PSYC 1101 Exam 4 Note Packet (Mark Prokosch)LANGUAGECommunication in Humans- Infant-directed speech = caregiver’s communications with infants 4 versions of melodies used during infant directed speech:o Attentiono Approvalo Prohibitingo ComfortSensitive Period of Language Development- Sensitive period = stage in development when an individual can best aquire specific skillso Ability to learn language later in life requires considerable efforto Many psychologists believe the years prior to age 13 are vital for language development (maximally before age 7)Learning Multiple Languages- Young children readily learn a second or third languageo The earlier we learn it the more proficient we become o Language learning ability declines as we age- Children in bilingual and multilingual homes acquire language at a slightly slower pace - Growing up with one set of phonemes, or basic set of sounds difficulty pronouncing those of another language Language: How We DevelopSequence of Language Learning- Pre-vocal Learning: 2-4 months oldo Part of the receptive language stage, where babies learn to discriminate sounds o Babies distinguish all phonemes they will later use for languageo Prefer to look at faces that match sounds (learn that ah comes from wide open lips, etc.) - Babbling: ~6 months oldo Meaningless experimental sounds preceding actual languageo Part of the productive learning stage, where the ability to produce words and sounds arises o NOT an imitation of adult speech includes sounds from all languages o Deaf babies raised by deaf parents tend to babble more with hands o At about 10 months old, a trained ear can identify the language. Sounds and intonations from other languages begin to disappear and without exposure to other languages, babies become functionally deaf to speech sounds outside native language (ex. American baby will not be able to discriminate between sounds in Japanese) - First Words: ~1 year old o Simple single word talking begins with comprehension exceeding speecho Still part of the productive learning stage o By now children have learned to associate meaning with sounds/words o At this stage, and inflected word may equal a sentence (ex. “Doggy!” = “Look at the dog out there!”) - Telegraphic Speech: by 2 years old o Simple two word sentences omitting all but essential words (ex. Want juice) o Also part of productive learning stage - Longer phrases/sentences: 4 and 5 years old o Still part of productive learning stageo Start to employ and understand humorEx. You never starve in the desert because of all the sand-which-is there I once shot an elephant in my pajamas. How it got into my pajamas, I’ll never know. Vocabulary- After we turn 1, we learn on average 3500 words a year, amassing 60,000 words by the time we graduate high school Components of Language- Language production = formation of language- Language comprehension = ability to understand meaning of language Language Centers in the Brain- Aphasia, impaired use of language, can result from damage to any cortical area of the brain. Some people with aphasia can speak but not read, or comprehend what they read but not speak, or write but not read, etc. - Broca’s area (left frontal lobe)o Critical for speech productiono Associated with grammar comprehensiono Broca’s Aphasia (impairment of language production) Omission of most pronouns, prepositions, conjunctions, auxiliary verbs, tense and number endings during speech production Telegraphic speech (short sentences with only necessary words)- Wernicke’s area (left temporal lobe)o Critical for language comprehensiono Located in temporal lobeo Wernicke’s Aphasia (impairment of language comprehension) Difficulty understanding spoken and written speech (especiallynouns and verbs) Sometimes called “fluent aphasia” because they can still speak smoothly- Angular Gyruso Affects reading aloudo Can speak and understand, but can’t read Evolution of Language- Stephen Pinker (1994) argues that language evolved via natural selection for the communication of information- “Simply by making noises with our mouths, we can reliably cause precise new combinations of ideas to arise in each other”- much like echolocation in bats or antennae in insects INTELLIGENCE & CREATIVITYWhat is Intelligence?-“Intelligence is the aggregate, or global capacity to act purposefully, think rationally, and deal effectively with the environment. It is global because it characterizes the individual’s behavior as a whole; it is aggregate because it is composed of elements or abilities which, though not entirely independent, are qualitatively differentiable.” –David Wechsler, 1938 -The ability to learn from experience, solve problems, and use knowledge to adapt to new situationsPsychometric Tradition- Statistic analysis of individual differences in mental ability - 100+ years of researcho Charles Spearman (1904)General Intelligence- Charles Spearman proposed that there is general intelligence (g)- He notes that people who score high in one area, like verbal intelligence, tendto score higher than average in other areas, such as spatial or reasoning ability - The positive correlations between performance on all of these tests suggest that there is a general intelligence factor, aka g-factor o This common skill set underlies all our intelligent behavior Psychometric Tradition- Influence on mental testingo IQ tests Among the most accurate (reliable and valid) of all psychological tests and assessments Also often the most controversial Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale (WAIS)- Most widely used intelligence test (has a version for school-age and preschool children)- Consists of 11 subtests broken into verbal and performance areas- Like the Stanford-Binet test, it yields an overall intelligence score, but also separate scores for verbal comprehension, perceptual organization, working memory, and processing speed - Verbalo General Information What day of the year is Independence Day?o Similarities In what way are wool and cotton alike?o Arithmetic Reasoning If eggs cost 60 cents a dozen, what does 1 egg cost?o Vocabulary Tell me the meaning of corrupto Comprehension Why do people buy fire insurance?o Digit Span Repeat after me: 7 3 4 1 8 6 Now say these backwards: 3 8 4 1 6 - Performanceo Picture completion I am going to show you a picture with important part missing. Tell me what is missing.
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