Cognition and Language Development

A set of vocabulary flashcards covering the fundamental building blocks of cognition, essential processing functions, problem-solving techniques, and language development theories.

Cognition

The mental process of thinking, understanding, and processing information which involves perception, memory, learning, problem-solving, judgment, and decision-making.

Concepts

Mental categories used to group similar objects, events, ideas, or people.

Prototypes

The best or most representative example of a specific concept category.

Propositions

Units of meaning that express a relationship between different concepts.

Mental Images

Visual representations of objects or settings within the mind's eye.

Cognitive Schemas

Mental frameworks that organize networks of knowledge, beliefs, and expectations.

Sensory Gating

The process of filtering incoming environmental data to prevent cognitive overload.

Pattern Recognition

The matching of current environmental stimuli against existing memory templates.

Working Memory

A function focused on holding and actively manipulating temporary information during a task.

Metacognition

The monitoring, evaluating, and regulating of your own internal thinking processes.

Heuristics

Informal, practical rule-of-thumb shortcuts used to simplify complex problems and make decisions rapidly, based on past experiences and patterns.

Algorithms

A precise, systematic formula or procedure that evaluates every possible option and is $100\%$ guaranteed to produce the correct answer.

Broca's area

A localized brain function responsible for language production.

Wernicke's area

A localized brain function responsible for language comprehension.

Phonemes

The smallest elementary units of sound in a spoken language.

Morphemes

The smallest units of meaning, such as roots, prefixes, and suffixes.

Syntax

The grammatical rule system dictating how words are organized into sentences.

Contextual Information

Social and situational elements that reveal the intended meaning of language.

Statistical Learning

A cognitive process in language use that tracks patterns, syllables, and structural rules from environmental input.

Executive Control

The management of attention, task switching, and inhibition of distractions during complex conversations.

Innatist Theory (Chomsky)

A theory arguing that humans possess an innate language acquisition module featuring universal grammar.

Behaviorist Theory (Skinner)

A theory asserting that language grows entirely through association, imitation, and direct reinforcement.

Cognitive-Interactionist Theory (Piaget/Vygotsky)

A theory suggesting that language acquisition tracks alongside broader intellectual development and social interactions.