WORDS; MEANING, MEMORY in PSYCHOLINGUISTICS

WORDS

The meaning of the word is part of our knowledge of the word. But sometimes we do not know exatly how much it means we ordered it. Many theories have been advanced by people to deal with the meaning of the word. Some of them say that the meaning of a word is a word that refers to the object. Another theory states that the word does not refer to the object but in concept, the idea of the object. With such a theory is if we look at the five cows, we still call them a cow. Although it seems attractive, ideationational theory is very unstable because of the meaning of a word can be fickle and very individual and situational. Another theory then appears.

Another theory states that the word does not refer to the object but in concept, the idea of the object. With such a theory is if we look at the feet of five cows, we will still call it a cow. Once the coins are also used to replace the horse in the game of chess would we call ita horse. Although it seems attractive, ideational theory is very unstable because of the meaning of a word can be fickle and very individualand situational. Another theory then appears. Basically these theories to answer three questions: 

• What is the smallest unit of meaning,
• Whether the concept has clear boundaries, 
• Whether the concept was stated quite simply in the form of a list of features alone? 

MEANING

It concluded that the word is stored in our mind based on the share of factors: one is based on the frequency, there is described the capabilities-based, because there is phonetic similarity, because there is a semantic proximity, and by others as a syntatic category. Semantic features also play a major rule because of the proximity between an entity by entity also may be caused by the amount and type of the same similiar features.

Humans can understand the conversation because the can recognize words that they heard the truth intuitively based on the knowledge they have about their language and culture. They can also take the words as they talk, they need time for these words are arranged systematically

MEMORY

Memory is formed and used through three stages: input, storage, and output (Clark and Clark 1977:134-136; Engel 1999:5). At the input stage, people generally accept input, either oral or written, and then give an interpretation of the input to understand. Usually people pay attention to meaning, not words. Therefore, the information stored in memory instead of words heard or read, but the entire contents of words. That is why when people have to restate what they heard or read, they will not use these words in exactly the same input.

Presenting exactly the word for word, only occurs in certain things, like going to the actor and singer who had to memorize the script and song lyrics. Storage phase begins with the process of storing information in a short memory. Things that felt no need, or just takes a few moments, just stored in a short memory. When the need is felt to be stored for a long time, information will be “sent” to the long-term memory. Long-term memory store not only the meaning. Sometimes it memorized word for word also stored there.

In the output stage, there are two methods used: recognition and recall. Recognition memory is the calling process by asking someone to be able to recognize something that has been given to him earlier. For example, someone asked if he saw certain things before. Then, there is the recognition process. At recall, people were asked to state what has been seen or heard before. For example, he was asked to name the things he had ever seen before. In general, recognition easier than recall.

Both in recognition and recall, people use three external information (Clark and Clark 1977:136). First, by utilizing the knowledge of its language, people determine which ones might be and what is not.Second, people also take advantage of his knowledge of the world.Third, people also make use of knowledge in discourse wacana.Jika convention, there are two people, men and women, the word “they” must refer to two people. And the word “he” must refer to one person.

Memorization is also a memory, but the process is different. The memory can be formed without any special effort to get it. If someone tell you what happened in this morning, will be enteres into your memory just from listening the stories. In contrast, a memory will memoruze rote with effort or a specific action. Generally, it is done by learning and speaking many times to be stored in memory.

Something will be able to be easily memorized if significant (Clark and Clark 1977:142). An information will not be easy to memorize if the information is not gramtical