Ch. 8 - Language and Thought

Question 1

Acquisition

Answer 1

The formation of a new conditioned response tendency.

Question 2

Algorithm

Answer 2

A methodical, step-by-step procedure for trying all possible alternatives in searching for a solution to a problem.

Question 3

Availability heuristic

Answer 3

Basing the estimated probability of an event on the ease with which relevant instances come to mind.

Question 4

Bilingualism

Answer 4

The acquisition of two languages that use different speech sounds, vocabularies, and grammatical rules.

Question 5

Cognition

Answer 5

The mental processes involved in acquiring knowledge.

Question 6

Confirmation bias

Answer 6

The tendency to seek information that supports one’s decisions and beliefs while ignoring disconfirming information.

Question 7

Conjunction fallacy

Answer 7

An error that occurs when people estimate that the odds of two uncertain events happening together are greater than the odds of either event happening alone.

Question 8

Decision making

Answer 8

The process of evaluating alternatives and making choices among them.

Question 9

Fast mapping

Answer 9

The process by which children map a word onto an underlying concept after only one exposure to the word.

Question 10

Framing

Answer 10

How issues are posed or how choices are structured.

Question 11

Functional fixedness

Answer 11

The tendency to perceive an item only in terms of its most common use.

Question 12

Gambler’s fallacy

Answer 12

The belief that the odds of a chance event increase if the event hasn’t occurred recently.

Question 13

Heuristic

Answer 13

A strategy, guiding principle, or rule of thumb used in solving problems or making decisions.

Question 14

Incubation effect

Answer 14

A phenomenon that occurs when new solutions surface for a previously unsolved problem after a period of not consciously thinking about the problem.

Question 15

Insight

Answer 15

In problem solving, the sudden discovery of the correct solution following incorrect attempts based primarily on trial and error.

Question 16

Language

Answer 16

A set of symbols that convey meaning, and rules for combining those symbols, that can be used to generate an infinite variety of messages.

Question 17

Language acquisition device (LAD)

Answer 17

An innate mechanism or process that facilitates the learning of language.

Question 18

Linguistic relativity

Answer 18

The theory that one’s language determines the nature of one’s thought.

Question 19

Mental set

Answer 19

Persisting in using problem-solving strategies that have worked in the past.

Question 20

Metalinguistic awareness

Answer 20

The ability to reflect on the use of language.

Question 21

Morphemes

Answer 21

The smallest units of meaning in a language.

Question 22

Overextensions

Answer 22

Using a word incorrectly to describe a wider set of objects or actions than it is meant to.

Question 23

Overregularization

Answer 23

In children, incorrect generalization of grammatical rules to irregular cases where they do not apply.

Question 24

Phonemes

Answer 24

The smallest units of sound in a spoken language.

Question 25

Problem solving

Answer 25

Active efforts to discover what must be done to achieve a goal that is not readily available.

Question 26

Problem space

Answer 26

The set of possible pathways to a solution considered by the problem solver.

Question 27

Representativeness heuristic

Answer 27

Basing the estimated probability of an event on how similar it is to the typical prototype of that event.

Question 28

Risky decision making

Answer 28

Making choices under conditions of uncertainty.

Question 29

Semantics

Answer 29

The area of language concerned with understanding the meaning of words and word combinations.

Question 30

Syntax

Answer 30

A system of rules that specify how words can be combined into phrases and sentences.

Question 31

Telegraphic speech

Answer 31

Speech that consists mainly of content words; articles, prepositions, and other less critical words are omitted.

Question 32

Theory of bounded rationality

Answer 32

Simon’s assertion that people tend to use simple strategies in decision making that focus on only a few facets of available options and often result in irrational decisions that are less than optimal.

Question 33

Trial and error

Answer 33

Trying possible solutions sequentially and discarding those that are in error until one works.

Question 34

Underextensions

Answer 34

Errors that occur when a child incorrectly uses a word to describe a narrower set of objects or actions than it is meant to.