Deck 9: Language and Thought

Question 1

Which of the following is NOT an essential type of rule contained in a language grammar?

A)phonology
B)heuristics
C)syntax
D)semantics

Answer 1

heuristics

Question 2

Luke is trying to devise a plan to defeat the latest scheme of the evil Empire.Luke is going through the process technically known as:

A)introspection
B)learning
C)thinking
D)maturation

Answer 2

thinking

Question 3

A space explorer has discovered life forms on an alien planet that can communicate, but the explorer decides the aliens don't really have a true language.This is because the alien's communication system lacks a set of rules collectively known as:

A)pragmatics
B)phonology
C)heuristics
D)grammar

Answer 3

grammar

Question 4

Phonology, syntax, and semantics are three aspects of:

A)morphemes
B)heuristics
C)pragmatics
D)grammar

Question 5

When three-year-old Garret is coloring a picture, he carefully selects a brown crayon to color a tree trunk, a green crayon for the leaves in the tree, and a red crayon for the bird in the tree.When Garret is asked to name the colors he has been using, he confidently answers "blue" each time.The fact that Garret can distinguish between the colors, even though he can't accurately name them yet, suggests that:

A)the linguistic relativity hypothesis provides an accurate description of the link between thought and language
B)the exemplar theory provides the best explanation of the way in which new categories are formed
C)the linguistic relativity hypothesis does not accurately reflect the link between thought and language
D)the prototype theory does not provide an adequate description of the way in which new categories are formed

Question 6

Thinking involves:

A)committing newly encountered facts to memory
B)the development of new behaviors through reinforcement
C)the mental manipulation of knowledge
D)developing new patterns of problem solving through maturation

Question 7

Imagine that anthropologists found a culture that had over 80 different words for rice.If researchers also found that the people in this culture thought about and perceived rice in different and more elaborate ways than people who have only one word for rice, it would:

A)support the prototype theory of categorization
B)support the linguistic relativity hypothesis
C)provide evidence that the exemplar theory of categorization is incorrect
D)provide evidence that the linguistic relativity hypothesis is incorrect

Question 8

Grammar refers to the rules:

A)governing how to combine words into sentences
B)governing the practical usage of language
C)of language concerning how to combine sounds to create words
D)of language that enable the communicator to combine symbols to convey meaning

Question 9

The language Dani is spoken in the Amazon rainforest.The language has just two color words, one to refer to darkly colored objects and one to refer to lightly colored objects.Some researchers have argued that the Dani would not be able to perceive the entire color spectrum because the language lacks words for all the colors.This view is referred to as:

A)linguistic adaptation
B)cognitive linguistics
C)linguistic grammar
D)linguistic relativity

Question 10

The rules of language that enable the communicator to combine symbols to convey meaning are a language's:

A)pragmatics
B)phonology
C)heuristics
D)grammar

Question 11

A language is a communication system made up of rules, which are collectively referred to as:

A)heuristics
B)algorithms
C)grammar
D)syntax

Question 12

The activities that underlie all forms of thought are technically known as:

A)introspection
B)learning
C)cognition
D)maturation

Question 13

The linguistic relativity hypothesis predicts that:

A)language and thought should develop independently
B)people in all cultures should think alike, despite their language differences
C)language development should consistently lag behind cognitive development
D)people should have difficulty thinking about things they cannot describe in words

Question 14

The term cognition refers to:

A)committing newly encountered facts to memory
B)the activities that underlie all forms of thought
C)developing new patterns of problem solving through maturation
D)the development of new behaviors through reinforcement

Question 15

Scientists who study the processes underlying all forms of thought are called:

A)cognitive psychologists
B)neuroscientists
C)heuristic psychologists
D)developmental psychologists

Question 16

The linguistic relativity hypothesis suggests:

A)the speed of language acquisition relates to the richness of language in the environment
B)language influences thought and perception
C)good language requires being informative, truthful, relevant, and clear
D)language is highly correlated with intelligence

Question 17

According to the linguistic relativity hypothesis, language:

A)shapes how we think and how we perceive the world
B)shapes the way we think, but not our perceptions of the world
C)shapes our perceptions of the world, but not the way we think
D)has only a minimal influence on thought processes and perception

Question 18

American Sign Language is considered a true language because it has a set of rules that enable the communicator to convey meaning.These rules are collectively known as:

A)pragmatics
B)phonology
C)heuristics
D)grammar

Question 19

The view that language shapes how we think and how we perceive the world is called:

A)linguistic adaptation
B)cognitive linguistics
C)linguistic grammar
D)linguistic relativity

Question 20

The processes that underlie the mental manipulation of knowledge, usually in an attempt to reach a goal or solve a problem, are called:

A)introspection
B)learning
C)thinking
D)maturation

Question 21

A child who was amused that the words ice and mice are similar.The similarity is in terms of:

A)semantics
B)pragmatics
C)phonology
D)syntax

Question 22

With respect to spoken language, semantics refers to:

A)rules for combining sounds to make words
B)rules for combining words to make sentences
C)the practical knowledge used to comprehend and produce spoken language
D)rules for communicating meaning

Question 23

The rules for communicating meaning are part of a language's:

A)semantics
B)phonology
C)syntax
D)pragmatics

Question 24

With respect to spoken language, syntax refers to:

A)rules for combining words to make sentences
B)rules for combining sounds to make words
C)rules for communicating meaning
D)the practical knowledge used to comprehend and produce spoken language

Question 25

The sentence "Heroically timid dreams danced off-key," is an example of a sentence in English that has:

A)correct phonology but incorrect morphology
B)correct semantics but incorrect syntax
C)correct syntax but incorrect semantics
D)correct pragmatics but incorrect phonology

Question 26

A child was amused that the sentences "Mommy gave Daddy a book" and "Mommy gave a book to Daddy" meant the same thing but had a different order of words.The difference is in terms of:

A)semantics
B)pragmatics
C)phonology
D)syntax

Question 27

A child who engages in word play and says things such as "stop, bop, rop, dop, clop, mop," but never says "sgap, tpir, or sbum," is demonstrating his or her knowledge of:

A)semantics
B)pragmatics
C)phonology
D)syntax

Question 28

The word "dzisiejszym" would be recognized as a foreign word by an English speaker because the word structure violates the rules of English:

A)phonology
B)syntax
C)semantics
D)pragmatics

Question 29

Last year five-year-old Katrina would say, "No he going," when she was explaining to her younger sister that the dog had to stay at home.Now, Katrina will tell her sister, "He's not going." This example illustrates that Katrina has made a gain in her use of:

A)syntax
B)phonology
C)semantics
D)pragmatics

Question 30

When Emerson told his four-year-old sister that "I hit the bat that flew into the attic with my baseball bat," she was very confused and wondered how the long wooden stick that he often carries could possibly fly.When Emerson's sister is able to recognize that the word "bat" can have two different meanings, she will have made a gain in her understanding of:

A)semantics
B)phonology
C)morphology
D)syntax

Question 31

The word "ffyngoedd" would be recognized as a foreign word by an English speaker because the word structure violates the rules of English:

A)syntax
B)phonology
C)semantics
D)pragmatics

Question 32

The sentence "Colorless green ideas sleep furiously," is an example of a sentence in English that has:

A)correct phonology but incorrect morphology
B)correct semantics but incorrect syntax
C)correct pragmatics but incorrect phonology
D)correct syntax but incorrect semantics

Question 33

The rules for combining sounds to make words are part of a language's:

A)syntax
B)phonology
C)semantics
D)pragmatics

Question 34

The Welsh language allows letter and sound sequences that English does not (e.g., drwy, llwytho).This represents a difference in the two languages':

A)phonology
B)syntax
C)semantics
D)pragmatics

Question 35

Last Halloween, four-year-old Clarice called the decorations at her house "punkins." This year, she is able to say "pumpkins" when she describes them.In this instance, Clarice has made a gain in her use of:

A)telegraphic speech
B)semantics
C)syntax
D)phonology

Question 36

The sentence "The cautious the barked nasty at man poodle," would be difficult for an English speaker to understand because the structure violates the rules of English:

A)phonology
B)morphology
C)syntax
D)pragmatics

Question 37

The rules for combining words to make sentences are part of a language's:

A)phonology
B)syntax
C)semantics
D)pragmatics

Question 38

In one popular science fiction movie, the Jedi master uses sentences such as "When 900 years old you are, look so good you will not." When he speaks in this way, the Jedi master is able to convey meaning, but his sentences do not:

A)use typical English semantics
B)use common English morphemes
C)follow normal English syntax
D)contain a surface structure

Question 39

With respect to spoken language, phonology refers to:

A)rules for combining words to make sentences
B)rules for communicating meaning
C)rules for combining sounds to make words
D)the practical knowledge used to comprehend and produce spoken language

Question 40

Three-year-old Benjamin used to say "wadder" when he wanted his parents to get him a drink of water.Now, he is able to say "water" quite clearly.In this instance, Benjamin has made a gain in his use of:

A)telegraphic speech
B)phonology
C)semantics
D)syntax

Question 41

The surface structure of a sentence refers to:

A)the underlying representation or meaning in a sentence
B)the literal arrangement of words within a sentence
C)the sentence's truthfulness of validity
D)the pragmatic rules used to generate the sentence

Question 42

The smallest units of language that carry meaning are called:

A)phonemes
B)words
C)telegraphic speech
D)morphemes

Question 43

When a child first understands the difference between "give" and "take," he or she has made a gain in his or her understanding of:

A)phonology
B)semantics
C)morphology
D)syntax

Question 44

The distinction between surface structure and deep structure was first noted by:

A)B. F. Skinner
B)Noam Chomsky
C)E. L. Thorndike
D)Albert Bandura

Question 45

Noam Chomsky is noted for:

A)demonstrating that American Sign Language has a grammatical structure
B)distinguishing between the surface and deep structures of sentences
C)showing that phonemic structures differ from language to language
D)proving syntax and semantics are of equal importance

Question 46

The deep structure of a sentence refers to:

A)the literal arrangement of words within a sentence
B)the sentence's truthfulness or validity
C)the underlying representation or meaning in a sentence
D)the pragmatic rules used to generate the sentence

Question 47

The two sentences "Bill ate the candy" and "The candy was eaten by Bill" have the same:

A)surface structure
B)transformational structure
C)deep structure
D)lexical structure

Question 48

The sentence "Visiting relatives can be a nuisance" can be interpreted in at least two very different ways.This sentence has:

A)one surface structure and at least two deep structures
B)one deep structure and at least two surface structures
C)two surface structures and at least two deep structures
D)one deep structure and one surface structure

Question 49

The word "helplessness" contains:

A)1 morpheme
B)2 morphemes
C)3 morphemes
D)4 morphemes

Question 50

The English word dough has how many phonemes?

A)1
B)2
C)4
D)5

Question 51

The word "rewrite" contains:

A)1 morpheme
B)2 morphemes
C)3 morphemes
D)4 morphemes

Question 52

The English language uses 26 letters in the alphabet, and these letters can be combined to create:

A)just over 40 distinct morphemes
B)over 1,000,000 morphemes
C)over 50,000 morphemes
D)approximately 2,000 morphemes

Question 53

The English language uses 26 letters in the alphabet:

A)and it also has 26 distinct phonemes, one for each letter
B)and these letters can be used to create approximately 40 different phonemes
C)but the letters can only be used to create 10 separate phonemes
D)and these letters can be combined to create over 40,000 phonemes

Question 54

The underlying representation or meaning in a sentence provides the sentence's

A)surface structure
B)transformational structure
C)deep structure
D)lexical structure

Question 55

With respect to language, phonemes:

A)are the smallest units of language that carry meaning
B)are the same as a language's alphabet
C)provide the underlying meaning in a spoken sentence
D)are the smallest significant sound units in spoken language

Question 56

The literal arrangement of words within a sentence provides the sentence's:

A)deep structure
B)surface structure
C)transformational structure
D)lexical structure

Question 57

With respect to language, morphemes:

A)are the smallest significant sound units in spoken language
B)are the smallest units of language that carry meaning
C)are the same as a language's alphabet
D)provide the underlying meaning in a spoken sentence

Question 58

The word "phone" contains:

A)1 morpheme
B)1 phoneme
C)3 morphemes
D)4 phonemes

Question 59

In the words "running," "jumping," and "eating," the "ing" ending is an example of a:

A)morpheme
B)phoneme
C)semantic regularization
D)relational device

Question 60

The cat chased the lizard.The lizard was chased by the cat.These two sentences share the same:

A)surface structure
B)deep structure
C)phonemic content
D)mnemonics

Question 61

The speaker's actual intent is not always clear from the specific words used, but listeners use their practical knowledge to accurately comprehend the intent and to reply appropriately.This practical knowledge represents:

A)syntax
B)prototypes
C)pragmatics
D)defining features

Question 62

The practical knowledge used to comprehend a speaker's intentions and produce an effective response is called:

A)semantics
B)syntactics
C)heuristics
D)pragmatics

Question 63

Babies generally start babbling:

A)in the first few hours after they are born
B)during the first month
C)between the ages of 4 and 6 months
D)between the ages of 2 and 3 months

Question 64

The sentence "Racing cars can be dangerous" can be interpreted in at least two very different ways.This sentence has:

A)one surface structure and at least two deep structures
B)one deep structure and at least two surface structures
C)two surface structures and at least two deep structures
D)one deep structure and one surface structure

Question 65

Language comprehension relies on:

A)both bottom-up and top-down processing
B)neither bottom-up nor top-down processing
C)bottom-up processing alone
D)top-down processing alone

Question 66

Which of the following is one of the pragmatic guidelines followed by good speakers?

A)be relevant
B)speak sparingly
C)gesture frequently
D)talk quickly

Question 67

The speaker typically follows pragmatic guidelines or maxims in conversations.Which of the following is NOT an example of such a guideline?

A)be relevant
B)tell the truth
C)be interesting
D)be clear

Question 68

Which of the following forms of communication in the infant emerges first?

A)babbling
B)cooing
C)first words
D)telegraphic speech

Question 69

Effective communication seems to rely a great deal on common:

A)heuristics
B)metaphors
C)knowledge
D)pitch

Question 70

Which of the following is an accurate statement regarding language development?

A)experience plays no role in language development
B)there is a regularity to language development
C)it is easy to explain language development by appealing only to environment
D)the universality of language development becomes apparent at the start of adolescence

Question 71

A child has just started cooing.You can guess the child is between:

A)3 and 5 weeks of age
B)2 and 3 months of age
C)4 and 6 months of age
D)8 and 10 months of age

Question 72

Bob has just said something to Crystal that sounds really mean.However, Crystal knows that Bob is just joking because of his facial expression, body language, and the nature of the situation.This shows the importance of which aspect of language?

A)pragmatics
B)phonology
C)syntax
D)morphology

Question 73

Cooing refers to the:

A)repetition of vowel sounds
B)repetition of vowel-consonant combinations
C)first vocalizations specific to a native language
D)combining words in order with some parts of speech omitted

Question 74

Babbling refers to producing:

A)different cries to signify different kinds of discomfort
B)first words, but with incorrect semantic structure
C)combinations of vowel sounds
D)consonant and vowel combinations

Question 75

Which of the following is an accurate statement regarding language development?

A)experience plays no role in language development
B)language develops in a highly irregular fashion
C)it is easy to explain language development by appealing only to environment
D)the universality of language development is apparent even at birth

Question 76

Which of the following is an accurate statement regarding language development?

A)experience plays no role in language development
B)language develops in a highly irregular fashion
C)it is difficult to explain language development by appealing only to environment
D)the universality of language development becomes apparent at the start of adolescence

Question 77

From the viewpoint of pragmatics, if someone wants to get someone to think more creatively in a problem solving situation, it may be better to be:

A)silent
B)direct
C)blunt
D)sarcastic

Question 78

Bobbi is talking with Jennifer and sounds really angry.However, Jennifer knows that Bobbi is just joking because of her facial expression, body language, and the nature of the situation.This shows the importance of which aspect of language?

A)pragmatics
B)phonology
C)syntax
D)morphology

Question 79

Pragmatics refers to the practical knowledge used to:

A)comprehend a speaker's intentions and produce an effective response
B)understand the surface structure of a sentence
C)translate meaningless phonemes into morphemes with meaning
D)translate written language into an "inner voice"

Question 80

Cooing refers to producing:

A)different cries to signify different kinds of discomfort
B)combinations of vowel sounds
C)consonant and vowel combinations
D)first words, but with incorrect semantic structure