Introduction to Psychology Language and Thought

Language A language is a system of symbols, sounds, meanings, and rules of combination that allows for communication among humans Phonemes: the smallest units of sound Morphemes: the smallest units of meaning Phrases are composed of morphemes Sentences: strings of morphemes and phrases that express a thought or intention

Nonverbal Communication Nonverbal communication includes: vocal intonation body language (crossed arms) gestures (often involving the hands or fingers) physical distance facial expressions touch

Language Development 100 basic phonemes Babbling ( months) Words ( months) Vocabulary spurt (18 – 24 months) Receptive vs. productive vocabulary Fast Mapping Over and Under-extensions Overregularizations

Language Development The case for nurture: (behaviorist) B.F. Skinner argued that children imitate the utterances of their parents Skinner suggests that children receive differential reinforcement for speech sounds The case for nature (Nativist) Chomksy argued that language acquisition appears to be universal across culture (could not be accounted for by learning) Interactionist

Critical Periods for Language Acquisition Critical periods assume that an organism must develop a function within a limited time frame or it will not develop at all Children easily learn second languages, adults have great difficulty Isolated children have language impairments: Genie: was isolated as a child and was unable to learn complex language as an adolescent

Problem Solving Problem solving refers to the process by which we transform one situation into another to meet a goal Problems vary by definition: –Well-defined versus ill-defined Strategies of problem solving: –Algorithms are systematic procedures that will produce a solution to a problem –Hypothesis testing: make an educated guess about a problem; then test it –Mental simulation: mental rehearsal of the steps needed to solve a problem

Problem Solving: Barriers Irrelevant information Functional fixedness Mental set Unnecessary constraints

Approaches to Problem Solving Algorithms Heuristics Forming sub-goals Working backward Searching for Analogies Changing the representation of the problem

The Base Rate Fallacy Fear of flying vs. driving Anthrax vs. influenza SARS vs. viral encephalitis

The Impact of Vivid Events Which of the following are more frequent causes of death in Canada? 1)Homicide or Diabetes 2)Flood or Pneumonia 3)All accidents or Stroke 4)All cancers or heart disease 5)Tornados or Alzheimer’s disease 6)Drowning or Leukemia 7)Motor vehicle accidents or cancer of the digestive system

Regression Toward the Average Rookie of the year rarely has a better second season Sports Illustrated Jinx