Psych 1003 Winter 2025 Chapter 9 Language and Thinking lecture slides updated

Language

A shared symbolic system for communication, including letters and symbols used by a specific culture.

Mental Lexicon

The mental dictionary of words in a language.

Grammar

Rules that dictate the legal combination of units of language.

Symbolic Property of Language

Language uses sounds, signs, and gestures to form mental representations.

Structural Property of Language

Language consists of rule-governed structures that create meaningful units.

Generativity in Language

The ability to create an infinite number of messages with a finite set of symbols.

Surface Structure

The arrangement of words and symbols in a sentence.

Deep Structure

The underlying meaning of combined symbols in a sentence.

Pragmatics

Knowledge of practical aspects of using language in social contexts.

Ambiguous Sentences

Sentences that can be interpreted in multiple ways.

Garden Path Sentences

Sentences that lead the reader toward an incorrect interpretation initially.

Sensitive Period

A developmental stage where individuals are more responsive to certain stimuli.

Critical Period

A time frame in development where not learning a skill can prevent future acquisition.

Linguistic Relativity

The hypothesis that language shapes thought processes.

Propositional Thought

Thinking that expresses statements or propositions.

Imaginal Thought

Thinking that involves mental images or sensations.

Motoric Thought

Mental representations of physical movements.

Negative Set

The tendency to solve problems using a familiar method even if a better solution exists.

Functional Fixedness

A tendency to see objects only in their typical functions.

Divergent Thinking

A type of creative thinking that generates many unique ideas or solutions.

Means-End Analysis

A problem-solving strategy that involves identifying differences between current states and goal states.

Problem Space

The set of conditions and states between the initial problem state and the goal state.

Creativity

The ability to produce something new and valuable.