Chapter 10Chapter 10Thinking & LanguageThinking & Language

ThinkingThinking I.I. Cognition: Cognition: refers to all the mental refers to all the mental

activities associated with processing, activities associated with processing, understanding, remembering, and understanding, remembering, and communicating. (in other words-communicating. (in other words-thinking)thinking)

a. a. Schema:Schema: a mental file folder for a mental file folder for storing information.storing information.

b. b. Concept:Concept: Mental groupings of similar Mental groupings of similar objects, events, and people.objects, events, and people.

Example: Chair conceptExample: Chair concept

1. 1. Prototypes:Prototypes: a mental image or best a mental image or best example that incorporates all the example that incorporates all the features we associate with a category.features we associate with a category.

Ex. Thinking of a mid-sized sedan when Ex. Thinking of a mid-sized sedan when someone mentions a car.someone mentions a car.

c. c. Problem Solving:Problem Solving: How we figure things How we figure things outout

1. Deductive vs. Inductive reasoning1. Deductive vs. Inductive reasoning Deductive:Deductive: reasoning from general to reasoning from general to

specificspecific

DeductiveDeductive If all wasp have wings, this wasp If all wasp have wings, this wasp

must have wings!must have wings!

Inductive:Inductive: reasoning from specific reasoning from specific to generalto general

Example: TurtleExample: Turtle

InductiveInductive If this turtle has a shell, all turtles If this turtle has a shell, all turtles

must have shells!must have shells!

2. 2. Algorithm:Algorithm: a step-by-step a step-by-step procedure that guarantees a solutionprocedure that guarantees a solution

audio clipaudio clip 3. 3. Heuristics:Heuristics: thinking strategy that thinking strategy that

often allows us to make judgments often allows us to make judgments and solve problems efficiently. and solve problems efficiently. (usually faster than algorithms but (usually faster than algorithms but more error prone) more error prone)

Unscramble this word: Unscramble this word: aeldmluaeldmlu

Convergent thinking-logically Convergent thinking-logically finding the one correct answer.finding the one correct answer.

Divergent thinking-creatively Divergent thinking-creatively finding multiple solutionsfinding multiple solutions

4. Obstacles4. Obstacles a. a. Confirmation bias:Confirmation bias: search for information that search for information that

confirms our ideasconfirms our ideas b. b. Fixation:Fixation: Inability to see a problem from a fresh Inability to see a problem from a fresh

perspective.perspective. FIND THE PATTERN: 854176320FIND THE PATTERN: 854176320 1. 1. Mental set:Mental set: solving a problem based on what solving a problem based on what

has worked in the past.has worked in the past. 2. 2. Functional fixedness:Functional fixedness: tendency to think of only tendency to think of only

the familiar functions for objects, without the familiar functions for objects, without imagining alternative uses.imagining alternative uses.

Example: screwdriver & dimeExample: screwdriver & dime

d. d. Making DecisionsMaking Decisions 1. 1. Representativeness Heuristics:Representativeness Heuristics:

judge the likelihood of things in judge the likelihood of things in terms of how well they represent terms of how well they represent particular prototypesparticular prototypes..

Ex. Believing all hotels are like the Grand FloridianEx. Believing all hotels are like the Grand Floridian

HOW CAN THIS EXPLAIN PREJUDICE?HOW CAN THIS EXPLAIN PREJUDICE?

2. 2. Availability Heuristic:Availability Heuristic: Base Base judgments on how mentally judgments on how mentally available information is.available information is.

Example: plane crashExample: plane crash 3. 3. Overconfidence:Overconfidence: tendency to tendency to

overestimate the accuracy of our overestimate the accuracy of our knowledge knowledge

4. 4. Framing:Framing: how we present an issue how we present an issue or informationor information

Example: hamburger-25% fat, 75% Example: hamburger-25% fat, 75% lean/1 in 20, 10 in 200lean/1 in 20, 10 in 200

5. 5. Belief Bias:Belief Bias: tendency for our beliefs tendency for our beliefs to distort our logicto distort our logic

6. 6. Belief Perseverance:Belief Perseverance: our tendency our tendency to cling to our beliefs in the face of to cling to our beliefs in the face of contrary evidence.contrary evidence.

Example: Capitol punishment studyExample: Capitol punishment study

II. Language Terms II. Language Terms a. a. Phonemes:Phonemes: basic sounds basic sounds Example: bat; we utter b, a, and t. Example: bat; we utter b, a, and t. Chat; ch, a, t (3 phonemes)Chat; ch, a, t (3 phonemes) There are 40 phonemes in the English There are 40 phonemes in the English

languagelanguage There are 869 phonemes in human There are 869 phonemes in human

speech.speech. * Consonant phonemes carry more * Consonant phonemes carry more

information than do vowel phonemes*information than do vowel phonemes* The treth ef thes stetement shed be The treth ef thes stetement shed be

evedent frem thes bref demenstretien evedent frem thes bref demenstretien

b. b. Morphemes:Morphemes: smallest unit of smallest unit of language that carries meaninglanguage that carries meaning

* suffix, plural, root words* suffix, plural, root words Example: Prepare: Example: Prepare: PrePre parepare (2 (2

morphemes)morphemes)

HOW MANY WORDS DO HOW MANY WORDS DO YOU THINK HUMANS YOU THINK HUMANS KNOW?KNOW? Most native speakers use Most native speakers use

more than 3,000 words more than 3,000 words regularly, irrespective of their regularly, irrespective of their level of education, and they level of education, and they have a "passive vocabulary" have a "passive vocabulary" of 15-20,000of 15-20,000

ON AVERAGE HOW ON AVERAGE HOW MANY WORDS DO YOU MANY WORDS DO YOU THINK WE SPEAK PER THINK WE SPEAK PER DAY?DAY?

16,00016,000

IS IT POSSIBLE TO IS IT POSSIBLE TO RECEIVE A BRAIN RECEIVE A BRAIN

INJURY THAT GIVES INJURY THAT GIVES YOU A FOREIGN YOU A FOREIGN ACCENT FROM A ACCENT FROM A

LANGUAGE YOU HAVE LANGUAGE YOU HAVE NEVER SPOKEN?NEVER SPOKEN?

YesYes FOREIGN ACCENT SYNDROMEFOREIGN ACCENT SYNDROME

c. c. Grammar/ Syntax:Grammar/ Syntax: system of rules to system of rules to help us communicate with othershelp us communicate with others

Example: order of adjectives, nouns, Example: order of adjectives, nouns, etc in a sentence and items like etc in a sentence and items like comma, semi-colon, etc.comma, semi-colon, etc.

d. d. Semantics:Semantics: set of rules we use to set of rules we use to derive meaning from morphemes, derive meaning from morphemes, words, and sentences. words, and sentences.

Example: adding ed to laugh means it Example: adding ed to laugh means it happened in the pasthappened in the past

e. e. Overregularization/ overgeneralization:Overregularization/ overgeneralization: applying rules of grammar incorrectly applying rules of grammar incorrectly (not knowing exceptions to rules)(not knowing exceptions to rules)

Example: saying ranned instead of run, Example: saying ranned instead of run, holded rather than heldholded rather than held

f. f. Overextension:Overextension: Example: Kid saying a dog is a goat Example: Kid saying a dog is a goat

because they know dog means 4 legs & because they know dog means 4 legs & furryfurry

III. III. TheoriesTheories a. a. Whorfian Hypothesis of Linguistic Whorfian Hypothesis of Linguistic

Relativity:Relativity: Language determines our Language determines our thoughts. (If we don’t have the language thoughts. (If we don’t have the language for it we can’t think about it)for it we can’t think about it)

b. b. Noam Chomsky:Noam Chomsky: Inborn Universal Inborn Universal GrammarGrammar

1. 1. Language Acquisition Device:Language Acquisition Device: humans humans have capacity for developing language is have capacity for developing language is natural and quick because we come natural and quick because we come equipped with a sort of switch boxequipped with a sort of switch box

2. 2. Critical period:Critical period: period when period when learning language is most learning language is most efficient efficient

3. 3. Telegraphic speech:Telegraphic speech: By 2nd By 2nd birthday, children can make two-birthday, children can make two-word sentencesword sentences

Example: Want juiceExample: Want juice

Do Animals Think???Do Animals Think???