7: The Speaking Brain 1 Flashcards
(37 cards)
What does a common language signify about human perception?
We all have a common representation of the world around us
Example of animals using langauge?
Washoe - ape who learnt 200 manual signs
Koko - 1000 signs which she could combine in complex ways
Kanzi - learnt arbitrary lexigrams flexibly
What were some of the limitations of Washoe the ape’s language?
evidence of overgeneralization - eg hurt for tattoo
combined words for unfamiliar objects - eg water bird for duck)
researchers were very attached to these apes so they could’ve been too optimistic about their communication
signs are quite obvious, actions you might make anyway, unlike words which are arbitrary
What were the limitations of Kanzi the ape’s language?
arbitrary language linked to food, not communication in general
define: syntax
the arrangement of words and phrases to create well-formed sentences in a language.
What distinguishes syntax from language?
Syntax is using language correctly, but to really use language you must understand the semantics (meaning) and thought content
Which study shows that syntax doesn’t equate to semantics
Chinese room experiment
What is the semantic memory?
conceptual knowledge of the world
where is the neural base of the semantic memory?
temporal lobes
What were the ERP results for a semantically correct vs incorrect word in a sentence?
correct = no peak/result
incorrect = N400 peak
At what age is the N400 peak present?
yes, it is present from 9 months
What is the N400 peak used to investigate?
semantic representations in the brain
define: concepts
cognitive constructions that represent classes of things, events or ideas
How are concepts organised in the brain?
In a network by similarity/relation
How is the N400 peak used to measure spreading activation?
N400 peak most pronounced for unrelated concepts, then related, and not there for expected
What is the amodal model of semantic memory?
features are represented as an abstract knowledge
not tied to sensory or motor output
they are independent of input or output modality
why was the semantic memory thought of as amodal?
because it can be accessed from so many different sensory inputs (spoken, written etc) so there must be an asensory component linking all these representations
Problems with the amodal model
symbol grounding problem - if each word needs to be defined by other concepts, definitions become very complicated, how would you start to learn any concepts?
solution to the symbolic grounding issue
grounded concepts/features - concepts are not defined in terms of each other, but in terms of our experiences and interactions with the world
What is Allport’s model of semantic memory
concepts are distributed over several distinct brain areas (eg phone = motor, auditory, visual)
What area of the brain is used in category-related activity?
ventral occipito-temporal cortex
occipital = visual info
temporal = semantics
What were MRIs of naming vs viewing vs answering questions on animals like?
similar activity in the same area for every mode
What are category specific deficits?
patients with brain damage who can’t name specific types of things (eg can’t name animals but can name fruits)
What is the emergent theory of category specificity?
Different categories rely on different types of characteristics (eg animals are categorised by looks (sensory areas) & tools are categorised by function (motor areas))
