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Related Concept Videos

Purposive Learning01:22

Purposive Learning

E. C. Tolman emphasized the purposiveness of behavior — the idea that much of our behavior is goal-directed. For instance, employees who aim for a promotion work diligently to meet their targets. Tolman argued that when classical conditioning and operant conditioning occur, the organism acquires certain expectations. In classical conditioning, a child might fear a dog because they expect it to bite. In operant conditioning, a person might consistently work overtime because they expect a bonus...
Language and Cognition01:27

Language and Cognition

Language serves as a bridge between ideas and communication, influencing how individuals perceive and interact with the world. Psychologists have long debated whether language shapes thought or vice versa. This discussion gained grip with Edward Sapir and Benjamin Lee Whorf in the 1940s, who proposed that language determines thought, a concept known as linguistic determinism. They suggested that the vocabulary and structure of a language influence how its speakers think and perceive reality.
Language Development01:22

Language Development

Children master language quickly and with relative ease, supported by both biological predisposition and reinforcement. B. F. Skinner (1957) proposed that language is learned through reinforcement, while Noam Chomsky (1965) argued that language acquisition mechanisms are biologically determined.
The critical period for language acquisition suggests that the ability to acquire language is at its peak early in life. As people age, this proficiency decreases. Language development begins very...
Cognitive Learning01:21

Cognitive Learning

Cognitive learning is based on purposive behavior, incidental learning, and insight learning.
E. C. Tolman's theory of purposive behavior emphasizes that much behavior is goal-directed. He argued that to understand behavior, we must look at the entire sequence of actions leading to a goal. For instance, high school students study hard, not just due to past reinforcement but also to achieve the goal of getting into a good college.
Tolman introduced the idea that behavior is influenced by...
Introduction to Learning01:18

Introduction to Learning

Learning is the process of acquiring knowledge or skills through practice or experience, leading to long-lasting behavioral changes. This acquisition occurs through interaction with the environment and requires practice or experience. For instance, mastering a skill such as surfing requires considerable practice and experience, highlighting the essential role of repeated interactions with the environment in learning.
In contrast to learned behaviors, unlearned behaviors such as crying, sexual...
Higher Mental Functions of Brain: Learning and Memory01:26

Higher Mental Functions of Brain: Learning and Memory

Memory is one of the most vital higher mental functions of the brain. Memory is closely related to learning because it enables us to retain information and experiences from our past to use them in our present life. It also helps us to remember facts, events, and skills, such as riding a bike or swimming. There are two types of memory — declarative memory, which involves memorizing facts or events, and procedural memory, which enables us to remember how to do something like writing or playing an...

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 5, 2026

Experimental Paradigm for Measuring the Effect of Induced Emotion on Grammar Learning
05:33

Experimental Paradigm for Measuring the Effect of Induced Emotion on Grammar Learning

Published on: January 29, 2020

Intentionality and word learning.

P Bloom

    Trends in Cognitive Sciences
    |January 13, 2011
    PubMed
    Summary
    This summary is machine-generated.

    Children use "theory of mind" to learn word meanings by understanding speaker intentions, not just proximity. This cognitive skill is crucial for grasping object names, collective nouns, and action verbs.

    More Related Videos

    Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS) of Wernicke's and Broca's Areas in Studies of Language Learning and Word Acquisition
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    Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS) of Wernicke's and Broca's Areas in Studies of Language Learning and Word Acquisition

    Published on: July 13, 2019

    Related Experiment Videos

    Last Updated: Jun 5, 2026

    Experimental Paradigm for Measuring the Effect of Induced Emotion on Grammar Learning
    05:33

    Experimental Paradigm for Measuring the Effect of Induced Emotion on Grammar Learning

    Published on: January 29, 2020

    Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS) of Wernicke's and Broca's Areas in Studies of Language Learning and Word Acquisition
    12:49

    Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS) of Wernicke's and Broca's Areas in Studies of Language Learning and Word Acquisition

    Published on: July 13, 2019

    Area of Science:

    • Cognitive Science
    • Developmental Psychology
    • Linguistics

    Background:

    • Humans possess an intuitive 'theory of mind' for interpreting actions via mental states like beliefs and intentions.
    • This theory of mind is fundamental to children's acquisition of word meanings.

    Purpose of the Study:

    • To investigate the role of theory of mind in children's word learning.
    • To explore how intentionality influences the understanding of novel words, collective nouns, and action verbs.

    Main Methods:

    • Analysis of how children determine word reference for novel objects.
    • Examination of the necessity of understanding purpose for nouns (e.g., 'family') and verbs (e.g., 'give').
    • Investigation of intentional considerations in generalizing artifact category names (e.g., 'chair').

    Main Results:

    • Children prioritize speaker's referential intention (e.g., gaze direction) over spatio-temporal contiguity for novel word reference.
    • Understanding purpose is essential for comprehending collective nouns and goal-defined actions.
    • Intentionality aids in generalizing artifact names despite appearance variations.

    Conclusions:

    • Theory of mind is a critical component in children's semantic development.
    • Intentionality guides word learning, encompassing reference, categorization, and action understanding.