Functions of Verbal Communication

Question 1

What is the role of verbal communication in human experience?

Answer 1

Defines reality by assigning labels and meanings to people, objects, events, and experiences

Question 2

How does verbal communication organize our understanding of the world?

Answer 2

Categorizes complex sensory and social experiences into coherent concepts

Question 3

Why is verbal communication indispensable to thinking?

Answer 3

Undergirds cognition—enabling memory, reasoning, and reflection.

Question 4

What does the Sapir-Whorf Hypothesis assert?

Answer 4

It claims that language shapes thought and that speakers of different languages conceptualize the world differently due to their distinct linguistic symbols.

Question 5

What is a key philosophical critique of the Sapir-Whorf Hypothesis?

Answer 5

That thoughts transcend linguistic formulation due to language often lacking the explicitness required for forming precise thoughts

Question 6

What moral implication arises from verbal communication’s role in shaping attitudes?

Answer 6

Since our words influence perception, ethical language use is essential