Presentation Plus! Understanding Psychology
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CHAPTER FOCUS
SECTION 1 Thinking and Problem
Solving
SECTION 2 Language
CHAPTER SUMMARY
CHAPTER ASSESSMENT
3
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Chapter Objectives
Section 1: Thinking and Problem Solving
• Understand that thinking involves
changing and reorganizing the information
stored in memory. 
Section 2: Language
• Explain how language and thought are
closely related.
4
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the information.
Click the mouse button to return to the Contents slide.
Reader’s Guide
Main Idea
– Thinking involves changing and reorganizing
the information stored in memory to create
new or transformed information, such as
creative problem-solving strategies. 
Objectives
– Identify the units of thought and the kinds
of thinking. 
– Explain strategies for and obstacles to
problem solving.
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information. Section 1 begins on page 295 of your textbook.
Reader’s Guide (cont.)
Vocabulary
– thinking 
– functional fixedness 
– image 
– creativity 
– symbol 
– flexibility 
– concept 
– recombination 
– prototype 
– insight
– rule 
– metacognition 
– algorithm 
– heuristic 
– mental set 
7
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information. Section 1 begins on page 295 of your textbook.
Click the Speaker button
to listen to Exploring
Psychology.
Introduction
• Going beyond memory, how do we think? 
• How do we solve problems? How do we
create ideas? 
• If storage and retrieval were the only
processes we used to handle information,
human beings would be little more than
glorified cameras and VCRs.
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Introduction (cont.)
• Yet we are capable of doing things with
information that make the most complex
computers seem simple by comparison. 
• These processes–thinking and problem
solving–are most impressive when they
show originality or creativity.
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Thinking
• You may view thinking as changing
and reorganizing the information
stored in memory to create new or
transformed information. 
• By thinking, humans are able to put
together any combination of words from
memory and create sentences never
devised before.
thinking
changing and reorganizing the
information stored in memory
to create new information
10
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Units of Thought
• The processes of thought depend on
several devices or units of thought: images,
symbols, concepts, prototypes, and rules. 
• The most primitive unit of thought is an
image, a mental representation of a
specific event or object. 
• Imaging is an effective way to think about
concepts.
image
a mental representation of an
event or object
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Using Imagery
Rotate pairs of images of
the patterns to the left in
your mind to make them
match. Do the drawings in
each pair represent the
same object, or are they
different objects?
12
Units of Thought (cont.)
• A more abstract unit of thought is a
symbol, a sound or design that
represents an object or quality. 
• The most common symbols in thinking are
words: almost every word is a symbol that
stands for something other than itself. 
• Symbols include numbers, letters,
punctuation marks, and icons.
symbol
an abstract unit of thought
that represents an object
or quality
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Units of Thought (cont.)
• When a symbol is used as a label for a
class of objects or events with certain
common attributes–or for the attributes
themselves–it is called a concept. 
• Concepts enable us to chunk large
amounts of information.
concept
a label for a class of
objects or events that
share common attributes
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Units of Thought (cont.)
• When we think of a concept, we often
think of a representative example of it. 
• When you think of a vehicle, for example,
you might picture a car or a truck. 
• This representation is called a prototype.
prototype
a representative example
of a concept
15
Units of Thought (cont.)
• A more complex unit of thought is a
rule, a statement of a relation
between concepts. 
• Images, symbols, concepts, prototypes,
and rules are the building blocks of
mental activity.
rule
a statement of relation
between concepts
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Kinds of Thinking
• People think in several ways: 
– Directed thinking is a systematic and logical
attempt to reach a specific goal, such as the
solution to a problem. 
– Nondirected thinking (or divergent thinking),
consists of a free flow of thoughts with no
particular plan and depends more on images. 
• A third type of thinking is metacognition,
or thinking about thinking.
metacognition
the awareness of one’s own
cognitive process
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Problem Solving
• One of the main functions of directed
thinking is to solve problems–to bridge
the gap mentally between a present
situation and a desired goal. 
• The gap may be between hunger and
food, a column of figures and a total, a
lack of money and bills to pay, or cancer
and a cure. 
• In all these examples, getting from the
problem to the solution requires some
directed thinking.
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Strategies
• Problem solving depends on the use of
strategies, or specific methods for
approaching problems. 
• One strategy is to break down a complex
problem into a number of smaller, more
easily solved subgoals. 
• Subgoals are intermediate steps toward
a solution. 
• To determine which strategy to use, most
of us analyze the problem to see if it
resembles a situation we have
experienced in the past.
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Strategies (cont.)
Algorithms
• An algorithm is a fixed set of procedures
that, if followed correctly, will lead to
a solution. 
• Mathematical and scientific formulas
are algorithms.
algorithm
a step-by-step procedure for
solving a problem
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Strategies (cont.)
Heuristics
• While algorithms can be useful in finding
solutions, they are time-consuming. 
• People often use shortcuts–or heuristics–to
solve problems. 
• Heuristics are rules of thumb that simplify
a problem, allowing one to solve problems
quickly and easily.
heuristic
a rule-of-thumb problemsolving strategy
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Obstacles to Problem Solving
• There are times when certain useful
strategies become cemented into the
problem-solving process. 
• When a particular strategy becomes a
habit, it is called a mental set–you are
“set” to treat problems in a certain way.
mental set
a habitual strategy or pattern
of problem solving
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Obstacles to Problem Solving (cont.)
• One form of set that can interfere with
problem solving is functional
fixedness–the inability to imagine new
functions for familiar objects. 
• In experiments on functional fixedness,
people are asked to solve a problem that
requires them to use a familiar object in
an unfamiliar way (Duncker, 1945).
functional fixedness
the inability to imagine new
functions for familiar objects
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Creativity
• The ability to use information in such a
way that the result is somehow new,
original, and meaningful is creativity. 
• All problem solving requires some
creativity. 
• Certain ways of solving problems,
however, are simply more brilliant or
beautiful or efficient than others.
creativity
the capacity to use
information and/or abilities in
a new and original way
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Flexibility
• The ability to overcome rigidity
is flexibility. 
• Psychologists have devised a number of
ingenious tests to measure flexibility. 
• Whether such tests actually measure
creativity is debatable.
flexibility
the ability to overcome rigidity
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Recombination
• When the elements of a problem are
familiar but the required solution is not,
it may be achieved by recombination, a
new mental arrangement of the elements. 
• Many creative people say that no truly
great poem, no original invention, has ever
been produced by someone who has not
spent years studying his or her subject.
recombination
mentally rearranging the
elements of a problem to
arrive at an original solution
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Insight
• The sudden emergence of a solution
by recombination of elements is
called insight. 
• Insight usually occurs when problems
have proved resistant to all problemsolving efforts and strategies.
insight
the sudden realization of the
solution to a problem
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Section Assessment
Review the Vocabulary Describe
two obstacles to problem solving.
A mental set is a strategy that has
been used repeatedly and has
become a habit. Functional fixedness
is the inability to imagine new
functions for objects.
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Section Assessment (cont.)
Visualize the Main Idea In a diagram
similar to the one shown on page
302 of your textbook, describe the
characteristics of creative thinking.
Flexibility is the ability to overcome
rigidity and functional fixedness.
Recombination is the ability to group
items in new and different ways.
Insight is the sudden realization of
the solution to a problem.
29
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Section Assessment (cont.)
Recall Information What is the
difference between convergent
and nondirected thinking? Give
specific examples.
Convergent thinking is a systematic, logical
approach to problem solving that relies on
symbols, concepts, and rules. Most people
use convergent thinking to balance their
checkbooks. Nondirected thinking involves
free association of ideas in random order
with no particular goal or plan. A person
may create a layout for a new flower bed
using nondirectd thinking.
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Section Assessment (cont.)
Think Critically If you were a
teacher, would you allow students
to solve math problems using
different approaches if they reached
the same answer? Why?
Teachers should allow different
approaches as long as the approach
does not lead to faulty thinking or
incorrect solutions when applied to
other types of problems.
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Section Assessment (cont.)
In groups, list common algorithms
and heuristics that are used in
different academic disciplines
such as mathematics, geography,
history, and chemistry.
32
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Reader’s Guide
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. 
Objectives
– Explain the structure of language. 
– Describe how children develop language.
34
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information. Section 2 begins on page 304 of your textbook.
Reader’s Guide (cont.)
Vocabulary
– language 
– phoneme 
– morpheme 
– syntax 
– semantics
Click the Speaker button
to listen to Exploring
Psychology.
35
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information. Section 2 begins on page 304 of your textbook.
Introduction
• Of all the things we do, nothing seems
as complex and as important as
understanding and speaking a language.
• We must learn thousands of words and
countless rules of grammar to make
sense of those words to communicate
and share ideas.
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
The Structure of Language
• Some people talk to themselves when
they are thinking or solving a problem.

• When we are talking or thinking, we are
using language. 
• Language is a system of communication
that involves using rules to make and
combine symbols in ways that produce
meaningful words and sentences.
language
the communication of ideas
through symbols and sounds
that are arranged according
to rules
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The Structure of Language (cont.)
• Language permits us to communicate
facts and ideas. 
• We can solve problems and make
decisions every day largely because of
what we learn from experience and from
each other. 
• This learning is transmitted through
language. 
• Language consists of four rules, or
parts: phonemes, morphemes, syntax,
and semantics.
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Phonemes
• The smallest units of sound in the human
language, such as consonants and
vowels, are phonemes. 
• Phonemes can be a single letter, such as
t, or a combination of letters, such as sh. 
• We can produce about 100 different
recognizable sounds, but not all sounds
are used in all languages.
phonemes
an individual sound that is
a basic structural element
of language
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Morphemes
• A morpheme is a unit of meaning. 
• It is made up of one or more phonemes. 
• Morphemes can be a word, a letter (s),
a prefix (un in uncertain), or a suffix (ly
in slowly).
morpheme
the smallest unit of meaning
in a given language
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Phonemes and Morphemes
41
Syntax
• A set of rules for combining words,
phrases, and sentences to express
thoughts that can be understood by
others is syntax. 
• In English we follow certain grammatical
rules, such as placing adjectives in front
of nouns.
syntax
language rules that govern
how words can be combined
to form meaningful phrases
and sentences
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Semantics
• Understanding the meaning of words or
phrases when they appear in certain
sentences or contexts is semantics. 
• The same word can have different
meanings. 
• People know what different words mean
depending on the context.
semantics
the study of meaning
in language
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Language Development
• For many years a debate over exactly
how children learn language raged. 
• B.F. Skinner believed that children learned
language as a result of
operant conditioning. 
• Critics state that children understand
language before they speak–and before
they receive any reinforcement. 
• Some psychologists propose that children
learn language through observation,
exploration, and imitation.
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Language Development (cont.)
• Although Noam Chomsky believed that
reinforcement and imitation do contribute
to language development, he did not
believe that all the complex rules of
language could be learned that way. 
• Chomsky (1957) proposed that infants
possess an innate capacity for language;
that is, children inherit a mental program
that enables them to learn grammar.
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How Language Develops
• If Chomsky is right, then we would
expect that all children go through similar
stages of language development, no
matter what culture or language group
they belong to. 
• Infants, in fact, do go through four stages
of language development.
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How Language Develops (cont.)
• Around 2 months of age, infants begin
to coo. 
• Cooing refers to long, drawn-out sounds
such as oooh or eeeh. 
• At around 4 months of age, infants reach
the first stage of language development
and begin to babble. 
• Babbling includes sounds found in all
languages, such as dadada and bababa.
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How Language Develops (cont.)
• At around 12 months of age, infants
begin to utter single words. 
• They use these words to describe
familiar objects and people, such as
da-da or doggie. 
• At this stage, children use single words
to describe longer thoughts. 
• At around age 4, children begin to
form sentences.
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How Language Develops (cont.)
• The first sentences a child utters, though,
follow a pattern called telegraphic speech. 
• Telegraphic speech is a pattern of of
speaking in which the child leaves out the
articles (the), prepositions (with), and
parts of verbs.
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Do Animals Learn Language?
• Animals communicate with one another. 
• Do animals, though, learn language?
• Language involves more than just
communicating–it involves rules
of grammar. 
• Although animals do not possess the
ability to use grammatical rules, they
have been taught to communicate
with humans.
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
Gender and Cultural Differences
• People use language to communicate
their culture and express their ideas. 
• Do people who speak different
languages actually think differently
from one another? 
• Benjamin Whorf (1956) argued that
language affects our basic perceptions
of the physical world. 
• Whorf used the term linguistic relativity
to refer to the idea that a person’s
language influences his or her thoughts.
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Gender and Cultural Differences (cont.)
• Does the English language express a
particular value system? 
• Some people argue that certain words in
language create gender stereotypes. 
• The use of pronouns also affects our
thinking. 
• Many organizations have instituted
guidelines for the use of nonsexist
language.
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Section Assessment
Review the Vocabulary How
many phonemes are in the word
“thoughtfully”? How many
morphemes?
In “thoughtfully,” there are seven
phonemes and three morphemes.
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Section Assessment (cont.)
Visualize the Main Idea Using a
flowchart similar to the one shown
on page 308 of your textbook, list
the stages of language development.
(1) Babbling begins at about 4 months;
(2) babbling includes sounds of the
native language at about 9 months;
(3) single words begin at around 1
year; (4)telegraphic speech in which
words are omitted but the meaning is
clear occurs at about 2 years of age.
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Section Assessment (cont.)
Recall Information How might we
express gender values in our use
of language?
Gender values are expressed by the
use of male and female pronouns to
refer to people in certain roles (nurse,
she; doctor, he) and by use of genderbiased language such as chairman,
salesman, and saleslady.
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Section Assessment (cont.)
Think Critically You have taught
your pet parrot to speak perfect
English and understand several
commands. Have you taught it
language? Explain.
You have not taught the parrot
language. The parrot is simply
mimicking what it has been taught.
For example, it cannot form new
sentences from words it knows and it
cannot use grammatical rules.
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Section Assessment (cont.)
Draw a time line showing the
progression of language
development in children from
birth through age 4.
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Section 1: Thinking and Problem
Solving
• The processes of thought depend on
several devices or units of thought:
images, symbols, concepts, prototypes,
and rules. 
• There are several kinds of thinking:
directed, or convergent thinking, and
nondirected, or divergent thinking, and
metacognition. 
• Problem solving depends upon the use of
strategies or specific methods for
approaching problems.
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Section 1: Thinking and Problem
Solving (cont.)
• People use algorithms, or fixed sets of
procedures, and heuristics, or mental
shortcuts, to solve problems. 
• At times certain useful strategies become
so cemented into the problem-solving
process that they actually interfere with
problem solving. When a particular strategy
becomes a habit, it is called a mental set.
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Section 1: Thinking and Problem
Solving (cont.)
• Functional fixedness, or the inability to
imagine new functions for familiar objects,
can interfere with problem solving. 
• Some characteristics of creative thinking
include flexibility and the ability to
recombine elements to achieve insight.
61
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Section 2: Language
• Language consists of four parts:
phonemes, morphemes, syntax,
and semantics. 
• According to B.F. Skinner, children learn
language as a result of operant
conditioning. 
• Noam Chomsky proposed that children
inherit a mental program that enables them
to learn grammar.
62
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Section 2: Language (cont.)
• Infants go through four stages of language
development–babbling at around 4
months of age, uttering single words at
around 12 months of age, placing words
together to express ideas at around 2
years of age, and forming sentences at
around 4 years of age. 
• People use language to communicate their
culture and express their ideas.
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Reviewing Vocabulary
Use the correct term or concept to complete the following
sentences.
1. A(n) ________
algorithm is a fixed set of procedures that, if
followed correctly, will lead to a solution.
Semantics indicates the meaning of words or
2. _________
phrases when they appear in certain sentences
or contexts.
3. Changing or reorganizing the information stored in
memory to create new or transformed information
is _______.
thinking
4. A person experiences ______
insight when he or she
comes upon a solution to a problem by creating
a new mental arrangement of the elements of
the problem.
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Reviewing Vocabulary (cont.)
Use the correct term or concept to complete the following
sentences.
5. The strategy of problem solving that you use over
and over again is your _________.
mental set
Syntax a set of rules for combining words,
6. ______is
phrases, and sentences to express thoughts that
can be understood by others.
metacognition
7. Thinking about thinking is called ____________.
8. When you think of a car as an example of a
prototype
vehicle, you are thinking of a(n) ________.
9. The smallest units of sound in the human
phonemes
language are called _________.
10.The inability to imagine new functions for familiar
functional fixedness
objects is called ________________.
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Recalling Facts
Define the five units of thought.
Then list the five units of thought
in order of increasing complexity.
Images are mental representations of events or
objects. Symbols are abstract units of thought
that represent objects or qualities. Concepts
are symbols used for classes of objects or
events that share common attributes.
Prototypes are representative examples of
concepts. Rules are statements of relations
between concepts. The units of thought are
image, symbol, concept, prototype, and rule in
order of increasing complexity.
67
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Recalling Facts
What is creativity? What are the
three characteristics of creative
thinking? Give an example of one of
the three characteristics.
Creativity is the ability to use
information in a new and original
way. Three characteristics of
creative thinking are flexibility,
recombination, and insight.
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Recalling Facts
Using a graphic organizer similar to
the one on pa 310 of your text book,
identify and explain the structures
of language.
Phonemes are the smallest units of
sound. Morphemes are the smallest
units of meaning. Syntax is the set of
rules for expressing thoughts with
words and sentences. Semantics is
the meaning of words or phrases as
they appear in context.
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Recalling Facts
What are three strategies people
often use to solve problems? Explain
how you have used one of these
strategies to solve a problem.
People solve problems by (1) breaking
the problem into smaller, more easily
solved subgoals, (2) using algorithms,
and (3) using heuristics.
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Recalling Facts
How did B.F. Skinner and Noam
Chomsky differ in their ideas about
how children learn language?
Skinner believed that language
developed as a result of
reinforcement–through nurture.
Chomsky believes that the ability to
acquire language is innate and will
develop naturally.
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Building Skills
Interpreting a Graph
Many factors contribute to a child’s language development.
Review the graph, then answer the questions that follow.
72
Building Skills
Interpreting a Graph
What does the graph illustrate?
The graph illustrates
parent involvement in
language development
and the size of a child’s
vocabulary (at age 3).
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Building Skills
Interpreting a Graph
What conclusion can you draw about the
relationship of the number of words that a
parent says to a child and the size of the
child’s vocabulary?
There is a positive relationship
between the number of words
a parent says to a child and the
size of that child’s vocabulary up
to a certain point. Usually, the
more words a child hears from the
parent, the larger that child’s vocabulary will be.
However, this positive relationship seems to weaken if
too many words are spoken by the parent. It seems that
a parent cannot push a child to greater language
development if that child is simply not ready.
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Building Skills
Interpreting a Graph
What theory of language development
does the information in this graph
best support?
The information
presented in this graph
best supports
B.F. Skinner’s theory of
language development.
The child’s vocabulary
can be expanded
through reinforcement.
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I transmit learning and communicate
facts and ideas. What am I?
I am language.
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Click the mouse button to return to the Contents slide.
Explore online information about the
topics introduced in this chapter.
Click on the Connect button to launch your browser and go to the
Understanding Psychology Web site. At this site, you will find
interactive activities, current events information, and Web sites
correlated with the chapters and units in the textbook. When you
finish exploring, exit the browser program to return to this
presentation. If you experience difficulty connecting to the Web
site, manually launch your Web browser and go to
http://psychology.glencoe.com
In your journal, answer the following
question: If you increase the size of your
vocabulary, will you think better? Use past
experiences to explain your answer.
List examples of problem-solving
techniques that you have learned. For
each, you should write an example of the
type of problem for which you would use
the strategy.
If possible, find a letter, paper, or report that you
wrote when you were in elementary school.
Compare it to a similar document that you have
written in the last year. Write an essay in your
journal explaining how your writing has
changed. Consider the following questions:
Has the syntax changed?
How do the changes reflect changes in your
thinking and reasoning abilities?
Checkmate
Read the case study presented on page
303 of your textbook. Be prepared to
answer the questions that appear on the
following slides. A discussion prompt and
additional information follow the questions.
Continued on next slide.
This feature is found on page 303 of your textbook.
Checkmate
Why was Kasparov favored to win
the rematch?
Kasparov was believed to have greater thought
power and creativity. Experts believed that a
computer preprogrammed with information would
prove no match for abstract thought capacity and
perceptions of the human mind.
Continued on next slide.
Click the mouse button or press the Space Bar to display the
answer. This feature is found on page 303 of your textbook.
Checkmate
What advantages did each opponent
bring to the contest?
Kasparov brought experience, ability to spot and
exploit weakness, and passion. Big Blue brought
the capacity to process 300 million possible
moves per second. Big Blue also would not
become fatigued or frustrated.
Continued on next slide.
Click the mouse button or press the Space Bar to display the
answer. This feature is found on page 303 of your textbook.
Checkmate
Critical Thinking Why were
psychologists interested in the rematch
between these two opponents?
Psychologists wanted to know if computers could
be more intelligent than their human makers.
They also sought to understand how emotions
and physical limitations affect human behavior.
Continued on next slide.
Click the mouse button or press the Space Bar to display the
answer. This feature is found on page 303 of your textbook.
Checkmate
Discuss the following:
What did psychologists learn from this
match? 
Do you think computers can be more
intelligent than the humans who make
them? In what ways? 
What are the possible consequences to
society if computers can be made more
intelligent than humans?
Continued on next slide.
This feature is found on page 303 of your textbook.
Checkmate
In a unique chess match via the Internet
that began in June 1999 and continued
for several months, Kasparov squared off
against all the players in the world who
wanted to participate. A panel of grand
masters suggested the world team’s
possible moves.
Continued on next slide.
This feature is found on page 303 of your textbook.
Checkmate
– An estimated 10,000 players worldwide then cast their
votes on the world team’s moves. 
– The move that received the greatest number of votes
was used. 
– The game lasted four months, longer than most
experts expected. 
– Kasparov won the hard fought battle, retaining the title
of the world’s greatest human chess player.
Click the mouse button or press the Space Bar to display the
information. This feature is found on page 303 of your textbook.
Continued on next slide.
Continued on next slide.
Answers:
1. No, images are mental
representations, not exact
copies. 
2. In English, OAK TREE
represents to all English
speakers a tree similar to
the one shown in the
image picture. 
3. Trees, autumn trees,
woods, and forest are the
classes of objects
represented by the
concept.
Click the mouse button or press the Space Bar to
display the answers.
Continued on next slide.
Answers:
1. I attended school last
year. Language is a
human form of
communication. How do
we acquire language? 
2. One possible answer is:
Last year I attended
school. 
3. Syntax rules help us by
providing order to our
communication. 
4. In the first sentence the
6. In the first sentence
speaker is trying to
match means “to keep
remember. In the second
pace” and in the second
sentence the speaker
it is referring to an event.
does remember. 
5. The primary clue is the
punctuation marks. 
Click the mouse button or press the Space Bar to
display the answers.
The Gray Box
From the Classroom of Patrick Mattimore
South San Francisco High School,
San Francisco, CA
Purpose: To use critical thinking skills and
metacognition
Materials: A large, empty gray box
Procedure: Restructuring high schools is a major
topic among school administrators. In 1998, a State
Department of Education sponsored a statewide
contest and awarded a $25,000 cash prize to the
person who came up with the most innovative plan
for a restructured high school. The Department of
Education was so enamored with the winning entry
Continued on next slide.
that it built scale models for resale.
The Gray Box
From the Classroom of Patrick Mattimore
South San Francisco High School,
San Francisco, CA
• Enclosed in the box at the front of the room are
the model and plans that were purchased from the
Department of Education. 
• Formulate up to 20 yes/no questions that will
help you determine the exact structure and
details of the school. 
• After several minutes of questioning, your
teacher will reveal the contents of the box.
Continued on next slide.
Click the mouse button or press the Space Bar to
display the solution and discussion questions.
The Gray Box
From the Classroom of Patrick Mattimore
South San Francisco High School,
San Francisco, CA
Discussion:
Take time to reflect on your thinking processes
during the exercise. What is the term used for this
thinking process? How did you revise your thinking
as a result of new information? How can asking the
right (or the wrong) questions be useful in helping
us think about problems, novel situations, and
human behavior?
Continued on next slide.
• Our boundaries for concepts can be fuzzy. 
• Many items may be classified in more than
one category. 
• For example, visit a convenience store and survey
the beverages offered for sale. 
• Which ones would you classify as soft drinks?
Click the mouse button or press the Space Bar to display the
information.
• Do you see any beverages that one person may
think of as a soft drink and another think of as a
fruit drink or some other category of beverage?. 
• Think of another concept that may have fuzzy
boundaries and set up an experiment to test
your theories.
Click the mouse button or press the Space Bar to display the
information.
• Read the Psychology and You feature on
page 301 of your textbook. 
• Discuss the following:
What creative processes did you use
to solve this problem? How is this a
good test of creativity?
Click the mouse button or press the Space Bar to display the
information.
• Read the Psychology and You feature on
page 307 of your textbook. 
• Discuss the following:
Why would someone who spoke
Spanish have difficulty with some of
the words?
Click the mouse button or press the Space Bar to display the
information.
Noam Chomsky
1928–
Click the picture to listen to
a biography on Noam
Chomsky. Be prepared to
answer questions that
appear on the next two
slides.
This feature is found on page 306 of your textbook.
What does Noam
Chomsky think is
inborn?
Chomsky thinks that the
mechanism to learn the rules
of one’s native language
is inborn.
Click the mouse button or press the Space Bar to display the
answer. This feature is found on page 306 of your textbook.
Is the languageacquisition device
(LAD) of an American
the same as the LAD
of a Spaniard? Explain.
Yes, the mechanism is the
same, but the language
learned depends on the one
that the infant hears spoken.
Click the mouse button or press the Space Bar to display the
answer. This feature is found on page 306 of your textbook.
End of Custom Shows
WARNING! Do Not Remove
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shows and return to the main presentation.
Click the mouse button to return to the Contents slide.