Language and Thought

This book fulfils the need for a clear overview of this area of cognitive psychology which encompasses both language and thought. Focusing on goal directed thinking and decision making, Nick Lund looks at the relationship between our grasp of language and our problem solving abilities. Different positions on the issues are contextualised and discussed in a way suitable for the AQA-A A-Level syllabus. Supplementary detail means that the book will also be valuable to other A-Level specification candidates and undergraduates coming to this area for the first time.

Table of Contents

Chapter 1: Introduction. Language and Thought. The Nature of Language. Methods of Studying Language. Problem Solving and Decision Making. The Study of Problem Solving and Decision Making. Summary. Chapter 2: The Relationship Between Language and Thought. Introduction. The Linguistic Relativity Hypothesis. Thought Determines Language. The Interdependence of Language and Thought. Summary. Review Exercise. Chapter 3: Social and Cultural Aspects of Language. Introduction. Social Class. Ethnic Background. Gender. Summary. Review Exercise. Chapter 4: Language Acquisition. Introduction. The Stages of Language Acquisition. Pre-linguistic. One-word Stage. Development of Grammar. Meaning and Pragmatics. Summary. Review Exercise. Chapter 5: Theories of language acquisition. Introduction. Environmental Theories of Language Acquisition. Nativist Theories of Language Acquisition. Summary. Review Exercise. Chapter 6: Problem-solving. Introduction. Types of Problems. Gestalt Approach. Information Processing Approach. Information Processing and 'Insight'. Use of Analogy in Problem Solving. Problem Solving in Everyday Life. Summary. Review Exercise. Chapter 7: Decision Making. Introduction. The Heuristics and Biases Approach to Judgements. Other Factors that Influence Judgements. Evaluation of the Heuristics and Biases Approach. Theories of Decision Making. Summary. Review Exercise. Chapter 8: Study Aids. Glossary. Solutions to Problems. Bibliography. Index.