions
• touch

Question 5

How many basic phenomes

Answer 5

100

Question 6

Receptive vs productive vocabulary

Answer 6

Receptive: Children can understand a word even if they can’t produce it
Productive: Words a child can actively use in speech

Question 7

What is fast mapping

Answer 7

The ability of children to learn a new word after hearing it once or twice

Question 8

Over extensions vs under extensions

Answer 8

OE: When a child broadly applies a word (Ex: calling all 4 legged animal dogs)
UE: When a child applies a word narrowly (Only calls their pet dog and not other dogs)

Question 9

Overregularizations

Answer 9

When a child applies grammatical rules to words even if they don’t properly grasp the meaning of the word. Ex: Go-ed - talking about past tense

Question 10

Define nurture vs nature

Answer 10

Nurture (behaviourist). B. Skinner argued that children imitate the
utterances of their parents
* Skinner suggests that children receive differential reinforcement for speech sounds
Nature (nativist) Chomksy argued that language acquisition appears
to be universal across culture (could not be accounted for by learning)

Question 11

What are critical periods

Answer 11

Critical periods assume that an organism must develop a function within a limited time frame or
it will not develop at all
* Children easily learn second languages, adults have great difficulty

Question 12

Case of genie

Answer 12

Isolated children have language impairments:
* Genie: was isolated as a child and was unable to learn complex language as an adolescent

Question 13

What is problem solving

Answer 13

Refers to the process by which we
transform one situation into another to meet a goal

Question 14

Problem solving strategies

Answer 14

Algorithms are systematic procedures that will produce a solution to a problem
– Hypothesis testing: make an educated guess about a problem; then test it
– Mental simulation: mental rehearsal of the steps needed to solve a problem

Question 15

What are some barriers in problem solving

Answer 15

Irrelevant information: Refers to information included in a situation that does not help in creating actual solutions to the problem
Functional fixedness: When one limits themselves to using a method different from the traditional way of using it
Mental set: Tendency to approach a problem based on past experiences
unnecessary constraints: People assume that the solution has stricter guidelines that restricts their thinking

Question 16

Approaches to problem solving

Answer 16

Algorithms: Step-by-step procedures that guarantee a solution but may be time-consuming.
Heuristics: Mental shortcuts or rules of thumb that simplify decision-making, but may not always lead to the optimal solution.
Forming Sub-Goals: Breaking a larger problem into smaller, more manageable tasks to make progress incrementally.
Working Backward: Starting from the desired goal and working backward to find the steps needed to reach that goal.
Searching for Analogies: Applying solutions from past experiences or problems to current ones based on their similarities.
Changing the Representation of the Problem: Reframing the problem or changing its presentation to make it easier to solve.

Question 17

Base rate fallacy

Answer 17

The base rate fallacy refers to the cognitive bias in which people tend to ignore or undervalue statistical information (base rates) and focus instead on specific information that is more immediate or emotionally salient. This fallacy occurs when individuals make judgments about the likelihood of an event based on anecdotal evidence or emotional impressions, rather than considering the actual probabilities or statistical data.

Question 18

Impact of vivid events

Answer 18

The impact of vivid events—those that are emotionally charged, dramatic, or frequently covered in the media—can significantly distort people’s perceptions of risks. People often overestimate the likelihood of rare but dramatic events (like natural disasters or homicides) while underestimating the risks associated with more common, less sensational events (like diseases)

Question 19

Regression toward the average

Answer 19

Regression toward the average (also called regression toward the mean) is a statistical phenomenon that occurs when extreme or unusual performance (either very high or very low) is followed by more typical or average performance. Ex: People that win rookie of the year tend to not do as well in their second season