General Psychology (PSY-130) Lecture Notes

Flashcards covering key vocabulary and theories from the General Psychology lecture notes.

Phonemes

Smallest sound units in a language.

Morphemes

Smallest meaningful units in a language.

Syntax

Rules governing the order of words in sentences.

Semantics

The study of meaning in language.

Pragmatics

The social use of language in context.

Behaviorist Theory

Language acquisition theory suggesting learning occurs through imitation and reinforcement.

Nativist Theory

Language acquisition theory asserting a biological predisposition for language learning.

Interactionist Theory

Language acquisition theory that combines innate capacities with environmental influences.

Linguistic Relativity

The concept that language influences thought processes.

Culture

Shared beliefs, values, and practices that provide meaning to language and cognition.

Intelligence Test

Assessments created to measure cognitive ability, initially intended to aid struggling students.

Eugenics

Belief in improving the genetic quality of a population, historically misused in immigration policies.

Nature vs Nurture

Debate regarding the relative contributions of genetic inheritance (nature) and environmental factors (nurture) to human development.

Spearman's General Intelligence (g)

A theory proposing that a general intelligence underlies all cognitive abilities.

Specific Abilities (s)

Unique skills associated with particular tasks, in addition to general intelligence.