Podcast
Questions and Answers
Which of the following is NOT true about the influence of culture on language?
Which of the following is NOT true about the influence of culture on language?
- Culture can influence the way people organize their sentences.
- Culture can influence the specific words used in a language.
- Culture can influence the overall structure of the brain. (correct)
- Culture can influence the pronunciation of words.
The 'word-superiority effect' demonstrates that:
The 'word-superiority effect' demonstrates that:
- Words are interpreted in a way that is influenced by pre-existing knowledge.
- Words are more easily processed than individual letters. (correct)
- Words are recognized faster than individual letters.
- Words are remembered better than individual letters.
Which approach to sentence parsing emphasizes the role of grammatical rules?
Which approach to sentence parsing emphasizes the role of grammatical rules?
- Semantics approach
- Interactionist approach
- Syntax first approach (correct)
- Frequency approach
What makes human language unique compared to animal communication systems?
What makes human language unique compared to animal communication systems?
Reading a sentence like, "The cat sat on the mat," involves making inferences about the cat's actions and the environment. This process primarily relies on:
Reading a sentence like, "The cat sat on the mat," involves making inferences about the cat's actions and the environment. This process primarily relies on:
What is the main difference between the inferences discussed in the text: Anaphoric, Instrumental and Causal?
What is the main difference between the inferences discussed in the text: Anaphoric, Instrumental and Causal?
Why is human language considered unique?
Why is human language considered unique?
What does the phrase "immediately" imply about the act of examining evidence?
What does the phrase "immediately" imply about the act of examining evidence?
What type of inference is being made when the text asks "Was he using a hammer?" in relation to the sentence "He was pounding the nail when his father came out...".
What type of inference is being made when the text asks "Was he using a hammer?" in relation to the sentence "He was pounding the nail when his father came out...".
Which of the following scenarios would require an Anaphoric inference to understand?
Which of the following scenarios would require an Anaphoric inference to understand?
Why is the sentence "Beatrice arrived. She was wearing the shirt that her friend had made. It was awful." considered an example of an Anaphoric inference?
Why is the sentence "Beatrice arrived. She was wearing the shirt that her friend had made. It was awful." considered an example of an Anaphoric inference?
Identify the type of inference being used in the sentence: "She took an aspirin. Her headache went away."
Identify the type of inference being used in the sentence: "She took an aspirin. Her headache went away."
The text mentions that the context surrounding language can help disambiguate ambiguous sentences. What does this mean?
The text mentions that the context surrounding language can help disambiguate ambiguous sentences. What does this mean?
What is the primary reason why fixation durations are shorter for high-frequency words like 'pretty' compared to low-frequency words like 'demure'?
What is the primary reason why fixation durations are shorter for high-frequency words like 'pretty' compared to low-frequency words like 'demure'?
The example sentence 'My mother is bugging me' illustrates how context can disambiguate ambiguous words. What type of ambiguity is present in this sentence?
The example sentence 'My mother is bugging me' illustrates how context can disambiguate ambiguous words. What type of ambiguity is present in this sentence?
In David Swinney's experiment, participants were faster to identify 'ANT' and 'SPY' as words after hearing the ambiguous word 'bug' because:
In David Swinney's experiment, participants were faster to identify 'ANT' and 'SPY' as words after hearing the ambiguous word 'bug' because:
What is the main takeaway from the example with the sentences 'The Eskimos were frightened by the walrus' and 'The bankers were frightened by the walrus'?
What is the main takeaway from the example with the sentences 'The Eskimos were frightened by the walrus' and 'The bankers were frightened by the walrus'?
Which of the following best describes the concept of hierarchical structure in language?
Which of the following best describes the concept of hierarchical structure in language?
Why is human language considered unique among animal communication systems?
Why is human language considered unique among animal communication systems?
During the process of understanding a sentence, our brains engage in 'parsing,' which involves:
During the process of understanding a sentence, our brains engage in 'parsing,' which involves:
Flashcards
Ambiguity in Sentences
Ambiguity in Sentences
When a sentence can be interpreted in multiple ways based on context.
Environmental Context
Environmental Context
Background information that clarifies ambiguous statements.
Anaphoric Inference
Anaphoric Inference
Connects an object or person mentioned in one sentence to another.
Example of Anaphoric Inference
Example of Anaphoric Inference
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Instrumental Inference
Instrumental Inference
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Example of Instrumental Inference
Example of Instrumental Inference
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Causal Inference
Causal Inference
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Example of Causal Inference
Example of Causal Inference
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Definition of Language
Definition of Language
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Word-superiority effect
Word-superiority effect
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Word-frequency effect
Word-frequency effect
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Broca’s aphasia
Broca’s aphasia
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Interactionist approach
Interactionist approach
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Fixation Duration
Fixation Duration
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High Frequency Words
High Frequency Words
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Low Frequency Words
Low Frequency Words
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Context Effects
Context Effects
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Lexical Decision Task
Lexical Decision Task
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Ambiguous Word
Ambiguous Word
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Rapid Access
Rapid Access
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Semantic Processing
Semantic Processing
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Study Notes
Language and Cognitive Psychology
- Language is a communication system used to express thoughts, feelings, and experiences.
- Language has a hierarchical structure governed by rules, enabling the creation of unique sentences for expressing anything.
- Language is important for communication, encoding/memorization, comparison, categorization, experiencing emotions/arts, and thinking.
- Language is one of the earliest cognitive abilities studied, physiologically (e.g., Broca's and Wernicke's areas).
- Broca's aphasia: difficulty in fluent speech.
- Wernicke's aphasia: difficulty producing meaningful speech.
- Language acquisition is remarkably fast from birth to adulthood, with impressive rates like 75,000 words (about 12.1 words a day) by age 18.
Understanding Words
- Word perception is influenced by frequency and context.
- Highly frequent words are processed faster than less frequent words.
- Contextual information aids in accessing and understanding words.
- The word-superiority effect suggests letters are perceived more easily within words.
Understanding Sentences
- Parsing sentences involves grouping words into phrases.
- Syntax: grammatical rules for sentence construction.
- Semantics: meanings of words/sentences.
- Semantics and syntax affect our ability to parse sentences, as shown by ERP studies (e.g., N400 and P600 waves).
- There are three main approaches to parsing sentences ( syntax-first, semantics, and interactionist.)
- The syntax-first approach argues that syntax is the primary driver for parsing sentences.
- The semantics-first approach suggests that semantic information plays a significant role, alongside syntactic rules, in sentence processing.
- The interactionist approach posits that both syntax and semantics work together to guide sentence comprehension.
Language and Culture
- Culture influences language use. An example is the difference between direct and indirect language styles observed cross-culturally.
- Communication styles, and ways parents converse with children, vary across cultures. Cultural influences shape the way language is learned and utilized, affecting attention, perceptions, and linguistic development.
Language and Cognition
- Language influences how people think.
- Chiu (1972) illustrates how grouping objects differs across cultures (e.g., American taxonomic vs. Chinese relational groupings).
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