Cognition

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AP Psychology › Cognition

Questions 1 - 10
1

How did Noam Chomsky propose that we acquire language?

We are born with an innate capacity to rapidly learn language

We acquire language through teachings from caregivers and peers

We acquire the native language of our parents

We acquire the dominant language of the society in which we live

Explanation

Noam Chomsky proposed that we all are born with a "language acquisition device" in our minds, which gives us universal principles of human language. We learn our language's own "settings" for human communication according to these universal principles. For instance, if all human language has temporal tenses, we learn how our particular language expresses tense. Although the behaviorists believe we only learn language through our environment, Chomsky pointed out that we learn language very quickly through processes that appear similar to the human species, regardless of environment.

2

How did Noam Chomsky propose that we acquire language?

We are born with an innate capacity to rapidly learn language

We acquire language through teachings from caregivers and peers

We acquire the native language of our parents

We acquire the dominant language of the society in which we live

Explanation

Noam Chomsky proposed that we all are born with a "language acquisition device" in our minds, which gives us universal principles of human language. We learn our language's own "settings" for human communication according to these universal principles. For instance, if all human language has temporal tenses, we learn how our particular language expresses tense. Although the behaviorists believe we only learn language through our environment, Chomsky pointed out that we learn language very quickly through processes that appear similar to the human species, regardless of environment.

3

Which of the following is not a symptom of a panic disorder?

Low blood pressure

Nausea

Dizziness

Intense feeling of dread

Chest pain

Explanation

Panic disorders are quite common. During a panic attack, an individual will have a higher heart rate along with physiological symptoms that may make them feel physically ill. Fear of future anxiety attacks also may trigger worse symptoms.

4

Which of the following is not a symptom of a panic disorder?

Low blood pressure

Nausea

Dizziness

Intense feeling of dread

Chest pain

Explanation

Panic disorders are quite common. During a panic attack, an individual will have a higher heart rate along with physiological symptoms that may make them feel physically ill. Fear of future anxiety attacks also may trigger worse symptoms.

5

Which of the following are phonological examples of "minimal pairs"?

"Fate" and "bait"

"Crate" and "ate"

"Good" and "evil"

"Ostentatious" and "subdued"

None of these

Explanation

Minimal pairs are used in phonology to find sounds that lie in contrastive distribution which make them phonemes of a language. Minimal pairs are words that are only separated by one sound. For instance, "fate" and "bait" are separated by the first sounds "f" and "b" and otherwise sound the same. This means that "f" and "b" are phonemes of English: they are sounds that distinguish between the meaning of words.

6

Which of the following are phonological examples of "minimal pairs"?

"Fate" and "bait"

"Crate" and "ate"

"Good" and "evil"

"Ostentatious" and "subdued"

None of these

Explanation

Minimal pairs are used in phonology to find sounds that lie in contrastive distribution which make them phonemes of a language. Minimal pairs are words that are only separated by one sound. For instance, "fate" and "bait" are separated by the first sounds "f" and "b" and otherwise sound the same. This means that "f" and "b" are phonemes of English: they are sounds that distinguish between the meaning of words.

7

Which area of the brain is responsible for speech comprehension?

Wernicke's area

Broca's area

Amygdala

Cerebellum

Corpus callosum

Explanation

Wernicke's area, located in the upper temporal lobe, contains motor neurons involved in the comprehension of speech. A person with a malfunctioning Wernicke's area will have difficulty understanding what others are saying. Broca's area is involved in producing speech, and none of the other answer choices are directly involved in speech-related processes.

8

Which area of the brain is responsible for speech comprehension?

Wernicke's area

Broca's area

Amygdala

Cerebellum

Corpus callosum

Explanation

Wernicke's area, located in the upper temporal lobe, contains motor neurons involved in the comprehension of speech. A person with a malfunctioning Wernicke's area will have difficulty understanding what others are saying. Broca's area is involved in producing speech, and none of the other answer choices are directly involved in speech-related processes.

9

Saying that a job demotion is a "growth opportunity" is an example of which of the following linguistic phenomena?

Semantic slanting

Contrastive distribution

Common distribution

Manipulative speech

Disturbing speech

Explanation

Semantic slanting is used when a person wants to say the same thing but affect their listener in a different way. It can be highly manipulative and is often used in advertising or politically sensitive situations. Take as an example the given question, a person gets demoted but is told that they are being "given" a "growth opportunity" as opposed to having their current position taken away from them. Semantic slanting is not always necessarily manipulative. The speaker may regard what they are framing in a different light as true; therefore, he or she will be using semantic slanting in a genuine manner. For instance, if I want to say a person does not look good in a hat, then I might say, "I think other hats suit you better.”

10

Saying that a job demotion is a "growth opportunity" is an example of which of the following linguistic phenomena?

Semantic slanting

Contrastive distribution

Common distribution

Manipulative speech

Disturbing speech

Explanation

Semantic slanting is used when a person wants to say the same thing but affect their listener in a different way. It can be highly manipulative and is often used in advertising or politically sensitive situations. Take as an example the given question, a person gets demoted but is told that they are being "given" a "growth opportunity" as opposed to having their current position taken away from them. Semantic slanting is not always necessarily manipulative. The speaker may regard what they are framing in a different light as true; therefore, he or she will be using semantic slanting in a genuine manner. For instance, if I want to say a person does not look good in a hat, then I might say, "I think other hats suit you better.”

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