FEM 4102COGNITION AND LANGUAGE

PJJ 2nd Meeting (20/04/2014)

DR. TAN JO-PEITEL: 89467312

EMAIL: JOPEI@UPM.EDU.MY

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Unit Title Week

1. The growth of cognitive psychology 1

2. Approaches of cognitive psychology 2

3. Perceptual process 3-4

4. Language process 5

5. Language comprehension and production 6

6. Language and thought 7

7. Information processing 8

8. Memory and cognition 9-10

9. Language and cognition development 11-12

10. Language, cognition & cognitive mastery 13-14

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UNIT TITLE & DIVISION BY STUDY WEEK

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TEST (mid term) 35 ASSIGNMENT 25 FINAL EXAM 40 TOTAL 100

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ASSESSMENT

ASSESSMENTS

MIDTERM TESTQuestions: •Both objective and subjective

Scope of examination: •Unit 1 until unit 4•Aspects related to Assignment

Total marks:•35%

FINAL TESTQuestions:•Both objective and subjective

Scope of examination:•Unit 1 until 10•Aspects related to Assignment

Total marks:•40%

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Assignment Individual assignment• Case Study (10-15 pages)

Due: • In Week 10 (before 25th April 2014 - Friday)

Marks: • 25%

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ASSIGNMENT

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Unit 5 -10

Discourse processingStory processingLanguage and speech production

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Unit 5: Language comprehension & production

Steps we used in analysing and interpretation/ understanding of our daily conversations.

Three ways on how we understand and come to a conclusion about what we read, write or talk about: Logical, Bridging & Elaborative

Minimalist hypothesis: Few inferences depending on what is the goal of an individual.

Constructionist approach: numerous inferences are drawn to facilitate full understanding.

Search-after-meaning theory: similar to minimalist hypo but derive more inference MH but less than CA.

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Discourse processing

Major events and themes and leave out the minor details.

Story is highly selective and determined by its meaning.

Story resembles a precis/summary.With focus mainly on important information.

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STORY PROCESSING

**STAGE OF SPEECH PRODUCTION: Conceptualisation of thought – generating

framework of what & how to say in general Formulating a linguistic plan – thought process

and speech process to identify meaning, select word (structure sentence), intonation

Articulating the plan – what intended to be said, include preparing and implementing (ie hesiation, pausing esp in uncertained situation)

Monitoring the speech – self-repair through monitoring, editing and correcting our speech or expression.

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Language and Speech Production

Relationship between language and thought

Sapir and Whorf’s Linguistic Relatively Hypothesis

Social and cultural factors influencing language and thought

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Unit 6: Language & thought

Language – the most important tool in communication – inseparable from thought.

Wilhelm von Humboldt statedLanguage determines many

aspects of thought.

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Relationship between language and thought

Language heavily influence thought (strong interpretation)

Language does not influence thought

Language partially influence thought (weak interpretation)

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Sapir-Whorf Hypothesis

Language heavily influence thought (strong interpretation) Strongly suggest that thought is based on language. Whorf concludes there are cognitive differences

between speaker of Hopi and English from examination of their respective language.

However, many researchers believe Whorf’s findings were unsuccessful in showing strong relationship between language and thought.

While some agreed with Whorf that thought and language is clearly dependent on each other.

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Sapir-Whorf Hypothesis 1

Language does not influence thought is supported by: Translatability – possible to translate details or

one language to another. Differences between linguistic and non-linguistic –

language and thought are the same thing. Universals – deep structure that are common to

all language – all cultures are related and have similar realities

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Sapir-Whorf Hypothesis 2

Language partially influence thought (weak interpretation) Language partially determine thoughts Not a question of whether a language affects

ones thinking but to what degree. Support Weak interpretation of linguistic

relativity.

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Sapir-Whorf Hypothesis

**Social interaction Theory Interaction between child and caregiver (biological

and environmental influences), is responsible for the development and learning of language.

The interaction of communicative functions. The influence of child’s social world, social

relationships and communicative interactions. Social and cultural rules:

Helps in developing our beliefs/values Often can be seen in the way we communicate with

others Determine our actions and interactions with

environment

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Social & Cultural Influence

Auditory and visual processing **Stage Model Theory (Atkinson &

Shriffin,1968) Stage 1: Sensory memory – visual and auditory

stimulus, brief moment Stage 2: Short term memory – working

memory, selection, initiation, termination – rehearsed meaningfully for transfer to LTM.

Stage 3: Long term memory – store info for longer period – recalling and retrieval of info.

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Unit 7: Information Processing

Attention – cognitive process to selectively focusing on one aspects while ignoring others

Human being have limited ability in relations t the amount of information that can be processed at a given time.

So, attention is the brain ability to function effectively when specific information is selected for processing.

Individual’s attention – verbal and visual tasks High level of practice enable individual to divide

attention – eg: driving and planning a speech.

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Divided attention

Practice played a major role in determining one’s performance.

Prolonged practice increases degree of automaticity.

Characteristics: Usually fast Do not reduce capacity for performing other

tasks Is very hard to modified once learned Lack flexbility which is likely to interrupts

performance. 20

Automaticity

Memory Brain’s ability to acquire, store, retain and later

retrieve informationTypes of memory: Explicit memory

Memories that is available to conscious access and reflection

Eg: Facts, people, daily places (Specific info about time, place)

Storage related to & recalled based on previous stimuli/ experience

Divided into STM & LTM.

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Unit 8: Memory and Cognition

Explicit memory Automatic and unconscious Created through repetitive priming & skill

learning (conditioning and motor skills) Short term memory

Basic operations in STM: Iconic, acoustic. Working

Long term memory Episodic (events) and semantic (word,

language)

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Theories to explain how we forget things: Decay theory: Time – fading memory –

biological function – alter the rate of decay memory and memory retention

Interference theory: memories disrupt with each other. New memory overwrite/disrupt existing memory

(Retroactive interference) Learned information hinder the learning of new

information (Proactive interference) What are the three major processes in info

processing? 1) Encode, 2) Storage & 3) Retrieval.

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**Forgetting and remembering

Different kinds of memories, limits & failure -- Example: Good memory – excel with visual stimuli, poor

for pictures and faces Autobiography – good at recalling personal

events, eps sentimental events False memories – whether memory is genuine

or distorted due to misleading questions. Memory damage – due to brain damage –

infection stroke, head injury Memory across lifespan – improves as we get

older, slow down after 65

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Limits and failures of memory

Types of Languages: Receptive and Productive Receptive language

Individual’s comprehension and ability to identify objects and pictures, understand basic concepts & follow directions.

Productive language Known as language expression An ability to communicate thoughts and needs

through gestures or words, answer questions and relate experiences.

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Unit 9: Language & Cognition development

Four stages of language development Phonology Development (Sound – describe the way

sound function in language, Changes in 3 stages, Developed according to age)

Semantic Development (Derived meaning from sign/words, Different level of understanding according to age)

Syntax development (How words should be arrange, rules)

Pragmatics development (How language could be altered according to social context, Changing ability based on age from paying attention to making demands)

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**Language developmentHow children learn a language?

Behaviorist Theory – learned through operant conditioning – reinforcement (getting praise, rewards) & imitation (imitate adults)

Nativist Theory - Understand a concept before children can expresses the language/concept

Cognitive Theory – Nature (Innate language acquisition device) is more important than nurture but experience activate LAD.

Interaction Theory – Language as a tool of communication between children & care-givers.

**What are the main concepts (strengths) and its limitations?

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Theories of Language Development

Three key ideas of Piagetian Cognitive concepts Cognitive structure –

shapes and patterns, each stage has its own unique sets of structures

Cognitive functions – purpose or goals to be achieved

Cognitive contents – intelligence at any given stage of development (eg. Mathematical concepts, abstract symbols)

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Unit 10: Language, Cognition & Memory

Reasoning: A cognitive process, begin with info processing – come to conclusion beyond original information

Types of reasoning:Analogical: Resolves problem based on similarities of precious problem through access (retrieval) & mapping (identification). Deductive: from general to specificInductive : from particular to conclusion that is probably true based on evidence.

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Reasoning and Decision Making

Decision making – outcome of cognitive processes, selection of a particular action/course from available alternatives

Problem solving – higher-order of cognitive process – requires modulation and control of more routine/basic skills

When? When an individual does not know how to proceed

from a given state to a desired objective Include problem finding and shaping

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Decision making vs Problem solving

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**Steps in Problem Solving (cycle)

Creativity – a mental process Generation of new ideas/concepts Generation of association between existing ideas/concepts A cognitive activity that result in new way of viewing a

problem and solution. 5 stages of creativity (Wallas & Smith, 1926)

Preparation – focus and explore problem Incubation – internalised into conscious mind Intimation – a feeling – a solution is on its way Illumination – idea bursts – conscious aware of new idea Verification – idea verifed, elaborated and applied,

eventually

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Creativity

Please pay attention to sections with ** -- they might be helpful for your subjective questions.

GOOD LUCK WITH YOUR ASSIGNMENT AND FINAL EXAMINATION.

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