define language
-a set of symbols used for
-unique to humans
what does language support
-supports creative and social interaction
-facilitates thinking, problem solving and decision making
Can Koko speak sign language
Debate: does she have true language or just communication
what are the 2 theories of language development
Nature vs. Nurture
what is the nature debate in language development
Chomsky believed children are genetically programmed to learn language
what is LAD
language acquisition device
-a mental structure that humans are born with that allows us to learn language naturally
what is the nurture debate in language development
B.F. Skinner believed language is learned entirely through reinforcement
-ex) babies repeat words and sounds if rewarded
what is the critical period
a strict window when language must be learned, otherwise ability isn Permanently limited
-age 0-3
what is the sensitive period
a more flexible time when skills are best acquired but is still possible to lean later
-ages 0-13
-ex) learning a second language
what is the case study “wild child”
-Girl was isolated and deprived from language since birth
-she learnt words but never grammar
-this evidence proved that language exposure is crucial early in life
-her brain scans also showed that unused language areas can shrink
define problem solving
thought sand actions directed towards achieving a desired reward
what are the steps in problem solving
- define the problem
- find a strategy
- evaluate results
how do you define the problem in problem solving steps
- identify current state
-identify goal
-note the deference
-ex) car won’t start=car won’t move, goal: drive to work
what is algorithm when finding a strategy for a problem
step by step process that guarantees a solution
-ex) trying every possible lock combination until one works
what is heuristic when finding a strategy for a problem
mental shortcut, faster but not guaranteed way of problem solving
-ex) on multiple choice picking B when unsure
what is insight when finding a strategy for a problem
sudden moment when the solution clicks
-ex) realizing you locked your keys in your car when searching for them
what is dialectical reasoning
process of weighing and comparing opposing facts to reach the best solution
-ex) in debates considering both pros and cons
what are barriers to reasoning rationally
often biased, irrational or in consisted thinking styles
what is exaggerating the improbable barrier
-people overestimating the probability of rare events
Driven by:
-Availability Heuristic
-Affect Heuristic
what is the availability heuristic
when we judge likelihood based on how easily examples come to mind
what is the “affect” heuristic
relying on emotions instead of facts
-ex) fearing plane crashes more than car crashes even though driving is far riskier
what is the framing affect barrier
people act differently depending on how the choices are presented
-if framed loss: we are more cautious
-if framed gain: we take more risks
ex) people are more likely to take an operation with an 80% chance of survival than a 20% chance of death
what is the fairness bias barrier
when fairness is valued over self interest
-ex) rejecting something for yourself if it seems unfair even if that means you get nothing
what is the hindsight bias barrier
-the “I knew it all along” phenomenon
-after an event we overestimate our ability to have predicted it
ex) after a sport team looses saying “I knew they were going to loose”
