schemas, semantics networds and language accusition

Schemas

Organized patterns of knowledge about the world.

Processing Benefits of schemas

Reduce storage capacity and enhance processing efficiency.

Bartlett's War of the Ghosts 1932

Study illustrating memory as a reconstructive process. We do not store individual memories. we have schemas which we fir details into

Scripts

Basic sequences of events in schema theory.

Frames

Knowledge packages about objects in schema theory.

Schematic Knowledge

Influences recollection based on prior knowledge.

Sulin & Dooling Study

schematic knowledge can influence recollections. A schema- driven reconstruction process which happeneds at retrival.

Schema Consistent Information

Recalled more frequently than inconsistent information.

Brewer & Treyens (1981)

Study on implicit memory and schema consistency.

how does False Memories play a part in Brewer & Treyens (1981 )

Recollection of schema-consistent items not present.

Steyvers & Hemmer (2012)

Study on recall of schema-consistent and inconsistent items. Found that participants are way better at recalling items that were very inconsistent with the schema

Top-Down Processes

Cognitive processes influenced by existing knowledge.

Long-Term Memory (LTM)

Storage of information in a meaning-related manner.

Evaluation of Schema Theory

Critique highlights limitations in explaining cognition.

Error-Prone Memory

Schemas may exaggerate how often we make errors.

Semantic Networks

Representation of memories linked by meaning.

Declarative Memories

Memories that can be consciously recalled.

Implicit Memory Task

Task assessing memory without explicit retrieval.

Distinctive Items

Unexpected items that attract attention during recall.

Cognitive Schema

Mental structures that organize knowledge and expectations.

Memory Intervals

Longer intervals lead to more memory errors.

Hierarchical semantic networks

Organized structures of concepts in levels.

Concepts

Mental representations of categories.

Superordinate category

Highest level in a hierarchical structure. Mental representations of catagories

Basic category

distinct from brorder levels. most informative and easily recognisable

Response time (RT)

Time taken to access a concept.

Spreading activation

concepts are not isolated from each other. when you access a concept, it is said to be activated. Some of that activation is passed to related concepts

Priming

Facilitated retrieval of related concepts.

Inhibition

Deactivation of nodes no longer needed.

Associative semantic networks

Networks where concepts are interrelated.

Cultural transmission

Language passed down generations, not spontaneously created.

Arbitrariness

Symbols lack physical resemblance to their meanings.

Semanticity

Shared meaning between speaker and listener.

Turn-taking

Interchanging roles of speaker and listener.

Duality

Two layers: meaningless sounds and meaningful combinations.

Displacement

Ability to discuss distant concepts in time/space.

Structural dependence

Rules governing grammatical language use.

Creativity in language

Ability to create new words and sentences.

Higher order language skills

Complex vocabulary and understanding figurative language.

Rosch et al. (1976)

Study on hierarchical semantic networks.

Robison and Roediger (1997)

shows lures were more likely to be recalled if there were more words in the list

Critical lure

A concept activated by related words.

what is language

an arbitaray sound system ( brown ) communication device, code in which spoken sound is used to encode meaning (barrett), Aichisons 10 key features of language

Example of priming

'Bread' activates 'butter' quickly.

what are Aichinson's 10 key features that capture the essential nature of human language ?

use of auditory channel , Aribitrainess, semanticicity, cultural transmission, spontaneous use, turn-taking, duality, displacement, structural dependence, creativity

what is the use of the auditory channel (1/10)

common but not essential to language eg sign language, mime, communication cards and devices

what is the arbitrariness of symbols? (2/10)

symbole bares no physical resemblence to the concept it represents eg the word 'dog' doesn't resemble a dog

What does semanticity mean ? 3/10

shared meaning between the speaker and the listener. not the case for specific expert words or in communication between people with different language ablities. complex vocab and sentence structure. understanding joke and figurative language

what is cultural transition ? 4/10

humans hand down thier language from one generation to another. Each generation does not spontaniously generate thier own

what is spontanious use ? 5/10

langauge is not used in the presense of a certain stimulus we use it spontaniously

what is turn taking?

sharing positions of speaker and listening interchangeably. often but not always the case eg monologues

what is duality (7/10)

one layer is the sounds of our language with are meaningless on thier ownr; second lafer cmbines these sounds to convey meanigless

what is Displacement (8/10)

the ability to discuss distant events in time and space.

what is strucural dependence?( 9/10)

structure and rules that goven the gramatical use of the language

what is creativity 10/10

we can produce new words and sentences never been heared before. There is no limit to producing and understanding a number of sentences

Phonology

Study of phonemes, smallest sound units. in english we approximetly use 44 . eg cat /kuh/ ah/ tuh

Morphology

Study of morphemes, smallest meaningful sound units. for example using ed to say past tense, or ing for present

Semantics

Study of meaning conveyed in sentences.

Pragmatics

Adjusting language based on context.

Syntax

Combining words with focus on word order.

Language development

Process of acquiring language skills over time.

Auditory learning

Familiarity with sounds before birth.

Receptive language

Understanding language before speaking it.

Expressive language

Ability to produce spoken language.

Naming explosion

2 year olds. Rapid vocabulary growth in toddlers. 20 months - 50 words , 28 months 320 , 3 years 600, 6 years 15,000

Behaviorism skinner

Language learned through imitation and reinforcement. babies learn to talk through imitation and positive reinforcement by adults. language-rich home leads to a language-rich child

Nativism chomsky

Biological drive to acquire language. we will learn laguage regardless of quality of our linguistic home, onlu if exposed to it during our critical period

Critical period

Timeframe essential for language acquisition.

who belived children Overgeneralsed in language

Chomsky - Applying rules too broadly in language use. they make errors in laguage they have never hearded before.

who argues that parents use - Parentese

children have impoverished language imput and yet learn complex language. Simplified speech adults use with children.

Language Acquisition

Process of learning to communicate effectively.

what do roediger and mcdermott say about words (1995)

all words are in a list connected to one node. (The critical lude sleep) . Some activation is passed from each word to the lure. over the whole list, the lure accumulated enough activqation to seem like it was presented