Language and Thought

Language

Complex communication system that involves abstract symbols to convey unlimited messages/ideas.

Thinking process

concepts, mental imagery, propositions and language used in reasoning, problem solving, and decision making

Information

stored in taxonomies, networks, schema, scripts, and cognitive maps

Parentese

the high pitched voice we use to speak to babies and pets. Babies prefer this over normal speech as it keeps them engaged and assists with speech processing and development.

Gestures

babies use their hands to convey meaning before they can speak.

Phonemes

smallest distinctive sound unit in a spoken language

Morphemes

Smallest unit within a word/part of a word that carries meaning

McGurk effect

what we see affects what we hear

Grammar

system of rules used in a language

semantics

understanding meaning from words by their morphemes and context

semantically ambiguous

when the meaning of a statement is unclear because a choice between alternatives has not yet been made

syntax

rules to the ordering of words in a sentence which create meaning

Behaviorists

we are exposed to language in the environment, and learn it through reinforcement and repetition (B.F. Skinner)

Nativists

We are “hardwired” to learn language and humans are unique in that respect - animals don’t have this “hardwiring” (Noam Chomsky)

Critical period of language acquisition

if language is not learned before an early age, a child’s ability to learn is learn is greatly compromised or disappears altogether

Chomsky’s linguistic theory

principles underlying the structure of language are biologically determined in the human mind and hence genetically transmitted

overregularization

this is when a child first begins to speak, and may used incorrect grammar/syntax

Linguistic Determinism (Sapir-Wharfian hypothesis)

the structure of a language determines or greatly influences the modes of thought and behavior characteristic of the culture in which its spoken

Genie

a girl who did not learn language during the critical development period. She never learned to speak normally, providing great evidence for this theory.