Chapter Menu

2. Chapter Introduction Section 1: Thinking and Problem Solving Section 2:Language Chapter Menu

3. Chapter Objectives · Section 1 Thinking and Problem Solving Understand that thinking involves changing and reorganizing the information stored in memory to create new or transformed information. Chapter Preview 1

4. Chapter Objectives · Section 2 Language Explain how language and thought are closely related. Chapter Preview 2

5. Chapter Preview-End

6. Main Idea Thinking involves changing and reorganizing the information stored in memory to create new or transformed information, such as creative problem-solving strategies. Section 1-Main Idea

7. Vocabulary • thinking • image • symbol • concept • prototype • rule • metacognition • algorithm • heuristic • mental set • functional fixedness • creativity • flexibility • recombination • insight Section 1-Key Terms

8. Objectives • Identify the units of thought and the kinds of thinking. • Explain strategies for and obstacles to problem solving. Section 1-Objectives

9. A B C D Would you consider yourself to be a good writer? A.Very much so B.Somewhat C.Not very much so D.Not at all Section 1-Polling Question

10. Thinking • Thinking • Units of thought: Image Symbol Concept Prototype Rule Using Imagery Section 1

11. Thinking (cont.) • Units of thought provide an efficient way for people to: represent reality. manipulate and reorganize it. devise new ways of acting. Section 1

12. Thinking (cont.) • Three kinds of thinking: Directed/Convergent Nondirected Metacognition Directed vs. Nondirected Thinking Section 1

13. A B C D Realizing that a human belongs to a group of organisms different from fungi demonstrates which unit of thought? A.Symbol B.Rule C.Prototype D.Concept Section 1

14. Problem Solving • One of the main functions of directed thinking is to solve problems. • Problem solving depends on the use of strategies. • We tend to use strategies we have used in the past. Section 1

15. Problem Solving (cont.) • Examples of strategies: Break down complex problems into smaller ones, or subgoals—intermediate steps toward a solution. Work backward from the goal you have set. Examine various ways of reaching a desired goal. Section 1

16. Problem Solving (cont.) • Algorithm Mathematical and scientific formulas are algorithms. • Heuristics These are experimental strategies that allow a person to solve a problem quickly and easily (and sometimes unwisely). Types of Heuristics Section 1

17. Problem Solving (cont.) • Obstacles to problem solving, or types of rigidity: Becoming stuck in a mental set. Functional fixedness Making a wrong assumption about a problem. Overcoming Wrong Assumptions Connecting the Dots Section 1

18. A B C D How would you most likely solve a mathematical problem? A.Using heuristics B.Using subgoals C.Using algorithms D.All of the above Section 1

19. Creativity • All problem solving requires some creativity. • Creativity often requires flexibility and recombination of elements to achieve insight. Section 1

20. A B C Which do you feel is the most important characteristic of creative thinking? A.flexibility B.recombination C.insight Section 1

21. Section 1-End

22. Main Idea Language and thought are closely related. Language requires the learning of a set of complex rules and symbols, yet most people have little difficulty learning their native language. Section 2-Main Idea

23. Vocabulary • language • phoneme • morpheme • syntax • semantics Section 2-Key Terms

24. Objectives • Explain the structure of language. • Describe how children develop language. Section 2-Objectives

25. A B C D Which language do you think is spoken by the most people? A.English B.Spanish C.French D.Chinese Section 2-Polling Question

26. The Structure of Language • Languageconsists of three elements: Phonemes Morphemes Syntax Phonemes and Morphemes Section 2

27. The Structure of Language (cont.) • Semanticsplaces words in a context that make sense. Section 2

28. A B C D How many morphemes are there in the word unbreakable? A.3 B.7 C.8 D.9 Section 2

29. Language Development • Theories on language development: B.F. Skinner believed that children learn language as a result of operant conditioning. Some critics state that children understand language before they speak—and before they receive any reinforcement. Section 2

30. Language Development (cont.) Children learn the rules of language before they receive any feedback for speaking correctly. Some psychologists believe that children learn language through observation, exploration, and imitation. Section 2

31. Language Development (cont.) Innate and environmental factors play a part in how a child learns language. • Noam Chomsky theorized that infants possess an innate capacity for language. Noam Chomsky Section 2

32. A B C D How do you think we learn a language as a young child? A.Operant conditioning B.Observation C.Imitation D.Exploring Section 2

33. How Language Develops • Four stages of language development: Babble Single words Two words together Sentences of several words Section 2

34. A B C D By age two, how many words are in a child’s vocabulary? A.0–25 B.25–50 C.50–100 D.more than 100 Section 2

35. Do Animals Learn Language? • Animals can communicate with each other and some can communicate with humans; however, they do not technically learn language. Section 2

36. A B C Do you believe that a gorilla that can “ask” for things with human sign language understands language? A.Yes B.No C.Maybe Section 2

37. Gender and Cultural Differences • Benjamin Whorf argued that language affects our basic perceptions of the physical world. • Linguistic relativity—language influences thoughts. • It is difficult to separate culture from language when studying the use of language and the perceptions it influences. Section 2

38. A B C Do you think the word pink is a feminine or masculine word? A.Feminine B.Masculine C.Neither Section 2

39. Section 2-End

40. Using Imagery Rotate pairs of images of the patterns below in your mind to make them match. Do the drawings in each pair represent the same object, or are they different objects? Figure 1

41. Directed vs. Nondirected Thinking This problem was devised by psychologist Edward De Bono, who believes that conventional directed thinking is insufficient for solving new and unusual problems. His approach to problem solving requires use of nondirected thinking to generate new ways of looking at the problem situation. Figure 2-1

42. Directed vs. Nondirected Thinking This problem was devised by psychologist Edward De Bono, who believes that conventional directed thinking is insufficient for solving new and unusual problems. His approach to problem solving requires use of nondirected thinking to generate new ways of looking at the problem situation. Answer: Figure 2-2

43. Types of Heuristics Heuristics are mental shortcuts. Although they are not rules that always provide the correct answers, they are strategies that experience has taught us to apply. Figure 3

44. Connecting the Dots Connect all nine dots shown by drawing four straight lines without lifting your pencil from the paper or retracing any lines. Click the mouse button to display the answer. Figure 4

45. Overcoming Wrong Assumptions Arrange these six matches so that they form four equilateral triangles. Click the mouse button to display the answer. Figure 5

46. Phonemes and Morphemes The word fearlessness has nine phonemes and three morphemes. Figure 6

47. Noam Chomsky1928– “[A] human being is a biological organism like any other. It’s a biological organism with a very unique intellectual capacity that we are only barely beginning to understand. I think our intellectual capacities are very highly structured.” Profile 1

48. Chapter Concepts Transparencies Algorithms and Heuristics Flexible Thinking Select a transparency to view. Concept Trans Menu

49. Concept Trans 1

50. Concept Trans 2