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Language and Thought

Chapter 8. Language and Thought. The Cognitive Revolution. 19th Century focus on the mind Introspection Behaviorist focus on overt responses arguments regarding incomplete picture of human functioning Empirical study of cognition – 1956 conference Simon and Newell – problem solving

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Language and Thought

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  1. Chapter 8 Language and Thought

  2. The Cognitive Revolution • 19th Century focus on the mind • Introspection • Behaviorist focus on overt responses • arguments regarding incomplete picture of human functioning • Empirical study of cognition – 1956 conference • Simon and Newell – problem solving • Chomsky – new model of language • Miller – memory

  3. Language: Turning Thoughts into Words • Properties of Language • Symbolic • Semantic • Generative • Structured

  4. The Hierarchical Structure of Language • Phonemes = smallest speech units • 100 possible, English – about 40 • Morphemes = smallest unit of meaning • 50,000 in English, root words, prefixes, suffixes • Semantics = meaning of words and word combinations • Objects and actions to which words refer • Syntax = a system of rules for arranging words into sentences • Different rules for different languages

  5. Language Development: Milestones • Initial vocalizations similar across languages • Crying, cooing, babbling • 6 months – babbling sounds begin to resemble surrounding language • 1 year – first word • similar cross-culturally – words for parents • receptive vs. expressive language

  6. Table 8.2 Overview of Typical Language Development

  7. Language Development:Milestones Continued • 18-24 months – vocabulary spurt • fast mapping • over and underextensions • End of second year – combine words • Telegraphic speech • Mean Length of Utterance (MLU) • End of third year – complex ideas, plural, past tense • Overregularization

  8. Bilingualism:Learning More Than One Language • Research findings: • Smaller vocabularies in one language, combined vocabularies average • Higher scores for middle-class bilingual subjects on cognitive flexibility, analytical reasoning, selective attention, and metalinguistic awareness • Slight disadvantage in terms of language processing speed • 2nd languages more easily acquired early in life • Greater acculturation facilitates acquisition

  9. Figure 8.4 Age and second language learning

  10. Can Animals Develop Language? • Dolphins, sea lions, parrots, chimpanzees • Vocal apparatus issue • American Sign Language • Allen and Beatrice Gardner (1969) • Chimpanzee - Washoe • 160 word vocabulary • Sue Savage-Rumbaugh • Bonobo chimpanzee - Kanzi • Symbols • Receptive language – 72% of 660 requests

  11. Theories of Language Acquisition • Behaviorist • Skinner • learning of specific verbal responses • Nativist • Chomsky • learning the rules of language • Language Acquisition Device (LAD) • Interactionist • Cognitive, social communication, and emergentist theories

  12. Figure 8.5 Interactionist theories of language acquisition

  13. Problem Solving: Types of Problems • Greeno (1978) – three basic classes • Problems of inducing structure • Series completion and analogy problems • Problems of arrangement • String problem and Anagrams • Often solved through insight • Problems of transformation • Hobbits and orcs problem • Water jar problem

  14. Figure 8.6 Six standard problems used in studies of problem solving

  15. Effective Problem Solving • Well defined vs. ill defined problems • Barriers to effective problem solving: • Irrelevant Information • Functional Fixedness • Mental Set • Unnecessary Constraints

  16. Figure 8.12 The tower of Hanoi problem

  17. Approaches to Problem Solving • Algorithms • Systematic trial-and-error • Guaranteed solution • Heuristics • Shortcuts • No guaranteed solution • Forming subgoals • Working backward • Searching for analogies • Changing the representation of a problem

  18. Figure 8.16 Representing the bird and train problem

  19. Culture, Cognitive Style,and Problem Solving • Field dependence – relying on external frames of reference • Field independence – relying on internal frames of reference • Western cultures inspire field independence • Cultural influence based in ecological demands • Holistic vs. analytic cognitive styles

  20. Decision Making:Evaluating Alternatives and Making Choices • Simon (1957) – theory of bounded rationality • Making Choices • Additive strategies • Elimination by aspects • Risky decision making • Expected value • Subjective utility • Subjective probability

  21. Table 8.3 Application of the additive model to choosing an apartment

  22. Heuristics in Judging Probabilities • The availability heuristic • The representativeness heuristic • The tendency to ignore base rates • The conjunction fallacy • The alternative outcomes effect

  23. Figure 8.18 The conjunction fallacy

  24. Understanding Pitfalls in ReasoningAbout Decisions • The gambler’s fallacy • Overestimating the improbable • Confirmation bias and belief perseverance • The overconfidence effect • Framing

  25. Evolutionary Analyses: Flaws in Decision Making and Fast and Frugal Heuristics • Cosmides and Tooby (1996) • Unrealistic standard of rationality • Decision making evolved to handle real-world adaptive problems • Problem solving research based on contrived, artificial problems • Gigerenzer (2000) • Quick and dirty heuristics • Less than perfect but adaptive

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