Language/Thinking Notes

Language

• Spoken/Written/Gestured words we use to communicate
• Phonemes
• Smallest distinctive sound unit in a spoken language
• Morphemes
• Smallest unit with meaning (prefix/suffix)
• Grammar
• Rules in language
• Semantics
• Set of rules by which we derive meaning
• Adding “ed” makes word past tense
• Syntax
• Rules for making words into correct sentences
• Stages of language development:
• Babbling Stage- 3-4 mos.; infant makes spontaneous sounds
• One-word stage- 1-2 yrs.; one word to communicate large messages
• Two-word Stage- 2 yrs.; Two words to communicate meanings (telegraphic speech)
• Skinner
• Explain language through social learning theory (imitates then gets reward)
• Chomsky- Inborn Universal Grammar
• Acquire language too quickly
• “Learning box”
• Whorf’s Linguistic Relativity
• Language determines way we think
• No past tense = no thinking of past
• Thinking Without Language
• Think in words and mental pictures
• Kohler
• Chimps can problem solve

Thinking

• Cognition-Thinking, knowing, remembering
• Concepts- similar to Schemas
• Grouping of similar things
• Prototype- Best example
• Algorithm- Logical procedure to solving something
• Heuristics- Strategy that allows us to make judgements and solve problems efficiently
• Short cut that is prone to error
• Insight- sudden solution
• Confirmation Bias- wanting to search for evidence to confirm preconceptions
• Fixation- Inability to see problem from different perspective
• Mental Set- Approach something in particular way
• Functional Fixedness- Think of things only in their useful function
• Types of Heuristics:
• Representativeness- Judging something by our prototype; may ignore something important
• Availability- Estimating likelihood of events on availability in memory
• It it comes to mind easily, it’s common
• Overconfidence- Be more confident than correct
• Overestimate personal accuracy
• Framing- Way an issue is posed
• Can drastically effect judgement
• Belief Bias- One’s prior beliefs affect logical reasoning
• Belief Perseverance- Sticking to thoughts even after source is proven wrong