memory and language

concepts

mental groupings of similar objects, people, and things

prototypes

best example of categories

mental set

tendency to approach a problem in one particular way

intuition

effortless, automatic feeling, contracted with explicit

trial and error

finding a different solution after an attempted solution doesn't work

algorithim

a set formula that will always get you the right answer

insight

sudden flash of insight; deep understanding of something

heuristics

basic rule of thumb, not always perfect

creativity

ability to produce ideas that are both novel and valuable

convergent thinking

narrow the available solutions to get the best solution

divergent thinking

expands the umber of possible problem solutions; thinking out of the box

inductive reasoning

used to develop a theory; thinking that moves from specific to broad generalizations

deductive reasoning

used to test and prove a theory; thinking that moves from broad generalizations to specific conclusions based off data

cognitive bias

subconscious error in thinking that leads you to misinterpret information from the world around you

confirmation bias

eagerness for info that confirms our ideas

fixation

the inability to see a problem from a different perspective

functional fixedness

inability to see alternative uses for items

representativeness heuristic

the judge based on how well they represent our prototypes; stereotypes

availability heuristic

judge based on available information in our memories

belief preseverance

tendency to cling to beliefs in the face of the contrary evidence

overconfidence

tendency to over estimate the accuracy of our knowledge and judgments

framing effect

the way an issue is presented that may influence a person

phonemes

a set of basic sounds

morphemes

the smallest unit of language that carries meaning

grammar

system of rules for writing

semantics

rules we use to drive meaning from morphemes

syntax

rules for ordering words in sentences

receptive language

developing in infancy

productive language

actual sentences; formed in the toddler years

babbling

4 months to a year

one word stage

1 year and beyond

two word stage

2 years and beyond

overregulation

the imposition of excessive rules and regulations

language acculturation

the process of someone learning a foreign language

universal grammar

there are innate constraints on what the grammar of a possible human language could be

critical period

the time in which your brain is at its prime to learn information

chomsky

universal grammar rules for all language; critical period

whorf

linguistic determinism

linguistic determinism

language barrier; the concept that language and its structures limit and determine human knowledge or thought, as well as thought processes such as categorization, memory, and perception