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Learning: Principles and Applications, 4/e
Stephen B Klein, Mississippi State University

Complex Learning Tasks

Glossary


affirmative rule  When a concept is defined by the rule that a particular attribute defines the concept.
algorithm  A precise set of rules to solve a particular problem.
attribute  A feature of an object or event that varies from one instance to another.
availability strategy  A heuristic where problems are solved based only on the information that can be readily remembered.
bound morpheme  A morpheme that must be attached to a free morpheme to have meaning.
clause  a groups of words contains a noun phrase and a verb phrase
concept  A symbol that represents a class of objects or events with common characteristics.
conjunctive rule  The simultaneous presence of two or more attributes that define a concept.
deep structure  The meaning or idea conveyed by a sentence.
disjunctive rule  When the concept is defined by the rule that the concept can possess either or both of two attributes.
family resemblance  Occurs when an object or event shares many attributes with other members of the concept.
free morpheme  A morpheme that can stand alone and still have meaning.
functional fixedness  Difficulty recognizing novel uses for an object.
goal state  The desired end point of a problem.
grammar  The rules that define the ways words can be combined into meaningful phrases, clauses, and sentences.
heuristic  A "best guess" solution to problem solving.
ill-defined problem  A problem with no clear starting or goal state.
initial state  the starting point of a problem
insight  A sudden realization of how to solve a problem.
language  A system of words and word meanings, and a set of rules for combining the words.
language acquisition device (LAD)  Chomsky's idea of an innate mechanism that allows children to grasp the syntax of their language with minimal experience.
matching to sample  a procedure where subjects first are exposed to a stimulus and later must select the initial stimulus and not a second stimulus
means-end analysis  Breaking a particular problem into a series of solvable subproblems.
morpheme  The smallest meaningful amount of language.
negative rule  A concept is defined by the rule that any object or event having a certain attribute is not a member of the concept.
phoneme  The simplest functional speech sound.
phonology  The rules that dictate how phonemes can be combined into morphemes.
phrase  A group of two or more related words that expresses a single thought.
phrase-structure grammar  The analysis of the constituent elements of a sentence.
problem  An obstacle that prevents the attainment of a desired goal.
prototype  The object that has the greatest number of attributes characteristic of the concept and that is therefore the most typical member of that concept.
representativeness strategy  
rule  A rule defines the objects or events that are examples of a particular concept.
semantics  The meaning of language.
sentence  Two or more phrases that convey an assertion, question, command, wish, or exclamation.
set  The tendency to use an established method for solving problems.
surface structure (of a sentence)  The arrangement of the words in a sentence.
syntax  The system of rules for combining the various units of speech.
well-defined problem  A problem with clear initial and goal states.
working-backward heuristic  A technique for finding the solution to a problem by starting with the end point and working back to the start point.