Language. Language / Semantics “What you hate is walking. This is hiking – hiking is different from walking.” Unit VII. Cognition.

Language

Language / Semantics

“What you hate is walking. This is hiking – hiking is different from walking.”

Unit VII. Cognition

B. Language• Language – Symbols and

Rules• Language is:

–Symbolic–Generative–Structured

Unit VII. Cognition

Language is Symbolic

• We use words and sounds (and gestures) to represent objects, events, actions and ideas– The symbolic nature of language

greatly expands what we can communicate about

– Allows us to communicate about past, future, and other places

– Allows us to imagine and communicate what we imagine

Language is Generative

• A limited amount of sounds can be combined to create unlimited novel messages

• We daily use reflexive “stock sayings”

• But we also create new and unique messages

Language is Structured

Phoneme

Morphemes

Word

Phrase

Sentence The smallest girls played with the dolls

The smallest girls

The

The

smallest

small est

girls

girl s

played with the dolls

played with the kitten

s

ten s

Biological Foundations of Language

• Noam Chomsky basic argument is that there exists an innate language acquisition device, a neural program that prepares them to learn language

• Behaviorists view the process of language acquisition as a building process that results from interaction with the environment

• Skinner views the child as the "passive subject of operant conditioning in whom randomly occurring behavior is selectively reinforced"

Stages of Development in the Acquisition of Language

Average Age Language Milestones Motor Milestones

6 months Cooing, changes to distinct babbling by introduction of consonants

Sits using hands for support; unilateral reaching

1 year Beginning of language understanding; one-word utterances

Stands; walks when held by one hand

Average Age

Language Milestones Motor Milestones

12-18 months

Words used singly; repertory of 30-50 words (simple nouns, adjectives, and action words), which cannot as yet be joined in phrases but are used one at a time. Does not use functors (the, and, can, be) necessary for syntax, but makes good progress in understanding

Grasping and release fully developed; walking; creeps downstairs backward

Average Age

Language Milestones Motor Milestones

18-24 months

Two-word (telegraphic) phrases ordered according to syntactic rules; vocabulary of 50 to several hundred words; understands propositional rules

Runs (and falls); walks stairs with one foot forward

2-5 years

New words every day; three or more words in many combinations; functors begin to appear; many grammatical errors and idiosyncratic expressions; good understanding of language

Jumps with both feet

Average Age Language Milestones Motor Milestones

3 years Full sentences; few errors; vocabulary of around 1,000 words

Tiptoes; walks stairs with alternating feet

4 years Close to adult speech competence

Jumps over rope; hops on one foot; walks on a line

Mishearing Words in Songs / Secret Asian Man

• "Excuse me while I kiss this guy“• " donuts make my brown eyes blue" • "I'll never leave your pizza burning"• "On a dark desert highway, cool whip

in my hair“• "She's got electric boobs, and no hair,

too....." • "...the girl with colitis goes by"!• "Bakin' carrot biscuits.“• "There's a bathroom on the right“

C. Thinking

ConceptsMental groupings of similar objects,

events, etc.Category hierarchies

Structured groupings of conceptsPrototypes

A best example that incorporates all of the features that we associate with a category

What bird is most often mentioned in literature?

Example of Category hierarchy

Minerals

Metals

Rare

Platinum

Gold

SilverCommon

Alloys

StonesPrecious

Emerald

DiamondMasonry

D. Problem Solving and Creativity

• Solving Problems• Making decisions / Forming

judgments– Heuristics

• Representativeness heuritic• Availability heuristic

– Framing decisions

• Belief Bias• Belief perseverance

Problem Solving

“And don’t forget – make it look like an accident.”

Problem Solving Approaches

• Trial and Error• Algorithms• Heuristics• Using Sub-goals• Working Backward

Problem Solving:Working Backward

Obstacles in Problem Solving

• Confirmation Bias• A confirmation bias is a type of

cognitive bias in which people tend to seek out information which agrees with previously held beliefs

• They also give more weight to information which supports their beliefs, while discarding contradictory information

Unit VII. Cognition

Examples of Where Confirmation Bias might have an effect

• Curses / Good luck charms• Conspiracy theories• Lunar effect• Astrology• “Alternative” health practices• ESP

Strategies for dealing with Confirmation Bias

• Consider alternative hypotheses- view the problem from different perspectives.

• Look for evidence to disprove your ideas. Showing an idea is incorrect is every bit as important as showing an idea is correct.

• Maintain objectivity in evaluating ideas to minimize personal bias.

• Draw conclusions based upon the evidence, not upon your personal beliefs.

Fixation

• Fixation– The inability to see a problem from a fresh

perspective.

• Two types of fixation– Functional Fixedness

• Tendency to view physical objects in terms of their traditional uses

– Mental Set• Tendency to use past successful or

unsuccessful solutions when faced with a new problem

Confirmation Bias

Unit VII. Cognition

• Notice all the computations, theoretical scribblings, and lab equipment, Norm . . .

• Yes curiosity killed these cats.”

ROPE PROBLEM SOLUTION

Rope Solution 1

Rope Solution 2

Rope Solution 3