Language and Word Processing Concepts

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Questions and Answers

What is one of the defining properties of human language?

Limited signals

Fixed structure

Simplicity

Creativity (correct)

How does the hierarchical nature of language function?

It forms components that create sentences and stories. (correct)

It uses a fixed order of words exclusively.

It consists of independent signals only.

It combines larger units into smaller components.

What does the rule-based nature of language indicate?

There are no restrictions in communication.

Words can be arranged in certain permissible ways. (correct)

Any arrangement of words is acceptable.

Language is inherently chaotic.

Which of the following is NOT an example of a signal used in human language?

Fixed animal calls Signup and view all the answers

What does the ability to create unique sentences imply about human language?

It has a flexible structure governed by rules. Signup and view all the answers

Why is the need to communicate using language described as 'universal'?

It is found wherever there are people. Signup and view all the answers

What is an example of a message that human language can convey?

Complex and unique phrases never expressed before. Signup and view all the answers

In what way does human language differ from animal communication?

It allows for limitless expression through creativity. Signup and view all the answers

What primarily differentiates human language from animal communication?

Human language can communicate about a wider range of topics. Signup and view all the answers

Why does the order of words matter in sentence construction?

It impacts the meanings conveyed by the sentence. Signup and view all the answers

What role do inference and prediction play in understanding language?

They enable deeper comprehension of textual meaning. Signup and view all the answers

What is described as a limitation of animal communication compared to human language?

Animals rely on a limited set of signals. Signup and view all the answers

Which aspect illustrates the complexity of language beyond just word meanings?

The presence of homonyms and their varied meanings. Signup and view all the answers

In what way can human language facilitate a richer form of communication?

By expressing feelings, thoughts, and experiences in a flexible manner. Signup and view all the answers

What can be inferred about human language from its definition?

It allows for multiple interpretations based on context. Signup and view all the answers

What is one reason why understanding language might be considered more complicated than it seems?

The variability in meanings and structures exists. Signup and view all the answers

What is the lexicon in the context of language learning?

A collection of all the words one knows Signup and view all the answers

What does lexical semantics focus on?

The meaning of individual words Signup and view all the answers

What is word frequency effect?

The speed of responding to high-frequency words compared to low-frequency words Signup and view all the answers

Why is determining a word’s meaning more complicated than just looking it up in a lexicon?

It is influenced by word frequency and context Signup and view all the answers

What example illustrates differences in word frequency?

The word 'home' occurs 547 times per million words compared to 'hike' at 4 times Signup and view all the answers

Which statement is true regarding how children and adults learn language?

Both children and adults use different strategies to learn languages Signup and view all the answers

Which factor does NOT influence how we process a word?

The length of the word Signup and view all the answers

What aspect of psycholinguistics will NOT be the primary focus of the discussion?

The history of language evolution Signup and view all the answers

What happens to the meaning of 'rose' as a flower after 200 msec of hearing it as a verb?

The flower meaning is completely gone. Signup and view all the answers

How does context influence the meaning of words?

It determines meaning after a slight delay. Signup and view all the answers

What does 'biased dominance' refer to in word meanings?

When one meaning occurs more frequently than others. Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following is an example of balanced dominance?

Cast as members of a play versus plaster cast. Signup and view all the answers

What factor increases the likelihood of a word's meaning being activated?

The frequency of occurrence of the meanings. Signup and view all the answers

In what way does the word 'tin' illustrate the concept of meaning dominance?

The most frequent meaning overshadows the less frequent one. Signup and view all the answers

What term describes the phenomenon where context influences word meaning after a delay?

Delayed access. Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following statements is true regarding ambiguity in word meanings?

Frequency of meanings determines which is likely accessed first. Signup and view all the answers

What determines the meaning of ambiguous words while reading a sentence?

The word's dominance and the context of the sentence Signup and view all the answers

What happens to the interpretation of a word when there is no prior context?

Competition occurs between equally likely meanings Signup and view all the answers

Which example illustrates a word with biased dominance?

TIN (metal) and tin (food container) Signup and view all the answers

In the example provided, what are the two potential meanings of the word 'CAST'?

To throw something; a group of actors in a play Signup and view all the answers

What is the effect of using words with balanced dominance in a sentence?

They can lead to confusion due to multiple likely meanings Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following statements about ambiguous words is false?

They only have two meanings despite context. Signup and view all the answers

What is a key factor that affects how readers comprehend ambiguous words?

The dominance of the word's meanings Signup and view all the answers

What is the concept called when a word has more than one meaning?

Lexical ambiguity Signup and view all the answers

In the context of the meanings of ambiguous words, what is 'dominance'?

The likelihood of a particular meaning being chosen in a specific context Signup and view all the answers

Which factor does NOT impact our ability to understand spoken words?

Speaker's emotional state Signup and view all the answers

In the sentence 'My mother is bugging me', what does the word 'bugging' most likely mean?

Annoying Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following is NOT mentioned as a way we understand ambiguous words?

Daily conversation practice Signup and view all the answers

What can context help us determine when dealing with ambiguous words?

The correct meaning of the word Signup and view all the answers

Which example illustrates phonetic similarity leading to confusion?

Big girl and Big Earl Signup and view all the answers

What type of knowledge primarily contributes to understanding sentences and conversations?

Knowledge achieved by learning and experience Signup and view all the answers

Which word is given as an example of lexical ambiguity?

Bug Signup and view all the answers

Study Notes

Language Understanding

Language is a system for communication using sounds or symbols, enabling expression of feelings, thoughts, ideas, and experiences.
Human language is distinguished by its creativity; unlike animals, humans use a wide variety of signals combined in countless ways.

Word Processing

Lexicon: Mental dictionary of known words; semantics: word meanings; lexical semantics: understanding individual words.
Word frequency
- Influence how words are processed
- Faster response times for high-frequency words.
Eye movement studies show longer fixation times for low-frequency words.
Individuals pronounce words differently (accents, speed).
Context significantly aids word understanding. Words are more comprehensively understood within sentences.

Ambiguous Words

Lexical ambiguity: Words with multiple meanings.
Word context and frequency influence which meaning is understood.
Meaning dominance: Some meanings of a word are more frequently encountered than others, leading to faster access to frequent meanings.
Priming: Activation of one meaning triggers related concepts faster.
The more frequently a meaning is used; the faster it's accessed.
Context, frequency, and dominance together determine word meaning comprehension.

Sentence and Conversation Comprehension

Language is hierarchical (words combine into phrases, phrases into sentences).
Language relies on rules governing word combinations.
Speech sounds are not separated by spaces. Statistical patterns in word sequences are crucial.
Infants are sensitive to the statistical regularities of language.
Meaning aids in segmenting words. If words are known, they are easily perceived as individual words, even in a foreign language.

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Description

Explore the intricate relationship between language and word processing in this quiz. Delve into concepts like lexical semantics, word frequency, and the nuances of ambiguous words. Understand how context shapes our comprehension and pronunciation of language.