1. Cognition Unit 6: We are here Algorithms Heuristics Biological Factors
Representativeness Heuristic
Compensatory Models
Problem Solving Techniques
Decision Making Techniques
Availability Heuristic
Unit 6:
Cognition
Obstacles to Problem Solving
Obstacles to Decision Making
Biological Factors
Acquisition and use of Language
We are here
Cognitive Factors
Cultural Factors

2. The “jewel” in the crown of cognition
Language
The “jewel” in the crown of cognition

3. Language can be…..

4. Language Facts
1. Linguists estimate that 6800 languages exist in the world today.
2. Only 600 languages have speaking populations robust enough to support their survival past the end of the century. Languages need at least 100,000 speakers to survive the ages
3. 66 percent of the world’s children are raised as bilingual speakers.
4. Only 6.3 percent of U.S. residents are bilingual.
5. 1/3 of the world’s languages originated in Africa

5. Language development How many words do you think you know now?
Probably around 80,000.
After age 1 you average about 13 words a day.

6. All languages contain….
Phonemes
How many meanings can you make by varying the vowel phoneme between B and T?
The smallest units of sound in a language.
English has about 44 phonemes.
Chug has three phonemes, ch, u, g.
bat, has three phonemes b · a · t
869 Phonemes exist in the world.
How many phonemes does platypus have?

7. Answers
Bait, bat, beat/beet, bet bit, bite, boat, boot, bought, bout, and but.
The consonant phonemes carry more information. The treth ef thes stetement shed be evedent frem thes bref demenstretien.

8. All languages contain….
Morphemes
The smallest unit of meaning
Can be words like a or but.
Can also be parts of words like prefixes or suffixes…”ed” at the end of a word means past tense.
How many morphemes in the word “cats”?
Milk = milk
Pumpkin = pump . kin
Unforgettable = un · for · get · table
869 Phonemes exist in the world.

9. Structuring Language Phonemes Morphemes Words Phrase Sentence
Basic sounds (about 40) … ea, sh.
Morphemes
Smallest meaningful units (100,000) … un, for.
Words
Meaningful units (290,500) … meat, pumpkin.
Phrase
Composed of two or more words (326,000) … meat eater.
Sentence
Composed of many words (infinite) … She opened the jewelry box.

10. Grammar
Grammar is the system of rules in a language that enable us to communicate with and understand others.
Grammar
Semantics
Syntax

11. Syntax Is this the White House or the House White?
The rules for combining words into grammatically sensible sentences
In English, adjectives come before nouns, but not in Spanish/French!
Is this the White House or the House White?

12. English “She at an apple”
Japanese “She an apple ate”

13. Semantics The set of rules by which we derive meaning in a language.
Semantic rule tells us that adding –ed to the word laugh means that it happened in the past.

14. Language Acquisition Stages that we learn language… Babbling Stage
Holophrastic Stage (one word stage; 1 yr old)
Telegraphic Speech Stage (2-word stage; 2 yrs old)
After the telegraphic stage we get overgeneralization.
baby talk
joey tries to learn french

15. How do we learn language?

16. Social Learning Theory
B.F. Skinner from the Behaviorist School
Baby may imitate a parent.
If they are reinforced they keep saying the word.
If they are punished, they stop saying the word.

17. Chomsky’s Theory (Inborn Universal Grammar)
We learn language too quickly for it to be through reinforcement and punishment.
Inborn universal language acquisition device

18. Critical period
No, childhood seems to represent a critical period for mastering certain aspects of language
Once the critical period is over mastering the grammar of another language is very difficult
When a young brain does not learn language its language-learning capacity never develops.

19. Does language influence our thinking?

20. Whorf’s Linguistic Determinism
The idea that language determines the way we think.
The Hopi tribe has no past tense in their language, so Whorf says they rarely think of the past.

21. Anecdotal Support
1984
“To destroy a people, destroy their language.” poet Joy Harjo
Many bilinguals report they have a different sense of self depending on which language they speak (Matsumoto, 1994)
English has a rich vocab for self-focused emotions such as anger
While Japanese has more words for interpersonal emotions such as sympathy

22. We create when we have need
Skiers have different words for snow
Powder, corn, and ice
Computer Revolution
I hate that my hardware won’t run the new software
I’m going to google it
I’m just going to word process instead of IM’ing my friends or updating Myspace. You see, I’m really depressed that my Ipod won’t log on to Itunes.
Experience shapes language.

23. We don’t think in words, when:
Thinking in Images
To a large extent thinking is language-based. When alone, we may talk to ourselves. However, we also think in images.
We don’t think in words, when:
OBJECTIVE 15| Discuss the value of thinking in images.
1. When we open the hot water tap.
2. When we are riding our bicycle.

24. Images and Brain
Imagining a physical activity activates the same brain regions as when actually performing the activity.
Jean Duffy Decety, September 2003

25. Do animals use language?