Thinking and Language
algorithm
A methodical, logical rule or procedure that guarantees solving a particular problem.
trial and error
A problem-solving strategy that involves attempting different solutions and eliminating those that do not work.
symbol
An object or action that means something more than its literal meaning.
language acquisition device
Chomsky's concept of an innate, pre-wired mechanism in the brain that allows children to acquire language naturally
heuristics
Mental shortcuts or "rules of thumb" that often lead to a solution (but not always).
bilingualism
The ability to speak two languages
costs and benefits
The bad and good points related to making a decision.
psycholinguistics
The study of how language is acquired, perceived, understood, and produced.
means-end analysis
We know that certain things we can do will have certain results
working backward
a heuristic strategy in which one works backward from the desired goal to the given conditions
concept
a mental grouping of similar objects, events, ideas, or people
difference reduction
a problem-solving method that involves reducing the difference between the present situation and the desired one
analogies
a similarity between tow or more items, events, or situations
mental set
a tendency to approach a problem in one particular way, often a way that has been successful in the past
prototype
an example of a concept that closely matches the defining characteristics of a concept
premise
an idea or statement that provides the basic information that allows us to draw conclusions
Stages of Language Development
cooing, babbling, one-word speech, telegraphic speech, whole sentences
divergent thinking
expands the number of possible problem solutions (creative thinking that diverges in different directions)
representativeness heuristic
judging the likelihood of things in terms of how well they seem to represent, or match, particular prototypes; may lead us to ignore other relevant information
availability heuristic
making a decision based on the answer that most easily comes to mind
flexibility
the ability to adapt to new, different, or changing situations
phonemes
the basic units of sound in language
language
the communication of ideas through symbols and sounds that are arranged according to rules
deductive reasoning
the conclusion is true if the premises are true
thinking
the mental activity that is involved in the understanding, processing, and communicating of information
recombination
the mental rearrangement of elements of a problem
anchoring heuristic
the process of making decisions based on certain ideas or standards held by the decision maker
morphemes
the smallest meaningful units of language
incubation effect
the tendency to arrive at a solution after a period of time away from the problem
functional fixedness
the tendency to think of things only in terms of their usual functions; an impediment to problem solving
reasoning
the use of information to reach conclusions
syntax
the way in which words are put together to form phrases, clauses, or sentences
metacognition
thinking about thinking, planning, evaluating, and monitoring mental activities
convergent thinking
thinking that is directed toward finding the correct answer to a given problem
inductive reasoning
we reason from individual cases or particular facts to reach a general conclusion