W1 - Intro: animal language & language and thought

Question 1

Why is studying psycholinguistics significant in understanding human behavior?

Answer 1

It reveals how humans acquire, use, and understand language, essential to identity, relationships, and cognition.

Question 2

According to Beattie & Ellis, what happens in communication?

Answer 2

A transmitter encodes, and a receiver decodes information.

Question 3

What are the two primary types of communication?

Answer 3

Verbal and non-verbal.

Question 4

Give examples of verbal communication.

Answer 4

Spoken and written language, dialects, and constructed languages.

Question 5

Give examples of non-verbal communication.

Answer 5

Body language, gestures, and tone.

Question 6

What is one key element that defines a language?

Answer 6

A structured symbolic system governed by rules (grammar).

Question 7

Approximately how many languages exist worldwide?

Answer 7

Between 3,000 and 8,000.

Question 8

What percentage of languages are European?

Answer 8

3%.

Question 9

What percentage of the population speaks English as a first or second language?

Answer 9

20%.

Question 10

Which design feature of Hockett refers to specific meanings of words?

Answer 10

Semanticity.

Question 11

What does ‘arbitrariness’ mean in Hockett’s design features of language?

Answer 11

No inherent connection between most words and their meanings.

Question 12

Which feature allows language to reference things beyond immediate context?

Answer 12

Displacement.

Question 13

Define ‘productivity’ in language.

Answer 13

The ability to create infinite expressions with finite words and sounds.

Question 14

Which Hockett feature allows for lying?

Answer 14

Prevarication.

Question 15

What does ‘reflexiveness’ in language allow speakers to do?

Answer 15

Refer to language itself, like discussing grammar.

Question 16

What does sound symbolism suggest?

Answer 16

Certain sounds may carry specific meanings (e.g., ‘Kiki’ for sharp sounds).

Question 17

Give an example of an animal communication system.

Answer 17

The bee waggle dance.

Question 18

Why don’t dolphins use syntax like humans?

Answer 18

They lack syntactic flexibility, focusing only on immediate communication.

Question 19

What language-like behavior do songbirds exhibit?

Answer 19

Babbling, left-hemisphere specialization, and a critical learning period.

Question 20

What unique language skill did Kanzi the bonobo demonstrate?

Answer 20

Advanced comprehension of human language and commands.

Question 21

What aspect of the brain is similar between apes and humans?

Answer 21

Enlarged Broca’s area.

Question 22

Why can’t apes produce complex speech?

Answer 22

Their vocal anatomy differs from humans.

Question 23

How are apes taught to communicate with humans?

Answer 23

Using sign language or lexigrams.

Question 24

What did the Kellog (1933) study conclude about Gua and language acquisition?

Answer 24

Gua learned words but couldn’t produce language.

Question 25

What did Washoe achieve in American Sign Language studies?

Answer 25

Learned 85 signs, combining them meaningfully (e.g., 'water bird').

Question 26

What is the Sapir-Whorf Hypothesis?

Answer 26

The idea that language influences thought.

Question 27

What does linguistic determinism suggest?

Answer 27

Language limits and constrains thought.

Question 28

How does linguistic relativism differ from linguistic determinism?

Answer 28

It suggests language influences thought without strictly limiting it.

Question 29

How did Boroditsky’s (2001) research support linguistic relativity?

Answer 29

Showed spatial and temporal encoding differences in English and Mandarin speakers.

Question 30

How did Brown & Levinson’s (1993) research illustrate spatial encoding differences?

Answer 30

Tenejapan speakers used allocentric ordering; Dutch speakers used egocentric.

Question 31

What critique does Steven Pinker offer against linguistic determinism?

Answer 31

Thought can exist independently of language (mentalese).

Question 32

What is 'mentalese'?

Answer 32

A hypothetical universal cognitive system for thought.

Question 33

How does language shape spatial encoding in different languages?

Answer 33

Through egocentric (e.g., left, right) vs. allocentric (e.g., north, south) frames of reference.

Question 34

How do English and Mandarin speakers differ in temporal encoding?

Answer 34

English uses a horizontal time frame; Mandarin uses a vertical one.

Question 35

What did the Idlefonso case demonstrate about language and thought?

Answer 35

He had thoughts before learning language, challenging linguistic determinism.

Question 36

What does the Hopi language controversy suggest about linguistic determinism?

Answer 36

That its debateable as Lack of specific tenses doesn’t imply inability to understand time. and so language doesnt limit thought

Question 37

How can language impact problem-solving, as shown by Glucksberg & Weisberg?

Answer 37

Specific language descriptions can help avoid functional fixedness. eg box of tacks vs box and tacks

Question 38

Why is language diversity considered important?

Answer 38

Each language provides unique cognitive and cultural insights.

Question 39

How did Carmichael et al. (1932) show that language affects recall?

Answer 39

People reinterpreted images differently based on word labels provided.

Question 40

What did the candle task experiment reveal about language and problem-solving?

Answer 40

People were more creative when items were described separately.

Question 41

Why do chimpanzees struggle with language as compared to children?

Answer 41

Their communication lacks spontaneous creativity and syntactic structure.

Question 42

How do children’s language skills differ from chimps in terms of curiosity?

Answer 42

Children frequently ask questions, showing curiosity and engagement.

Question 43

What is the significance of temporal displacement in children’s language?

Answer 43

They naturally reference past, present, and future events.

Question 44

What concept explains that language shapes perception without dictating it?

Answer 44

Linguistic relativism.

Question 45

In the context of linguistic determinism, why is translation considered challenging?

Answer 45

New words or ideas would be hard to create if thoughts depended on language alone.

Question 46

How does functional fixedness illustrate the impact of language on problem-solving?

Answer 46

Describing items differently can prevent rigid thinking, enhancing creativity.

Question 47

What role does 'allocentric' framing play in languages like Tzeltal?

Answer 47

They describe spatial relations based on directions (e.g., uphill, downhill).

Question 48

What frames of reference does English use for spatial encoding?

Answer 48

Both egocentric and allocentric.

Question 49

Why do Mandarin speakers find it easier to think of time vertically?

Answer 49

Language primes them to conceptualize 'next' as 'down' and 'previous' as 'up'.

Question 50

How does the universal cognitive framework (mentalese) theory challenge linguistic determinism?

Answer 50

Suggests thought exists beyond language, allowing for complex ideas without words.