PSY1002 SEMESTER 2 - WEEK 5 Flashcards
define language
difficult to define, an exchange of info, reflecting differences between human language and non-human animal communication systems, an arbitrary set of symbols and rules for combining symbolds, used to create infinite varieties of messages
what is Hockett’s design features for language
initially 13, and now 16. differentiates human language from non-human, with all human spoken language containing all 16 components
name 14 of 16 Hockett design features for language
vocal-auditory channel
broadcast transmission and directional reception
rapid fading transitoriness
interchangeability
total feedback
specialisation
semanticity
arbitrariness
discreteness
displacement
productivity
traditional transmission
duality of patterning
outline Hockett’s design features for language - vocal auditory channel
usually transmitted through channel as best evolutionary choice (free hands, don’t have to see people for communication, cover great distance)
outline Hockett’s design features for language - broadcast transmission and directional reception
when speaking sound produced in all direction but perceiver able to localise speeches source, attribute sounds to individual
outline Hockett’s design features for language - rapid fading transitoriness
speech disappears when talking stops, sound created ceases to exist, so language attributed to sound ceases to exist
outline Hockett’s design features for language - interchangeability
competent language user can repeat any message they hear
outline Hockett’s design features for language - total feedback
speaker hears everything they say, online tracking of message
outline Hockett’s design features for language - specialisation
sound produced designed to convey meaning not biological outcomes of different activity
eg: dog panting communicates thirsty, but this isn’t the main purpose (dog pants for cooling)
outline Hockett’s design features for language - semanticity
ties between word and it’s meaning are definite - sounds denotes specific messages
outline Hockett’s design features for language - arbitrariness
word arbitrary and decided by agreement. words themselves not representativeness (microorganisms is large word, actual microorganisms are small)
outline Hockett’s design features for language - discreteness
linguistic representations can be broken down into small discrete units that combine with each other using rules
eg: adding s denotes plurality, but this doesn’t denote quantity
outline Hockett’s design features for language - displacement
can talk about things not currently in vicinity
outline Hockett’s design features for language - productivity
language not stagnant and open to change as we develop new novel word, or meaning
outline Hockett’s design features for language - traditional transmission
language is acquired through social groups, teaching through social interaction (ongoing process)
outline Hockett’s design features for language - duality of patterning
speech analysed on 2 level:
1. made up of meaningless element - limited inventory of sounds or phonemes
2. made up of meaningful element - virtually limitless inventory of words or morphemes
name key features and importance of the different human communication systems
body language and verbal language (unique to humans- speak, written, sign)
allows communication of thought, concept
what is semantics
linking word to meaning. in order to discuss concept, we need to have mental representations of the concept
what is syntax
grammar and rules that subtly alter meanings of phrase
eg: you tickle/tickle you changes meanings of phrase
what is morphology (morphemes)
smallest meaningful unit of sound, specific sound combinations carry different meanings
adding s, or ed
what is pragmatics
using language to convey meaning via ways of speaking “meaning within meaning”
outline how language is thought to be based on mental representation
we store mental representations for language, developed via experience with sensory input. match these mental representations with word we hear and activates the words we reply using
outline mental representation for language comprehension (input, activate, output)
input (speech) activates existing mental representations of sound and links to meaning
output (comprehension)
name 2 model for speech production
- spreading-activation theory of retrieval in sentence production
- theory of lexical access in speech production
outline mental representation for speech production (input, activate, output)
input (concept for communication)
activates meaning and link to existing sounds representation
output (speech, writing, gesture)
name language functions of speech production
speaking, writing
name language functions of speech comprehension
reading, understanding
name the 5 building blocks of language (in right order)
- semantics
- syntax and morphology
- form (phonology)
- speech
what is syntax in languages dependent on
which language we use
English = subject-verb-object (woman-lifts-fridge)
Japanese = subject-object-verb (woman-fridge-lifts)
give an example of syntax rules for language
limited number of rule, infinite numbers of unique statement
[I shot][an elephant][in my pj]
[I shot][an elephant in my pj]
what is form (phonology)
sound systems of phonemes (sounds - t,th,k), and graphemes (made up of number of letters corresponding to sound (th=thhh, ight= eyt)
outline orthography
writing system = graphemes (letters), and visual representations of phonemes
give an example for pragmatics and components which impact why it is chosen
understand context behind “whats up” so don’t look up
- why we choose option
- effect of choice
- context
- emphasis
- vocabulary
- tone
what are Grice’s Maxims (pragmatics), and give 4
understanding when person violates maxism allows us to interpret meaning within meaning
1. quantity- only include necessary info
2. quality- truthful communications
3. relation- topic relevant communication
4. manner- avoid ambiguity
explain mental lexicon for speech comprehension
hearing word activates sound in mental lexicon, activates meaning (semantics), activates spelling of word (orthographic mental representation)
explain mental lexicon for speech comprehension
mental lexicon produces syntax, semantics, phonological text representation to know how to say words, then activate orthographic representation
what is activation spreading competition in our mental lexicon
related words are activated in mental lexicon, competes for selection
what does hesitation in speech production allow
insight into spreading activations in mental lexicon
outline how timing of speech onset, hesitation, pause are used in testing speech production
delays in speech initiation due to processing problems, and hesitation suggests larger mental lexicon (competing for articulation)
if a concept activates more competition word, causes more hesitation due to increased processing
give an example of hestitation being used to study speech production (regarding lecture content)
(Schacter et al - 1991) more hesitations in humanity than natural science because of greater cohort of words being activated due to nature of object and word-link complexity
explain speech errors and slip of tongue
knowing what you intend to say, retrieve wrong words,syntax, sounds
type of error made suggests nature of language processed
explain research study into speech error
Vigliocco & Hartsuiker (2002)- estimate speech errors in 1/500 sentances
‘queer old dean’‘dear old queen’
give slip of tongue error example in words = if initial phrase is “prongs of fork”, what is error
“prongs of fork”, “forks of prong” = words have changed making a speech error- now no longer makes sense
give slip of tongue error example in morphemes = if initial phrase is “sliced thinly”, what is error
“slicly thinned”
give slip of tongue example for phonemes = if initial phrase was “york library” what is error
lork yibrary
explain levels of processing in speech errors (impact of semantics, syntax, morphemes, articulation)
semantic error- conceptualisation (spork - semantic blend error)
syntax and morphemes- formulation (slicly thinned)
articulation- word and phoneme exchange (lork yibrary, forks of prong)
give example of an exchange or blend error resulting in legal non-word
spork no fpoon
define conceptualisation
level of thought where messages are pieced together
define formulation (functional stage and positional stage)
grammatical process stage mapping messages onto linguistic units with 2 stages:
1. functional stage: select semantically appropriate lexical item, assign to functional role (verbs etc)
2. positional stage: form info (spelling) of words is specified
outline tip of tongue state
a state where you know what you want to say but have trouble retrieving word to say it, due to competition between conflicting info, or activation competition between related items blocking retrieval of target words
give research study into tip of tongue error caused by interference
Schrifers et al 1990 = ppts named object photo and also played word they had to ignore (phonologically, semantically related, random) with word appearing same time/after photo
RESULTS: when early, distractor word was heard if semantically, not phonologically, related
if later, no impact for semantic, but there was for phonologic
explain research evidence for priming (Smith & Tindell, 1997)
give ppts priming word, then target word fragment, had to complete fragment words
related target/priming word competed for activation and articulation = poor performance
(eg: analogy, anatomy. not baggage and failure)
what evidence suggests that language production is a series of process
competitive processes underpinning concept selection (speech hesitation, blend errors, tip of tongue)
production requires concepts activation, morphological element added, articulating words (speech error respects syntactic, word, phonological categories, tip of tongues)
how is comprehension system used to monitor speech production
before and after articulation (perceptual loop)- run through inner speech plan looking for error
outline alignment theory
goal of conversation is alignment of representation of speaker/listener via priming = conversation includes sound repetition, words, syntax, meanings which are activated, and individuals become more and more coordinated during speech
