Language Flashcards
Summarise Piaget’s theory of language development
Piaget’s theory of cognitive development concerns how our thinking develops.
He believes we learn by developing schemas about the world
Piaget said that language depends on thought . . .
Children develop language by matching the correct word to their knowledge.
Thought and understanding comes first, language develops after.
Piaget said that the children’s stage of cognitive development determines their language development . . .
Children only understand words when they have reached the correct stage of development and are ready.
They can have language without understanding but will not be able to use it effectively.
How does language develop through the stages of development?
Sensorimotor stage: Children speak towards the end of their first year.
Pre-operational stage: From 2 years they talk about things not present
Concrete operational stage: By 7 children’s language becomes mature and logical as they question things and create their own ideas
A strength of Piaget’s theory of language development . . .
A strength is that early language is not random.
When children start talking they use two-word phrases like ‘Mummy sock’, which shows they can see how objects relate to each other.
This suggests that children only start to use language when they have some understanding of it
The Sapir-Whorf hypothesis goes against Piaget’s theory of language development . . .
A weakness of Piaget’s theory is the Sapir–Whorf hypothesis challenges Piaget.
It states that language comes before thought as people need a word or phrase for an object in order to think about it.
This suggests that Piaget may have been wrong.
A weakness of Piaget’s theory of language development is that it is difficult to measure schema . . .
Another weakness is that schema cannot be scientifically measured.
It is very difficult to know if schema exist as we cannot directly measure them.
This shows that Piaget’s theory of language and thought is not based on solid scientific evidence
Summarise the Sapir-Whorf hypothesis
Sapir and Whorf suggested it is not possible to think about something you don’t have words for.
Language comes first and thought afterwards.
There are two versions of the hypothesis: one which believes words determine our thoughts and one which says they influence them.
What is the strong version of the Sapir-Whorf hypothesis?
If there are no words for a thought, object or idea then you can’t think about it.
This is why it is difficult to translate ideas from one language to another
What is the weak version of the Sapir-Whorf hypothesis?
Words help to ‘carve up’ the world. However, you can still imagine something with no words for it
Weaker version preferred. If the words we have for a concept or idea are limited, our ability to notice or recall that idea will be limited.
One weakness of the Sapir-Whorf hypothesis of language development is that the differences between cultures may have been exaggerated . . .
A weakness is that differences between cultures may have been exaggerated by Boas.
There are really only two words for snow in Inuit culture and actually English has other words for different types of snow.
This shows that the differences aren’t that great and challenges the conclusion that language may determine thought.
One weakness of the Sapir-Whorf hypothesis is the idea that thoughts come before language . . .
Another weakness is that having more words for snow doesn’t mean the words came first.
The Inuit language may have more words for snow because there is always lots of snow.
This suggests that language develops because of the way we perceive our environment, which supports Piaget’s view that thinking influences language
A strength of the Sapir-Whorf hypothesis is that it explains the link between language and intelligence . . .
A strength is that the hypothesis explains the link between language and intelligence. Bernstein suggested that working-class children will always fall behind in school because their use of the restricted code will have a negative effect on their ability to think. This shows that language influences a particular type of thinking (intelligence).
How does the language of the Native America Hopi affect how they see the world?
Hopi language doesn’t distinguish between past, present and future.
Therefore this influences the way they think about time
Evaluate Whorf’s study of the Native American Hopi
Limited sample
A weakness is that only one individual was studied.
Others have argued that the way the Hopi language describes the passing of time is not very different from European language.
This suggests that Whorf’s conclusions lacked a firm basis in fact
What study showed that language affects recall of events?
Carmichael et al. gave two groups of participants the same pictures but each group heard different descriptions.
When they were asked to draw them, the pictures drawn reflected the labels they had heard.
This suggests that language influences memory
However the materials used were ambiguous
How does the language of the Native American Zuni people affect how they see the world?
Brown and Lenneberg found that the Zuni people have only one word for shades of yellow and orange and had difficulty recognising and recalling these colours compared to English speakers.
This suggests that their lack of words for those two colours affected their ability to distinguish between them.
Give an evaluation point of cross cultural studies into language
A weakness with research on different cultures is that there are issues with the interpretation of participants’ responses.
The language barrier could have affected how well the Zuni people communicated their understanding of colour to the researchers.
This causes the research to lack validity
Describe a study that looked at how language affects recall of colour
Roberson et al. found that the Berinmo people of New Guinea had difficulty recalling and distinguishing between a variety of colours as they only have five words for different colours in their own language.
This is evidence for the Sapir–Whorf hypothesis as it suggested that specific cognitive processes are influenced by language
Evaluate the theory that language affects how we see colour . . .
A weakness is that some researchers have found the opposite.
The Dani people have only two words for colour but were still as good as English-speaking participants on a colour-matching task (Heider and Olivier).
This suggests that their lack of colour words did not influence their ability to think about colour.
What was the aim of Von Frisch’s Bee Study?
To describe the dances performed by honey bees to explain how they communicate information to each other.
What was the method of Von Frisch’s Bee Study?
Von Frisch put a food source close to the hive (within about 10–20 metres), as well as one further away (up to 300 metres).
He made over 6000 observations of honey bees over 20 years
What were the results of Von Frisch’s Bee Study?
Worker bees tell the others where pollen is located by two types of dance:
Round dance: Moving in a circle to indicate food is less than 100 metres away.
Waggle dance: Moving in a figure of eight, waggling its abdomen in the ‘middle’ of the eight, with this straight line pointing at the source of pollen. Speed indicates distance.
60% of bees went to food sources at the distance indicated by the dances.
What were the conclusions of Von Frisch’s Bee Study?
Bees use a sophisticated form of animal communication.
The signalling system has evolutionary value as it helps their survival
One strength of Von Frisch’s Bee Study . . .
A strength is that Von Frisch’s work made an important contribution to science.
People knew that bees danced but had no understanding of the meaning of the movements.
This shows how valuable his research was.
One weakness of Von Frisch’s Bee Study is that sounds matter too . . .
A weakness is that the importance of sound was overlooked.
When bees performed dances in silence, other bees would not then go on and investigate food sources (Esch).
This shows that sound-based signals also play a part in directing other bees – something that Von Frisch did not consider.
One weakness of Von Frisch’s Bee Study is that other factors may have been involved . . .
Another weakness is that bees do not always respond to the waggle dance.
Bees do not use the information from the waggle dance to fly to nectar if it was placed in a boat in the middle of a lake (Gould).
This shows that Von Frisch’s account was incomplete.
Give examples of how animals communicate for survival
Vervet monkeys use sounds to warn of danger (alarm calls). A specific sound warns other monkeys close by.
Rabbits use visual signals. They lift their tail high, pin ears back and leap forward to communicate danger to other rabbits.
These signals increase the survival of members of the signaller’s species.
Give examples of how animals communicate for sexual reproduction
Animals use mating displays.
Peacocks stretch their feathers like an umbrella to attract females.
Mating displays communicate genetic fitness through brightly coloured and plentiful feathers.
Give examples of how animals communicate for territorial reasons
Animals mark territory through spreading scents.
Rhinos produce 20–30 piles of dung to communicate that an area is occupied.
This has evolutionary value as it takes less energy than fighting.
Give examples of how animals communicate for food reasons
Animals use signals to show location of food.
Ants leave a pheromone trail to communicate the location of a food source.
