PSYC 2410 Chapter 9: Chapter 9 Review
13 Dec 2011
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Document Summary
According to anthropologists the brain likely achieved its present form about 50 000 years ago. It took tens of thousands of years after that to paint and write, clearly showing that cognitive skills take time to develop and it"s less about the physical make up of the brain. Language was thought to have been developed through cooperative social systems, social customs and division of labour etc. (evolutionary theorists) Language: consists of a system of symbols and rules for combining them in ways that can produce an almost infinite number of possible messages. It uses sounds, written signs or gestures to refer to objects, events, ideas and feelings. Displacement refers to the fact that past, present, future and imaginary events and objects that are not physically present can be symbolically represented and communicated through language. Has rules that govern how symbols can be combined to create meaningful communication units.
