Language and Thought Lecture

These flashcards cover key concepts, definitions, and critical information presented in the lecture on language and thought, linking neuroscience and cognitive science.

What is the key difference between Broca's aphasia and Wernicke's aphasia?

Broca's aphasia involves difficulty producing speech but comprehension remains intact, while Wernicke's aphasia involves fluent speech production with poor comprehension.

What is a morpheme?

A morpheme is the smallest meaningful unit of language.

What kind of linguistic phenomenon refers to children applying regular grammatical rules to irregular forms?

This phenomenon is known as overregularization.

What does Noam Chomsky's nativist theory propose about language acquisition?

Chomsky's nativist theory proposes that humans are biologically predisposed to learn language through an innate mechanism.

What is the poverty of the stimulus argument?

The poverty of the stimulus argument suggests that children are not exposed to enough linguistic input to explain their rapid language acquisition, implying an innate ability to learn language.

What are critical periods in language development?

Critical periods are specific times during development when the acquisition of language occurs most easily, particularly before early puberty.

What role does the prefrontal cortex play in decision making?

The prefrontal cortex is involved in high-level executive functions, including self-control, planning, and decision making.

What is the difference between maximizing and satisficing in decision making?

Maximizing involves comparing and considering all options to find the best possible choice, while satisficing refers to selecting the first option that meets the pre-determined criteria.

What is prospect theory?

Prospect theory explains how people evaluate potential losses and gains in decision-making, showing that losses have a stronger emotional impact than equivalent gains.

What is linguistic relativity?

Linguistic relativity is the hypothesis that the structure and vocabulary of a language can influence how its speakers think and perceive the world.

What is a key finding from studies on bilingual individuals?

Bilingual individuals may think differently depending on the language they are using, indicating that language can influence thought.

What are the two primary areas of the brain associated with language processing?

Broca's area, involved in language production, and Wernicke's area, involved in language comprehension.

What is the role of pragmatics in language?

Pragmatics refers to the intended meaning of statements and includes understanding context, such as sarcasm or irony.

What is the significance of the study on Russian and English speakers regarding color perception?

The study suggested that Russian speakers, who have separate words for different shades of blue, were quicker to categorize colors, indicating that language can influence perception.