20. Language and thought

Question 1

What is the Sapir-Whorf hypothesis?

Answer 1

Language shapes the way we think and determines what we can think about

Question 2

What do the three versions of Sapir-Whorf hypothesis state?
The language someone speaks…

Answer 2

STRONG VERSION–determines how they think
WEAK VERSION–makes some thoughts easy and others difficult
VERY WEAK VERSION –affects how easily information is encoded and remembered

Question 3

What are four criticisms of Whorf?

Answer 3

1. Simplistic, word-by-word approach to translation
2. Assumed every aspect of language structure is reflected in thought
3. Ignored fact people can have concepts without having single word for them (more complex expressions)
4. Ignored fact language differences go together with cultural differences

Question 4

In the Traditional View, T____ has priority over l____ and languages are t____ to e____ the thoughts we have.

Answer 4

Thought
language
tailored
express

Question 5

Wharf states not having a word for a concept makes it…

Answer 5

Hard/impossible to understand

Question 6

Robertson et al. found across tasks categorical perception of colour was aligned with what? These results suggest what?

Answer 6

Colour terms
Suggest that perception/thought is guided by language categories

Question 7

It is easier to for Russian speakers to discriminate two blues, if one is light and one is dark.
The effect disappears when?

Answer 7

if people do a verbal interference task at the same time!
The verbal interference task prevents them using verbal labels for the colours.

Question 8

How did English and Spanish speakers compare on language when watching videos of accidental and intentional vase breaking?

Answer 8

For intentional events: no difference
For accidental events: English speakers used more agentive descriptions (“She broke…”) than Spanish speakers

Question 9

How did English and Spanish speakers compare on memory when watching videos of accidental and intentional vase breaking?

Answer 9

For intentional events: no difference
For accidental events: English speakers remembered the correct actor more frequently than Spanish speakers

Question 10

Vygotsky observed children’s development and saw language and thought are…
“i____ s____” gradually becomes the major form of thinking

Answer 10

initially separate
(early language is mainly vocal imitation)
“internal speech”

Question 11

Fill in the gaps about Vygotsky’s Three Stages:
Stage one: language and thought are…
Stage two: o____ spoken a____ to behaviour
Stage three: At about __ years speech becomes …

Answer 11

1: independent
2: overt, accompaniments
3: 7, internalised

Question 12

Vygotsky believed that speech and thinking are never what?

Answer 12

Identical

Question 13

What happens in Vygotsky’s stage one?
- Language and thought are i____
- Speech is mainly i____
- Thought is similar to thought in n____-h____ a____

Answer 13

• Independent
• Imitative
• Non-human animals

Question 14

What happens in Vygotsky’s stage two?
- O____ spoken accompaniments to behaviour
- “E____ s____” - not intended for o____
- Words direct a____, but c____ with a____ is not o____
- As children grow older, words more often p____ action

Answer 14

• Overt
• “Egocentric speech”, others
• attention, connection, action, obvious
• precede

Question 15

What happens in Vygotsky’s stage three?
- At about __ years, speech becomes i____
- I____ speech becomes the m____ way of t____

Answer 15

• 7, internalised
• Inner, thinking