Benjamin WhorfSlide 2Language and Cognition (Thought)Slide 4Allocentric LanguageAnimals in a Row (Gleitman, 2002)Language’s Influence on ThoughtSlide 8Slide 9Thinking, a.k.a. CognitionPieces of Cognition: Concepts/CategoriesHow do we form/learn concepts?What is a ChairArguments against PrototypesProblem SolvingClarifying Problem Solving ExamplesInsight: The “Aha” MomentIncubation EffectsBenjamin WhorfLinguistic determinism hypothesis: Language determines what and how we thinkIs this true?The Power of LanguageLanguage not only drives our ability to express our thoughts with other humansResearch suggests it also influences our thoughtsinfluences influences Linguistic determinism hypothesisLanguage and Cognition (Thought)Tenejapan Village in Mexico Language: Tzeltal (a Mayan dialect)Speakers: about 15,000Allocentric LanguageIf people talk about spatial relationships relative to landmarks outside the observer, then their language is allocentricIn Tzeltal, where villages are built on a hill, spatial relationships are referred to as uphill or downhill “Give me the spoon that’s uphill from your teacup.”Animals in a Row (Gleitman, 2002)Language’s Influence on ThoughtDo language differences shape personality differences?•Bilingual people appear to have different personality profiles when describing themselves in different languages.•“Learn a new language and get a new soul.”--Czech proverb.•Experience with bilingualism has been shown to influence executive function abilities•E.g., focus attention, plan ahead, inhibit prepotent responses, delayed gratification, task switch •The reason? A continuous ability to have to manipulate and manage gratification•This ability spills over to other thought processes that don’t have to doThinking in Images Without WordsIs there conscious thinking that goes on without being formed as words?Some everyday decisions, such as which turn to take while driving, are certainly made based on images or other nonverbal content such as mental maps.Using Imagery to Improve LearningImage rehearsal can help us improve behavior, even skilled performance such as playing piano or playing sports.If you imagine getting an A (outcome simulation), it may shift your mood up or down but will not improve your grade. Imagining the detailed actions of studying (process simulation), though, does improve grades.Think about the road, not the destination.Cognition refers to mental activities and processes associated with thinking, knowing, remembering and communicating information. Include reasoning, judgment, and assembling new information into knowledge Supports these other psychological processes: attention, emotion, consciousness, perception, learning, memory, language, mental health, and social interaction.Thinking, a.k.a. CognitionPieces of Cognition: Concepts/Categories•Mental categories/groupings of objects, events, states, ideas, people, etc.– Being able to categorize is adaptive–Allows us to infer stuff about thingsHow do we form/learn concepts? We think we form concepts by definitions. For example, we define a triangle as an object with three sides. But is this how we actually form concepts? Often, we form concepts by developing prototypes, mental images of the best example of a concept. TRIANGLE EXAMPLEWhat is a ChairWhat is your definition of “chair”?What is your prototype of “chair”?Which of these fit the “chair” concept?Arguments against Prototypes•Some categories just –A prototypical game?–A prototypical painting?–A prototypical US President?•Most objects can be categorized in multiple ways.•Prototypes fail–When examples stretch our definitions of the category–When the boundary between concepts is fuzzy–When examples contradict our prototypesProblem Solving•Two kinds of strategies:–Algorithms (Controlled): Step-by step procedures that guarantee a solution –Heuristics (Automatic): “Shortcuts” that are efficient but don´t guarantee a soulutionClarifying Problem Solving ExamplesTo find a specific item in a supermarketAlgorithmsHeuristicsCreate a methodical path to make sure you check every single aisle Where’s the apple juice? Do I look on every shelf in the store, or do I search where there is similar stuff?Check only related aislesInsight and the BrainIn one study, participants monitored by fMRI and EEG were asked, “which word will form a compound word with the words pine, crab, and sauce?”What the brains did along with the “aha!” of getting the answer:Insight: The “Aha” MomentInsight refers to a sudden realization, a leap forward in thinking, that leads to a solution • extra frontal lobe activity•experiencing the “aha!” moment and stating the answer•a burst of activity in right temporal lobeIncubation Effects•Can’t find the solution to a problem?– Take a break!•Why would this work?–Your brain keeps working on it –You stop thinking aboutit the wrong way–Additional experiencemay provide clues or