1. Language A means of communication.

2. Language can be…..

3. All languages contain…. Phonemes The smallest units of sound in a language. English has about 44 phonemes. Morphemes The smallest unit of meaningful sound. 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 phonemes does platypus have?

4. Grammar The rules of a language. Syntax: the order of words in a language. Is this the White House or the House White?

5. Language Acquisition Stages that we learn language… 1.Babbling Stage 2.Holophrastic Stage (one word stage) 3.Telegraphic Speech Stage After the telegraphic stage we get overgeneralization.

6. How do we learn language?

7. 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.

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

9. Whorf’s Linguistic Relativity 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.

10. Do animals use language?

11. Describing Thought  Concept  mental grouping of similar objects, events, ideas, or people  Prototype  mental image or best example of a category  matching new items to the prototype provides a quick and easy method for including items in a category (as when comparing feathered creatures to a prototypical bird, such as a robin)  Images—mental pictures we create in our minds of the outside world

12. Problem Solving  Algorithm  methodical, logical rule or procedure that guarantees solving a particular problem  contrasts with the usually speedier– but also more error-prone--use of heuristics

13. Problem Solving  Heuristic  simple thinking strategy that often allows us to make judgments and solve problems efficiently  usually speedier than algorithms  more error-prone than algorithms

14. Heuristics  Availability Heuristic  estimating the likelihood of events based on their availability in memory  if instances come readily to mind (perhaps because of their vividness), we presume such events are common  Example: airplane crash

15. Heuristics  Representativeness Heuristic  judging the likelihood of things in terms of how well they seem to represent, or match, particular prototypes  may lead one to ignore other relevant information

16. Problem Solving Belief bias—we make illogical conclusions to confirm our preexisting beliefs Belief perseverance—tendency to maintain a belief even after our evidence has been contradicted. – We’re more confident in our beliefs than we should be, and we stick to our beliefs even when they are disproven

17. Impediments to Problem Solving  Mental Set/rigidity  tendency to approach a problem in a particular way  especially a way that has been successful in the past but may or may not be helpful in solving a new problem

18. Impediments to Problem Solving Functional fixedness—the inability to see a new use for an object.  Confirmation Bias—tendency to search for information that confirms our beliefs and ignore the evidence that contradicts our beliefs  Framing —the way an issue is posed or presented  how an issue is framed can significantly affect decisions and judgments  Example: What is the best way to market ground beef--as 25% fat or 75% lean?

19. Creativity Convergent thinking—thinking pointed toward one solution Divergent thinking—thinking that searches for multiple possible answers to a question More related to creativity EX: color by numbers is convergent, but mixing your own colors or painting outside the lines is more creative and divergent