mental set + fixation, language + thought

What is a mental set?

All it is is one way of thinking about a problem - the tendency to approach a problem in one particular way. - think of the drawing through the circles example (we had a mental set that we had to solve the problem in the confines of the box)

What is functional fixedness?

An inability to assign new functions and roles to elements of a problem. This is closely related to mental set (plays into it). - think about the example with the man and the strings and using the paintbrush for a pendulum weight instead of just for painting

What is insight?

The sudden realization of a problem's solution. (like an aha moment when you look past a mental set and/or functional fixedness and can solve the problem)

When given algebra problems to solve, did participants anticipate their moment of insight?

Yes, they when rating "warmth" (closeness) to solving the problem every 15 seconds, they reported feeling warmer and warmer in the last 30 seconds or so

What is language?

System of communication that fits four criteria:

Arbitrary - Sounds and symbols used don't have to be those symbols (think like pants don't have to be called pants yk)

Generative - Can generate infinite new phrases (you could come up with a sentence that nobody has said before)

Displacement - Can communicate about things not physically present

Structured - There is syntax (correct structure of words into sentences - think like subject noun verb sentence order yk)

Are all forms of communication language?

No, the communication method must fit the four criteria.

Is language unique to humans?

Many species can communicate information about real objects and you can see decent complexity in the animal world regarding communicaton, however, there are some crucial limitations. They have amasing abilities to communicate but are missing key characteristics of language.

What are the limitations between language and other animals?

Animals do not have the ability for generative or structured (grammar/syntax) language

What are the stages of language development?

Cooing ~ 3 moths

Babbling ~ 5 months

- Deaf babies babble with hands

- Start to lose ability to hear/produce all phonemes

<1 year can understand basic words

One word stage ~ 1 year

Two-word stage ~ 2 years

- Two-words as in stringing together two words in a grammatically correct, makes sense way (ex black-cat, give-snacks)

Know about 3,000 words by 3 years old

What are phonemes?

speech sounds, smalles unit of sound. babies are born being able to produce all phonemes of every language, and babble with all phonemes, but start to lose that ability around 5 months

What is comprehension vocabulary?

Words understood by an infant

What is production vocabulary?

Words an infant understands and can speak

Is comprehension or production vocabulary aquired faster?

Infants acquire comprehension more than twice as fast as production

Is learning language innate?

We do have an innate propensity to learn language

What is the critical period in language development?

The years of your live that language acquisition is constrained by. You can learn a language at any point in your life, but you can only really have native level speaking if you learn before age 7, and it slowly, then more rapidly, declines from there

What are some advantages to bilingualism?

Better controlled attention, better theory of mind, less cognitive decline with age

What hemisphere of the brain does language rely most on?

Relies most on the left hemisphere of the brain. This is why stroke in left hemisphere is usually more obvious and more devastating

What is the brocas area?

Part of brain that is important for syntax. Damage to brocas area stops you from being able to structure sentences correctly and comprehensibly. They also can't understand any sort of complex level syntax

What is wernicke's area?

Part of brain that is important for comprehension. Damage to wernicke's area will leave you able to talk and talk and talk, but only in completely nonsense way with no real meaning

What are the two main areas of the brain involved in language?

Brocas area and Wernicke's area. Structure and comprehension, totally different parts of the brain, completely different structures but work together for language

What is linguistic relativity hypothesis?

Claims that language shapes thought. Ideas that thought and language are inseparable and that cultural differences cause thought differences?

Do linguistic differences result in perceptual differences?

Yes (think about the study about color perception and how different languages/cultures have different distinctions between colors