FINAL EXAM: Format: short answer, essays, identification, and application of concepts. This is an open notes exam so you should be paying careful attention to your notes and keeping all your writing assignments.
Final Exam date: Thursday, May 15, same time and place as class.
If you have travel plans or other things going on, you may arrange to take it earlier during finals week. (May12-16).
Some things to know about this exam.
It is an open book exam. You can use notes, books, any printed material. You may not use any electronic devices.
I will not answer any questions about the exam during the exam. If you have a question or think you need to explain your interpretation of a question, then explain in your answer.
Writing legibly is greatly appreciated.
Answers will vary in length from very short to somewhat extended. Respect for the conventions of good writing will count (spelling does not count, but everything else does).
Read the whole question carefully! Then re-read it to make sure you're answering the question which has been asked. Pay attention to two-part questions and make sure you answer the second part too.
Content that may be covered includes:
Misconceptions about language, how language works.
Sapir Whorf Hypothesis.
Syllogisms, Aristotle's laws of thought.
The Heisenberg uncertainty principle and observation.
Denotative and connotative definitions.
Metaphor and thought.
Process of abstraction and the "abstraction ladder."
Signals vs. symbols (as reactions, of course)
Clashing semantic environments.
Operational definitions.
Making extensional (factual, verifiable) statements.
Two-valued orientation and multi-valued orientations.
Reification.
Responses to facts, inferences and judgments ("that's true.")
Definitions.
Context and meaning.
You should review all of Engel's fallacies and your notes on advertising claims and statistics. There will be several ads, excerpts from news articles, letters, and other things which I will ask you to analyze.