LANGUAGE, THINKING AND REASONING

What is language?

Communication of information through symbols arranged according to rules.

What are phonemes?

Categories of sound produced by our vocal apparatus; most words are made of two or more phonemes.

How many phonemes are there in English?

There are 40-45 phonemes in English, represented by 26 letters.

What is a morpheme?

The smallest unit of meaning in a language; most morphemes are words, but some modify the meaning of other words.

What is syntax?

The set of rules by which we construct sentences, combining words and morphemes into meaningful phrases.

What is the critical period in language acquisition?

A time early in life when proficiency at acquiring language is maximal; deprivation during this period impedes language ability.

What is the 'less is more' theory in language learning?

Younger individuals learn new languages better due to less cognitive interference.

What are the stages of language development in children?

1-2 months: cooing; 4-10 months: babbling; 8-16 months: single word stage; 24 months: two-word stage; by age 3: plurals and past tense.

What is the nativist approach to language acquisition?

The theory that children are born with basic knowledge of language, including a 'language organ' or acquisition device.

What is the interactionist approach to language acquisition?

The view that children are pre-programmed with hardware and develop language through exposure and environment.

What is the Sapir-Whorf Hypothesis?

The idea that the language we speak influences how we think, understand, and perceive the world.

What is cognitive economy?

The principle of minimizing energy expenditure to process information effectively.

concept

our knowledge, and ideas about a set of objects, actions and characteristics that share core properties

What is a prototype in cognitive psychology?

The best or most typical example of a concept, serving as a mental representation of an average category member.

mental set

becoming stuck in a specific problem solving strategy, INHIBITING our ability to generate alternatives

What is functional fixedness?

The difficulty in conceptualizing that an object can be used for purposes other than its typical use.

What is an algorithm in problem-solving?

A rule that guarantees a solution to a problem when applied correctly.

What is a heuristic?

A general problem-solving framework or shortcut that stems from prior experiences.

What is the representativeness heuristic?

Basing judgments on similarity to an abstract ideal, expectation, or stereotype.

What is the availability heuristic?

Estimating frequency or probability based on how easily examples come to mind.

What is the anchoring heuristic?

Relying heavily on a single piece of information (the anchor) when making decisions.

What is framing in decision-making?

The way a question or statement is formulated can influence decision-making outcomes.

What is hindsight bias?

The tendency to overestimate how well we could have predicted an event after it has occurred.

What is confirmation bias?

The tendency to search for or pay attention to evidence that confirms one's beliefs.

What is belief perseverance?

Remaining committed to a belief even in the face of evidence against it.

What are satisficers and maximizers?

Satisficers settle for 'good enough,' while maximizers evaluate every option for the best choice.

What is the downside of heuristics?

Heuristics can lead to costly errors and biases, especially in high-stakes situations.

base rates fallacy

base rates aren't sufficiently taken into account