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PSY331 - Psychology of Language > Week One - Key Terms & Concepts > Flashcards

Week One - Key Terms & Concepts Flashcards

1
Q

What is language?

A

A system of symbols that convey meaning of shared rules

A form of communication whereby there is transmission from one source to another

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2
Q

What is linguistics?

A

Structure of language

- describes language

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3
Q

What three things do psychology of language conventionally address?

A

Comprehension
Production
Acquisition

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4
Q

What are Phonemes?

A

Smallest unit of sound that can distinguish meaning

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5
Q

What are Phonetics?

A

Speech sounds and how they’re articulated (physical properties of sounds and how they’re said)

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6
Q

What is Phonology?

A

How sounds are used and categorised within a language (the category that a sound fits in)

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7
Q

What is Phonotactics?

A

The rules for combining sounds within a language

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8
Q

In English, what can prosody do?

A

Can distinguish grammatical contrasts

- “I won the prize”

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9
Q

What are Morphemes?

A

Smallest units of meaning (tree + s = 2 morphemes)

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10
Q

What are the 2 types of morphemes?

A

Free & Bound

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11
Q

What are free morphemes?

A

Can stand alone e.g., thumbprint

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12
Q

What are bound morphemes?

A

Can’t stand alone but can still add meaning e.g., ing

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13
Q

What are Semantics?

A

Literal meaning

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14
Q

Content Vs Function words?

A

Content: Hold content and meaning that is easy to define eg., plum

Function: Help sentence but don’t have an easy to describe meaning e.g., by and to

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15
Q

What is Syntax?

A

Rules for combining words into sentences

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16
Q

What are Pragmatics?

A

Language in real-world context (guides use of language in context eg its cold in here)

17
Q

What is register?

A

Appropriate level of written/spoken language for a given situation

18
Q

What is Discourse?

A

Verbal or written interaction longer than a single utterance (evaluated in terms of particular context and prior knowledge)
- “its 8.15”

19
Q

What is metalinguistic awareness?

A

Thinking about language as a system

20
Q

Difference between spoken, written and sign language in terms of culture?

A

Spoken: all cultures

Written & Sign: some cultures (differs in representation

21
Q

Why did language evolve?

A

Evolved to communicate existing cognitive representations

Did not arise in single step

22
Q

Where did language arise?

A

In Broca’s area

23
Q

What did a changing skull shape allow?

A

The articulatory apparatus to develop

24
Q

What are Hockett’s Design Features of language?

A

• Vocal-auditory channel: Communication occurs by
producer speaking and receiver hearing.

• Broadcast transmission + directional reception: Signal
travels out in space, but localised by listener.

• Rapid fading: Signal rapidly disappears.

• Interchangeability: Speakers can both receive and
transmit message; anyone can say anything.

  • Complete feedback: Speakers can access their productions.
  • Discreteness: Vocabulary is made of discrete units.
  • Tradition: Can be both taught and learned.

• Duality of patterning: Meaningless basic units gain
meaning when combined into sequences.

• Specialisation: Energy of signal is irrelevant to meaning.

• Semanticity: Signals have meaning; relate to features
of the world.

• Learnability: The speaker of one language can learn
another.

• Prevarication: Language provides the ability to lie and
deceive.

25
Q

What are the 3 Hockett’s design features that are mainly specific to humans?

A

Semanticity
Learnability
Prevarication

26
Q

What are the 3 Hockett’s design features that are ONLY unique to humans?

A

Arbitrariness: neutral symbols that don’t resemble what they stand for.

Displacement: The system can refer to things remote in time and space.

Reflectiveness: We can communicate about the communication system itself

Openness/creativity/productivity: The ability to invent new messages.

27
Q

What is animal communication dependent upon?

A

Context and stimulus

28
Q

No animals seem to have both what?

A

Duality and displacement

Don’t have semanticity

29
Q

Explain Kanzi the Bonobo?

A

Learned incidentally

Produced some well-ordered meaningful conversations

30
Q

What was Kani similar to?

A

Showed similar complexity to deaf children

31
Q

How did Kanzi use language?

A

In a goal-oriented fashion i.e., requests

32
Q

At best, what can animals learn?

A

Protolanguage

33
Q

Dolphins learned?

A

Visual cues to language, but syntactic abilities very limited

34
Q

African grey parrot could?

A

Produce and understand short word sentences

35
Q

Washoe (female chimp) speech showed?

A

Semanticity, limited displacement, apparent creativity

PSY331 - Psychology of Language (12 decks)

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