Language and Communication (summary)

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Questions and Answers

Which element of communication is responsible for conveying the information?

  • Sender
  • Syntax
  • Message (correct)
  • Receiver

What does semantics deal with?

  • The meaning of language elements (correct)
  • The physical act of communicating
  • The grammatical rules of a language
  • The process of encoding and decoding information

What is the role of the receiver in communication?

  • To establish the rules of communication
  • To decode and interpret the message (correct)
  • To create the message being conveyed
  • To initiate the communication process

Which of the following is NOT considered an element of communication?

<p>Syntax (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is the relationship between syntax and semantics in communication?

<p>Syntax is the structure of language; semantics is the meaning of that structure. (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What developmental stage follows the two-word stage in language acquisition?

<p>Telegraphic stage (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following best describes the domain-specific approach to language acquisition?

<p>Humans have specialized cognitive mechanisms for language (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Which statement accurately reflects the auditory theory of speech perception?

<p>Auditory mechanisms govern speech perception (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is the function of pointing in early communication?

<p>To share information and direct attention (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Which gene is notably associated with severe speech and language disorders within the KE family?

<p>FOXP2 (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What does the McGurk effect demonstrate?

<p>The influence of visual information on auditory perception. (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What does Zipf's law of brevity propose?

<p>More commonly used words are generally shorter in length. (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Which assumption relates to applying the same name to objects of the same shape, regardless of color?

<p>Taxonomic assumption. (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is a characteristic of iconic gestures?

<p>They convey attributes or actions visually. (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

In the context of fast mapping, how is word learning characterized?

<p>It involves immediate association with a novel object. (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What role do gestures play in the cube rotation task?

<p>They help receivers process difficult information. (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What does the information packaging hypothesis suggest about gestures?

<p>They aid in organizing complex information into manageable parts. (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Which statement about home signs is accurate?

<p>They are systems of gestures created by deaf children. (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

According to the Sapir-Whorf Hypothesis, what influence does language have on its speakers?

<p>It partly influences their cognition and worldview. (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What concept explains that children expect different words to have distinct meanings?

<p>Mutual exclusivity. (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is the main argument of the critics of linguistic relativity?

<p>Some cognitive processes are universal and not influenced by language. (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is emphasized in the interactionist approach to language acquisition?

<p>Experience, observation, and caregiver involvement are crucial. (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What does Csibra and Gergely's theory of natural pedagogy state?

<p>Communication is adapted for quick knowledge transmission. (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following is a characteristic of Broca's aphasia?

<p>Non-fluent speech but aware of the difficulty. (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary function of the corpus callosum?

<p>To connect the left and right hemispheres of the brain. (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following statements about the right hemisphere of the brain is TRUE?

<p>It is associated with musical abilities and creativity. (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

According to the foraging brain hypothesis, which factor contributes to a larger brain size in primates?

<p>Complex diet. (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following is NOT a characteristic of language learning in infants?

<p>They learn primarily through imitation and reinforcement. (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following is an example of a bound morpheme?

<p>Un- (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following primate studies demonstrated that apes can understand spoken English?

<p>Kanzi (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is the term for the type of communication in which primates adjust their calls based on their audience?

<p>Intentional communication (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Flashcards

Sender

The person or group that initiates communication.

Message

The information being conveyed in communication.

Receiver

The person who receives and understands the communication.

Syntax

The rules governing the structure of language.

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Semantics

The meaning of words, phrases, and sentences in language.

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Proto-phones

Early speech sounds produced by infants around 3-4 months.

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Babbling

Repetitive vocalization by infants occurring between 4-8 months.

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Two word stage

A stage in language development from 18-24 months where children start using two-word phrases.

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FOXP2 gene

A gene linked to speech and language disorders, inherited in families.

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Auditory theory of speech perception

The theory that speech perception relies on auditory mechanisms, not unique to humans.

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McGurk effect

An illusion where visual information influences auditory perception.

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Recursion in language

The nesting of elements within language to form complex meanings.

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Zipf’s law of brevity

More frequently used words tend to be shorter in length.

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Fast mapping

Rapid learning of a word with minimal exposure.

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Whole object assumption

Assuming a word refers to the entire object, not parts.

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Pointing

An act to refer someone's attention to something specific.

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Cube rotation task

A task where gestures help receivers process complex information visually.

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Information packaging hypothesis

Gestures assist in organizing complex information into smaller, digestible units.

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Embodied cognition

The idea that our body affects our thoughts and communication.

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Sapir-Whorf Hypothesis

The theory that language influences how we perceive and think about the world.

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Universalism of thought

The argument that certain cognitive processes are not shaped by language.

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Mutual exclusivity

Children's expectation that different words signify different meanings.

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Intentional communication

Humans signal to others with purpose, indicating clear messages.

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Morphology

The arrangement or combination of words; the study of morphemes.

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Free Morphemes

Morphemes that can stand alone and have meaning.

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Bound Morphemes

Morphemes that cannot stand alone and must attach to other morphemes.

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Broca’s Area

Brain region located in the left hemisphere associated with language production.

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Wernicke’s Area

Brain area in the temporoparietal junction responsible for language comprehension.

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Split Brain

Condition resulting from severing the corpus callosum, affecting communication between hemispheres.

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Nativist Perspective

The theory that humans are biologically predisposed to acquire language.

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Bilingualism

The ability to speak two languages; half of the world's population is bilingual.

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Study Notes

Language and Communication

  • Communication involves a sender, message, and receiver
  • Syntax governs language structure
  • Semantics deals with word and sentence meanings
  • Morphology involves word structure (morphemes)
  • Free morphemes stand alone; bound morphemes need other morphemes
  • Inflectional morphemes change word form without changing meaning
  • Derivational morphemes change word meaning or category
  • Phonology studies sounds
  • Pragmatics considers context in communication
  • Language is modality-independent (gestures and speech)
  • Animals react to meaningful information
  • Intentional communication involves adjusting signals
  • Apes use various methods of communication

Ape Studies

  • Gua never produced understandable words
  • Viki produced few words
  • Washoe learned 150-250 ASL signs
  • Nim learned 350 ASL signs
  • Kanzi understood 3000 spoken English words
  • Panzee knew 128 English words
  • Bonnie learned to whistle
  • Broca's area is involved in language production

Brain and Language

  • Wernicke's area is involved in language comprehension
  • Absolute brain size is overall size
  • Relative brain size is brain size relative to body size
  • Social brain hypothesis links brain size with social group size in primates
  • Larger brains are associated with more complex diets
  • Language emerged approximately 50,000-70,000 years ago
  • Mirror neurons are linked to language and imitation
  • Left hemisphere (LH) handles logic, math and speech, with Broca/Wernicke areas for understanding and producing speech
  • Right hemisphere (RH) plays a role in creativity and other functions
  • Split brain (epilepsy) surgery involves severing the corpus callosum
  • Right visual field (RVF) input triggers LH naming responses
  • Left visual field (LVF) input triggers RH drawing responses
  • Broca's aphasia results in non-fluent speech
  • Wernicke's aphasia causes fluent but meaningless speech
  • Bilingualism exists in about half the world’s population
  • Bilinguals often perform better on executive tasks

Language Acquisition Stages

  • Proto-phones (3-4 months) involve early speech sounds
  • Babbling (4-8 months) is frequent speech-like vocalization
  • One-word stage (9-18 months) is marked by first words
  • Two-word stage (18-24 months) shows two-word combinations
  • Telegraphic stage (24-30 months) involves simple sentences
  • Language acquisition continues after the telegraphic stage

Domain Specific/General

  • Domain-specific theories suggest language is based on specialized cognitive mechanisms
  • Domain-general theories propose language acquisition utilizes general cognitive processes (e.g., memory)

Language Pointing

  • Imperative pointing is using pointing to request something
  • Declarative pointing involves sharing information and focusing attention
  • Researchers linked FOXP2 gene to speech and language issues via family studies

Motor/Auditory Theories of Speech Perception

  • Motor theory focuses on innate speech production being unique in humans
  • Auditory theory emphasizes auditory mechanisms involved in speech perception

McGurk Effect

  • This describes interaction of vision and hearing in speech perception

Zipf's Law

  • Frequent words tend to be shorter

Heaps Law

  • The relationship between the length of text and the number of unique words
  • Fewer new words as the text develops

Language and Gestures

  • Iconic gestures resemble what they depict
  • Emblems have specific meanings within a community
  • Metaphoric gestures represent abstract ideas
  • Beats support rhythm but not semantic meaning
  • Pointing directs attention to something
  • Gestures can improve cognitive tasks, particularly in math and memory

Linguistic Relativity

  • Linguistic relativity proposes that language can influence thought. Some aspects of thought and emotions, and perception, are impacted by language.

Cooperative Communication

  • Humans use communication to achieve common goals

Intentional Communication

  • Humans signal their intentions to others

Ostensive Cues

  • Verbal or non-verbal signals

Csibra and Gergely’s Theory of Natural Pedagogy

  • Humans communicate to transfer generic knowledge efficiently

Approaches to Language Acquisition

  • Interactionist view focuses on environmental and biological factors
  • Empiricist view focuses on observation and experience
  • Nativist view emphasizes innate human abilities to acquire language
  • The Skinner/Bruner view suggests language is learned via imitation and reinforcement

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