Conceptual Behavior/Language

Definition: Behavior under the control of generalized or abstract stimulus properties rather than specific attributesºList of 12 words, group into 3 categories

Definition: Distinct category of objects or events that are all generally related on the basis of certain featuresºPositive vs. Negative instancesEx. shown picture of a cat= positive instance, shown picture of a bunny= negative instance because category is cats

1. Hypothesis Testing Theory2. Family Resemblances3. Hierarchical Organization

-Proposed by Bruner, Goodnow, and Austin1.

Wholist Strategy: responding to all attributes of a conceptual class or categoryºMost efficient because you don't have to start overºEx. Looking at cards, after correct for one item remembered all characteristics, when told incorrect narrow down list, and so on2. Partist Strategy: focusing on a single attribute of a conceptual class or categoryºEx. looking at cat, importance is fur, therefore dog is cat because of fur

-Part of Hypothesis Testing TheoryDefinition: hypothesis is testing about a concept by making guesses about which attributes are essential for defining the concept-Problems:1. rule of confirmatory and disconfirmatory feedback2. Participants forget their hypothesis 3.

Complex concepts-Conjunctive Concept: Concept in which members must possess both of two separate attributes ("AND")-Disjunctive Concept: Concept in which members must possess either one of two separate attributes ("OR")

-Members of a concept share in common family resemblancesºEx. Bird-- wings, feather, but different colors-The more resemblance something has the quicker the association is made-According to Rosch and Mervis (1975) members of a concept share something in common with other members of a concept, although they may not all share the same thing

1. Superordinate Level: the most generic and inclusive level of a conceptual categoryºEx. Food2. Basic Level: the most useful level of a concept, characterized by neither too much or too little informationºEx. Pizza3.

Subordinate Level: the most restrictive, specific level of a conceptual categoryºEx. Papa John's Pepperoni

-Concepts allow us to categorize stimuli we have never encountered before-Helps us navigate in an every-changing world

1. Feature List Theory2. Prototype Theory3. Exemplar Theory4.

Neural Network Model

-Concepts are represented mentally in terms of a list of featuresa) Defining features: features necessary for inclusion in a particular concept; MUST HAVEb) Characteristic feature: aspects of a concept that most instances share in common-Visually based-Features of a particular object are compared to the features of the concept stored in memory-If the object possesses enough relevant features it is recognized as a positive instance of the concept

Prototype: member of a conceptual category exhibiting a collection of typical features or attributes-People abstract the common elements of a particular concept and then store an abstracted prototypical representation in memory-PROTOTYPE= average of a large number of examples in the concept-Evidence1. easier to identify positive instances that closely resemble the prototype 2. Easier to identify a positive instance never encountered before that closely resembles the prototype than positive instances encountered before that do not closely resemble the prototype-Problems1. How do members that substantially differ from the prototype become included in the concept?

-Concepts are represented by a variety of examples-Each concept is represented by any number of specific members of the concept-An object is similar to an exisiting exemplar it is considered a positive instance of the concept-Evidence1. People can learn poorly defined categories-Problems1.

How are concepts formed in the first place?

-Concepts are represented as nodes-Networks connects various nodes-SPREADING ACTIVATION: one node stimulates other nodesDegree of activation dissipates as it spreads out across the network

-No, concepts require language-Not really, performance in experiments are similar to performance on discrimination tasks-Maybe, results from some experiments suggest that animals may have concepts-Yes, animals have concepts same way as humans do

1. Harry Harlow2. Kohler3. Perceptual Concept Learning4.

Relational Concept Learning5. Associative Concept Learning

º1940s-1950s-Results: improvement in rate of learning-Apparatus with monkey, tray in middle with 2 objects, monkey had to select one object, experimenter defined one as correct, if monkey selected correct one monkey got a reward-LEARNING SET: application of previously learned rules or responses to novel circumstancesº"Learning to learn"

-Results= responding to the lighter shade-TRANSPOSITION EFFECT: responding to a relationship between 2 stimuli rather than to discrete characteristics of either stimulus-Pecking at the lighter one because learned relationship of lighter shade, not specific shade

-Perceptual Conceptual Learning-Took pictures of 40 trees, then 40 pictures of anything else but a tree, projected pictures for pigeons tree was S+ and received food, showed pictures in random order-Alternative Explanations:a) Pigeons memorized each picture?Vaughn and Greene, categories vs. pseudocategories, novel stimulusb) Natural categories-- innate categories? already known for survival?

-1988-Presented box with 4 response keys to pigeons, like a multiple choice test-2 natural, 2 man made categories-Perceptual Conceptual Learning

-Depends on identifying common perceptual relationships among different sets of stimuli-Objects share a common relationship-Same/different concept-Nonhuman primates-- learn the same/different concept rapidlyºOden, Thompson and Premack (1988)-Absolute number discrimination

-Depends on identifying common associationsºNo physical similarities-Associative concepts based on a common responseºVaughan-Associative concepts based on a common outcome

Definition: Highly structured symbol system that allows for creative and meaningful communication between organisms

Definition: Features of language that appear to be true of all language users, regardless of the language one speaks or the culture in which one lives

Auditory Discrimination1. Ability to recognize human speech2.

Ability to discriminate different languages3. Preference for mother's voice4. Preference for native language5. Ability to distinguish all of the basic sounds that constitute human languages-When babies are born babies can tell difference among all languages, but as grow lose this abilityºOkay, because it helps person effectively and accurately learn own languageºThis is why it is easier to learn language at a younger age

HOLOPHRASE: single word utterances ordinarily referring to important objects or events in an infant's environment

TELEGRAPHIC SPEECH: 2-3 word utterances that include only truly necessary words

-Longer utterances-Still miss some vocabulary-Using prepositions and verb tenses, even if its not accurate-Just pick up language, no training needed

-Formal training is not necessary-Minimum environmental input

-Limited time period during which a developmental milestone can be most readily achieved-Idea of being fluent and bilingual are different, hard to be bilingual

PSYCHOLINGUISTICS: Discipline devoted to understanding the properties of human language and the mechanisms responsible for language acquistion

PHONEMES: w/o meaning-Sound of "p"-Can't differentiate vowel sounds (brazil vs. spanish)MOPHEMES: actual meaning