Exam 9: Language and Thinking

Professor Jones believes that language constrains the way in which we think. We cannot think of anything in complex terms if we do not have complex language. Jones apparently is a believer in

__________ is the tendency to be so fixed in our perception of the proper function of an object or procedure that we are blinded to new ways of using it.

A system of knowledge about the meaning and conduct of life is referred to as __________.

An impairment in speech comprehension or production is known as

When Leslie's Dad gets home before 6:00 p.m., it means he has finished a job early and is in a good mood. When Dad is in a good mood, he takes Leslie out for ice cream. While finishing her homework today, Leslie hears her father's car pull into the driveway. It is 5:30 p.m. So Leslie reasoned, "Tonight I get ice cream!" Leslie was using ___________________ reasoning.

The concept that symbols can be combined to generate an infinite number of messages that have novel meaning demonstrates the _________ concept.

A new tribe has recently been discovered in the rainforest. As a linguist, you want to determine if they have a language. Which of the following could be missing, and you would still conclude that language was present?

When processing language, males use both hemispheres of their brain more than females.

How does the availability heuristic influence judgments of likelihood or probability?

Your awareness and understanding of your own cognitive abilities are called _________.

The generally high-pitched tone of voice that people often use to speak to infants, babies, toddlers, and even to some small pets is technically called

Distinguish between syntax, semantics, and pragmatics. Use an example of each to help illustrate these three different parts of language.

Does research, including brain research, support the view that mental images are perceptual in nature? Explain.

The finding that how information is structured and presented can influence the types of judgments individuals make illustrates the importance of _______ on reasoning.

What findings indicate that learning interacts with biology to affect language development? What evidence exists for a sensitive period?

Why was Shepard and Metzler's mental rotation study important? What did they find?

The level of analysis beyond the level of the sentences such as examining conversations or paragraphs is known as

How does language influence thinking?

You are about to buy a lottery ticket and you want to choose your favourite numbers 37, 18, 4, 7, 25, and 42. Your friend says that instead you should choose 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6. This does not seem like a good choice to you so you just choose your favourite numbers. Why might you prefer your favourite numbers?

Describe the key properties of language.