Unit 5 Vocab 3 Psych

Algorithm

A rule that guarantees the right solution by using a formula or other foolproof method.

insight

a sudden and often novel realization of the solution to a problem

confirmation bias

a tendency to search for information that supports our preconceptions and to ignore or distort contradictory evidence

mental set

tendency to fall into established thought patterns

intuition

the ability to understand something immediately

representativeness heuristic

judging the likelihood of things in terms of how well they seem to represent

availability heuristic

judging a situation based on examples of similar situations that come to mind initially

Overconfidence

the tendency to be more confident than correct—to overestimate the accuracy of our beliefs and judgments.

belief perseverance

tendency to stick to our initial beliefs even when evidence contradicts them

Framing

the way an issue is posed; how an issue is framed can significantly affect decisions and judgments.

language

A system of communication through the use of speech

phoneme

in language, the smallest distinctive sound unit

Morpheme

in a language, the smallest unit that carries meaning; may be a word or a part of a word (such as a prefix)

grammar

in a language, a system of rules that enables us to communicate with and understand others

babbling stage

beginning at about 4 months, the stage of speech development in which the infant spontaneously utters various sounds at first unrelated to the household language

one-word stage

the stage in speech development, from about age 1 to 2, during which a child speaks mostly in single words

two-word stage

beginning about age 2, the stage in speech development during which a child speaks mostly two-word statements

telegraphic speech

the kind of verbal utterances in which words are left out, but the meaning is usually clear

aphasia

impairment of language, usually caused by left hemisphere damage either to Broca's area (impairing speaking) or to Wernicke's area (impairing understanding).

Broca's area

Controls language expression - an area of the frontal lobe, usually in the left hemisphere, that directs the muscle movements involved in speech. (Making speech)

Wernicke's area

controls language reception - a brain area involved in language comprehension and expression; usually in the left temporal lobe (Understanding speech)

linguistic determinism

the strong form of Whorf's hypothesis—that language controls the way we think and interpret the world around us