w7: the linguistic turn: language, social reality, and psychological concept

Question 1

Anti-Congitivism

Answer 1

refers to a critique of the cognitive approach in psychology which emphasises mental representation as internal processing as basis of psych phenomena.

Discursive psychology (Derek Edwards, Jonathan Potter) argue that such models neglect the social and discursive nature of human interaction and language use

Question 2

Anti-Cognition

Answer 2

denotes a rejection of the notion that cognition is necessary for understanding human behaviour and language.

while anti-cognitivism critiques cognitivist assumptions, anti-cognition dismisses the idea of cognitive processes entierly as central to psychological phenomena

Question 2

Representation

Answer 2

in cognitivism, representation refers to mental models or structures that symbolise external objects or conceptd within the mind.

Question 3

Schema

Answer 3

A mental framework used to organise and interpret information.

It is central to cognitivist psychology, where schemas influence perception, memory, and thought processes.

Question 4

Expression

Answer 4

discursive psychology views language as practical interactional tool rather than representation of internal schemas.

expressions are seen as actions performed through talk, not merely reflections of mental states.

Question 5

central assumptoms of cognitivism: information processing + representation

Answer 5

cognitivism assumes that the mind operates like a computer.

information processing: the brain is viewed as processing inputs from the external world to generate outputs, akin to compulational processes.

representation: posits that individuals maintain mental representations (ie. objects or concepts) that help recognise, categorise, and respond to stimuli.

discursive psychology critiques these assumptions, emphasising that psychological phenomena emerge from discursive practices, not inner processes.

Question 6

Telementation Theory of Language

Answer 6

theory suggests that language functions to transfer thoughts or ideas from one ming to another,

as if through mental telegraphs

it assumes that words are vehicles for representing and communicating pre-existing mental states.

Question 7

critique telementation theory of language

Answer 7

Wittgenstein and discursive psychologists argue against this view, claiming that language’s meaning lies in its public and pragmatic use, not as a conveyor of internal mental content.

Question 8

Social Construction

Berger and Luckmann

Answer 8

reality is shaped through collective human practices and discourse.

knowledge and understanding are not discovered but created through interaction and cultural context.

discursive psychology aligns with social construction by studying how language constructs psychological realities and social interactions.

Question 9

Pragmatic Function of Language

Answer 9

language is not merely descriptive but action-orientated.

according to wittgenstein, words are deeds, they perform functions within social context

ie. promising, apologising, persuading are all pragmatic functions of language.

Question 10

ordinary language philosophy

Answer 10

a philosophical approach, associated with Wittgenstein and J.L Austin which examines hoe languge s used in everyday life.

relevance: discursive psychology draws heavily on this tradition, focusing on practical use of language in shaping social interactions and constructing reality.

Question 11

Ontological sense Social Construction

Answer 11

This perspective asserts that certain aspects of reality are not inherent but are brought into existence through social and cultural practices

claims that reality itself is socially constructed. for instance, concepts like gender or race are not inherent but created through social practices.

Question 12

Epistemological sense Social Construction

Answer 12

This perspective does not claim that entities themselves are constructed but focuses on how humans come to know, understand, and categorise the world

focuses on how knowledge about reality is constructed, emphasising the processes and practices through which meaning is created.

relevance: discursive psychology primarily concerns the epistemological dimension, exploring how discurse constructs psychological and social realities

Question 13

Public vs Private Language

definition and Wittgenstein’s Critique

Answer 13

private language - language that is entierly personal and comprehensible only to its users

public language- language that is inherentily social, shared among members of a comunity and governed by common rules for meaning and use.

critique:
-argued against concept of private language
- maintained language is inherently public and social - words gain meaning not through individual use but through their role in practice and agreement.

discursive psych used this by treating language not as a window into private thoughts but as a tool for action in social world.
focuses on what people do with language

Question 14

Discursive Psychology

Answer 14

a branch of psychology that examines how language is used in every day interactions to construct social and psychological phenomena.

develloped by Potter and Edwards - chalenges traditional cognitivist model

Question 15

the ‘project’ of discoursive psychology

Answer 15

seeks to understand human behaviour by analysing discourse.

focuses on:
- how psychological terms are used in social contexts
- the action-oriented nature of language
- reframing psychological question from ie. how does memory work, to ie. what are people doing when they claim to remember?

Question 16

Internal vs External

Answer 16

Internal: refers to private, mental processes (ie. thoughts, beliefs) - cognitivism assumes that internal processes determine behaviour

**external: **discursive psychology emphasises external, observable interactions (ie. language use) as the primary site of psychological activity.

Question 17

Talk Constitutes Reality

Answer 17

in discursive psych, talk is not just a medium of communication but actively constitutes social and psychological realities.

ie. attitudes are constructed and negotiated in conversation, not static mental states

Question 18

Discourse

Answer 18

language-in-use, encompassing spoken and written communication, and its role in constructing meaning and reality.

relevance: discursive psych treats discourse as the primary data for understanding how people create, maintain, and challenge social and psychological phenomena

Question 19

Interconnections for all

Answer 19

These concepts are unified by their emphasis on language as the foundation for constructing reality. While cognitivism focuses on internal processes, discursive psychology and related approaches (e.g., social constructionism, ordinary language philosophy) critique this view, shifting the focus to external, interactive, and pragmatic uses of language in shaping both individual and collective experiences.

Question 20

Presuppositions

Answer 20

refers to implicit assumptions or background beliefs that are taken for granted in communication. A presupposition is something that must be true (or assumed true) for a statement to make sense or for the communication to proceed meaningfully.

Linguistic Presupposition:

In language, presuppositions are implied truths embedded in a sentence, often remaining unstated but understood by participants.
For example:
Sentence: “John stopped smoking.”
Presupposition: John used to smoke.

Question 21

presuppositions and psychology

Answer 21

In discourse psychology, presuppositions influence how individuals interpret language and construct meaning based on shared assumptions or context.
They guide cognition by narrowing focus on certain background beliefs, enabling efficient communication.