PSY 102 Chapter Notes - Chapter 8: African Grey Parrot, Language Acquisition Device, Vocal Tract
17 Apr 2016
School
Department
Course
Professor
Document Summary
Most of our ability to communicate about our life experiences derives from mental processes that are implicit (not available to consciousness awareness) Language largely arbitrary system of communication that combines symbols (such as words or gestural signs) in rule-based ways to create meaning. Phonemes categories of sounds our vocal apparatus produces (the sounds of our language) Syntax grammatical rules that govern how words are composed into meaningful strings. Extralinguistic information elements of communication that aren"t part of the content of language but are critical to interpreting its meaning. Determined by the aspects of the vocal tract, lips, teeth, tongue placement, vibration of the vocal cords, opening/closing of throat, and other physical manipulations of throat and mouth. Created by stringing phonemes together (e. g. dog and happy) Other strings of language that aren"t words themselves but modify the meaning of words when they"re added to them (e. g. re-call/re-write and warm-ish/pink-ish) Word order + sentence structure + morphological markers (s-plural, ed-past, ing-ongoing action)
