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CSE221 Lab 02 Fall 24

The document discusses the relationship between thinking and language, highlighting cognitive processes such as problem-solving and decision-making, along with heuristics and algorithms. It also covers the neural basis of language, major milestones in language acquisition, and the debate between learning theory and nativist approaches to language development. Additionally, it explores the interplay between language and thought, including the capacity for non-verbal problem-solving and the limitations of ape communication compared to human language.

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Tanjil Rahman
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17 views19 pages

CSE221 Lab 02 Fall 24

The document discusses the relationship between thinking and language, highlighting cognitive processes such as problem-solving and decision-making, along with heuristics and algorithms. It also covers the neural basis of language, major milestones in language acquisition, and the debate between learning theory and nativist approaches to language development. Additionally, it explores the interplay between language and thought, including the capacity for non-verbal problem-solving and the limitations of ape communication compared to human language.

Uploaded by

Tanjil Rahman
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Thinking and Language

Sanzeeda Munir Prova


Lecturer, Psychology
BRAC University
Thinking
• Cognition Mental activity involved in understanding,
processing, and communicating information.

• Thinking Paying attention to information, mentally


representing it, reasoning about it, and making decisions
about it.
A. Problem Solving B. Decision Making
1
1
12
Nine-dot Problem Study
Effect of clues on ability to solve the problem
100%

90%

80%

70%

Percentage sucessfully
solving problem*
60%

50%

40%

30%

20%

10%

[0%]
0%
Control group "Go outside "Go outside "Go outside
square" square," square,"
plus line 1 plus lines 1 and 2
Condition
* Participants who solved without hints were eliminated from the study
13
Image by MIT OpenCourseWare.
Problem-Solving
• Algorithm: A systematic procedure for solving a problem that works
invariably when it is correctly applied. Following a step-by-step
procedure that guarantees a correct solution if applied correctly, like a
mathematical formula. Effective but sometimes slow.
• Heuristics: Using mental shortcuts or “rules of thumb” to simplify
decision-making. Faster than algorithms but can lead to errors. Common
heuristics include the representativeness and availability heuristics.
• Analogies: Applying knowledge from a similar problem or situation to find
a solution. Useful for unfamiliar problems by drawing parallels to past
experiences.
Making Decisions and Forming Judgements
Representativeness heuristic A decision-making heuristic in which people make
judgments about samples according to the populations they appear to represent.
Ex: Assuming someone who loves reading and is introverted is more likely to be a
librarian than a salesperson, even though there are many more salespeople.

Availability heuristic A decision-making heuristic in which our estimates of


frequency or probability of events are based on how easy it is to find examples.
Ex: Believing that airplane accidents are more common than they are because recent
news coverage makes them easy to recall, despite car accidents being statistically
more frequent.
Representativeness heuristic
Suppose that you have a normal penny with a head (H)
and a tail (T). You toss it six times. Which of these
outcomes is most likely?
a) H H H H H H
b) H H H T T T
c) T H H T H T
d) can't tell
e) all the same

8
Making Decisions and Forming Judgements
Anchoring and adjustment heuristic A decision-making heuristic in which a
presumption or first estimate serves as a cognitive anchor. As we receive additional
information, we make adjustments but tend to remain in the proximity of the anchor.
Ex: When buying a car, a buyer starts negotiating based on the initial asking price
(anchor) and adjusts slightly down, often still staying close to the initial figure.
Farming Effect The influence of wording, or the context in which information is
presented, on decision - making.
Ex: A medical procedure that has a “90% survival rate” sounds more favorable than a
“10% mortality rate,” even though they convey the same information.
Strong Emotions Around Language
Language

The communication of information by means of


symbols arranged according to rules of grammar.
The Neural Basis of Human Speech
Posterior language area
(connects Wernicke's area with
perceptions and memories)

Word meanings
Broca's area
(speech production)
Per
ce p
ti o
ns
an
d
m
em

or
ie
s
Primary
auditory

s
cortex ie
or
m
me
Per ce ti o ns and
p

Wernicke's area
(word recognition)

Image by MIT OpenCourseWare.


Broca's Area: Wernicke's Area:
• Located in the frontal lobe, usually in • Found in the temporal lobe, typically in
the left hemisphere. the left hemisphere as well.

• Primarily responsible for speech • Essential for language comprehension


production and language expression. and understanding spoken and written
language.
• Involved in grammar processing and
sentence structure. • Plays a role in processing meaning
and semantics.
• Damage to this area can result in
Broca's aphasia, where individuals • Damage to this area can lead to
Wernicke's aphasia, where individuals
struggle with speaking fluently but can can speak fluently but often produce
often understand language relatively nonsensical or meaningless speech and
well. struggle with understanding language.
Neural Basis of Language

Public domain image.

Regardless of modality, sign & speech,


recruit Wernicke & Broca regions; Deaf
infants “babble” with their hand.
Language is separable from speech? Petitto et al,
PNAS (2000)
Major Milestones in Language Acquisition

Approximate age Major Linguistic Development

2-3 Months Perceive all phonemes; notice changes in phonemes


Ignore distinctions between sounds not used in languages
6 Months
spoken around them; babbling begins

8 Months Identify words in the continuous speech stream


1 Year Babbling has adultlike intonation patterns; speaking begins
13 Months Understand about 50 words
18 Months Speak about 50 words
2 Years Telegraphic speech
3 Years Simple pragmatics
4 Years Rules of grammar, such as plural
6 Years Know about 10,000 words
9 Years Subtle pragmatics

Image by MIT OpenCourseWare.


Nurture: Learning Theory and Language Nature: The Nativist Approach to
Development Language Development
• Learning Theorists: Believe language • Nativist Theory: Language development is
develops based on learning laws, driven by innate factors and neurological
“prewiring” for language.
emphasizing imitation and
reinforcement. • Psycholinguistic Theory: Language
acquisition is due to both environmental
• Social-Cognitive Perspective: Parents influences and an inborn language acquisition
serve as language models, and children device (LAD), proposed by Noam Chomsky.
learn language through observation and • LAD: Prepares the brain to learn grammar,
imitation. based on a “universal grammar” that underlies
• Learning theory does not fully explain all languages, despite surface differences.
the consistent sequence and spurts in •Universal Grammar The sequence and
language development across cultures. structure of language development are
consistent across cultures, indicating an inborn
component.
Relationships between Language and Thinking
1. Language as a Tool for Thought:
• Language helps structure thought and aids in problem-solving, reasoning,
and planning.
• Verbal language allows for complex ideas to be organized, communicated,
and refined.
2. Thinking Without Language:
• Some argue that thinking can occur independently of language, as
evidenced by visual and spatial thinking or non-verbal problem-solving.
• For example, infants and animals can perform certain cognitive tasks
despite having no complex language system.
Do apes really use language?
Apes can be said to “use” language in that they learn signs for objects
and actions and produce these signs to communicate. However, critics
of the notion that apes use language as humans do argue that apes’ use
of grammar is inadequate.
Thank you! Don’t Worry!

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