PSYC 1020H Chapter Notes - Chapter 8: Bounded Rationality, Operant Conditioning, Noam Chomsky
13 Nov 2017
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Document Summary
Consists of symbols that convey meaning, plus rules for combining those symbols, that can be used to generate an infinite variety of messages. Language is symbolic, semantic (meaningful), generative, and structured. Smallest speech units in a language that can be distinguished perceptually. English uses approximately 40 phonemes, comprising of the alphabet and units such as "ch" and "th" Morphemes - smallest units of meaning in language. Approximately 50 000 english morphemes, comprising of root words, prefixes and suffixes. Semantics - area of language concerned with understanding the meaning of words and word combinations. A word"s meaning consists of its denotation and connotation. System of rules that specify how words can be arranged into sentences. Children"s acquisition of knowledge of syntax occurs at a rapid pace and baffles modern psychologists. 3 month olds can babble all the world"s phonemes, but the babbling eventually sounds like their native language. Babbling allows infants to acquire the basics of language.
