PSYC102 Lecture 4: Language and Thought – Vocabulary

A comprehensive set of vocabulary flashcards summarizing key terms and concepts from PSYC102 Lecture 4 on language development, brain regions, thought processes, problem solving, decision making, and related psychological disorders.

Language

A set of symbols used for communication of thoughts and desires; uniquely generative in humans.

Language Production

The structured, conventional expression of thoughts through words.

Speech

The expression of language through sounds.

Language Comprehension

The process of understanding spoken, written, or signed language.

Phoneme

The smallest unit of sound in a language, e.g., /p/, /i/, /g/ in “pig.”

Phonology

The study of how phonemes are used to produce language.

Morpheme

The smallest unit of language that conveys meaning, e.g., “pig” + “-s.”

Semantics

The study of how meaning is constructed from words and sentences.

Lexical Meaning

The dictionary (literal) meaning of a word.

Syntax

The system of word order and grammar that conveys meaning.

Pragmatics

Practical aspects of language use, such as pace, gestures, and body language.

Non-verbal Communication

Communicating via body language rather than words.

Prevocal Learning

2–4 month stage where infants can distinguish phonemes; cooing begins.

Cooing

Early vowel-like vocalizations around 2 months of age.

Babbling

Meaningless experimental speech sounds produced at ~6 months.

First Words

Single-word speech beginning around 1 year; comprehension exceeds production.

Telegraphic Speech

Two-word, essential-word sentences at ~2 years (e.g., “want cookie”).

Grammar (Development)

Basic rules understood without formal teaching by ~4 years of age.

Language Acquisition Device

Chomsky’s innate brain mechanism enabling effortless language learning.

Critical Period

Developmental window when certain experiences are necessary for proper brain formation (vital for language before ~13 years).

Sensitive Period

Time when the brain is especially susceptible to environmental input.

Child-Directed Speech

High-pitched, slow, emotional speech adults use with young children.

Overregularization

Children’s over-application of rules to irregular forms (e.g., “thinked”).

Broca’s Area

Left frontal region critical for speech production.

Broca’s Aphasia

Impaired, non-fluent speech due to Broca’s area damage.

Agrammatism

Inability to use words in grammatical sequence from damage anterior to Broca’s area.

Wernicke’s Area

Left temporal region critical for language comprehension.

Wernicke’s Aphasia

Fluent but meaningless speech and poor understanding from Wernicke’s area damage.

Linguistic Relativity Hypothesis

Idea that vocabulary available in a language influences its speakers’ thoughts.

Mental Imagery

Picturing or visualizing sensory experiences in the mind.

Automatic Processing

Effortless mental activity requiring little attention and resilience to distraction.

Controlled Processing

Effortful thinking relying on limited-capacity resources.

Cognitive Control

Ability to direct thoughts and actions in line with intentions despite distractions.

Executive Function

Brain’s capacity to manage and control mental processing.

Dysexecutive Syndrome

Impairments in controlling and directing mental activities.

Problem Solving

Determining how to reach a goal from a current state.

Algorithm

Step-by-step procedure that always yields a solution.

Heuristic

Shortcut strategy that may not guarantee a correct answer.

Insight

Sudden, Eureka-type realization of a solution.

Working Backward

Heuristic that starts with the goal and retraces steps to the initial state.

Subgoals

Breaking a larger problem into smaller, solvable steps.

Searching for Analogies

Applying a past solution to a current, similar problem.

Mental Set

Tendency to use familiar problem-solving strategies even when not optimal.

Functional Fixedness

Viewing objects as having only their usual function.

Confirmation Bias

Seeking information that confirms pre-existing expectations.

Representativeness Heuristic

Judging membership by similarity to a prototype (e.g., tall ⇒ basketball player).

Availability Heuristic

Estimating frequency based on how easily examples come to mind.

Bounded Rationality

Making satisfactory (not optimal) decisions when information is limited.

Framing

Effect of presenting choices as gains or losses on decision outcomes.

Metacognition

Thinking about one’s own thoughts, including self-reflection and memory review.

Theory of Mind

Awareness of one’s own and others’ mental states.

Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD)

Anxiety disorder with intrusive thoughts and ritualistic behaviours; affects ~2 % of people.

Schizophrenia

Mental disorder marked by disorganized thoughts, detachment from reality, and sometimes auditory hallucinations; ~1.1 % prevalence in Canada.