W9 Flashcards
(24 cards)
How are languages different in innumerable ways?
Languages differ in sound structure (unique phonemes), melody & rhythm (stress patterns), vocabulary (word variations), and grammar (sentence structure & rules).
What is the Sapir-Whorf hypothesis? (linguistic relativity)
Languages shapes the way we think. This is because languages vary in structure and semantic partitioning—speakers of different languages will perceive the world differently.
Do language differences always mean differences in thought?
Not necessarily—speaking differently doesn’t always mean thinking differently. Sapir and Whorf lacked systematic experimental evidence.
Do different languages influence cognition? (Winawer et al., 2007)
Yes—supports linguistic relativity. Russians, with distinct words for shades of blue, distinguish them faster than English speakers, who see all as ‘blue.’
Does language influence thought in preverbal infants?
Yes—language learning starts in utero. Newborns recognize their mother tongue, learn its sound structure in the first year, detect grammar patterns, and link words to meaning before speaking.
What is categorisation?
The ability to group distinct things into ‘classes’ based on shared features and functions. Yes categorisation is possible w/o language, but language helps us express and label them and teach them to others.
How does language influence categorization in 12-month-old infants?
Language helps categorization. In a preferential looking test, infants hearing labels (e.g., ‘Look at the lion’) grouped familiar objects into a category, unlike those in silent or tone conditions.
How does language influence categorization in 3–4-month-old infants?
Hearing words (not tones or silence) helps infants form categories. 3-month-olds focus on familiar items, while 4-month-olds prefer novel ones, showing early language-driven categorization.
What’s the mechanism behind categorisation?
Upon hearing novel words, infants begin to look for commonalities between objects. Labelling fosters categorisation.
How does language help young children with spatial reference frames?
Language helps children integrate landmark-based (relative) and allocentric (geometric) spatial frames, improving navigation and spatial understanding.
What is encoding orientation?
Encoding orientation is how spatial information is stored, using landmarks (relative positioning) or geometry (absolute positioning) to navigate and recall locations.
What are the types of encoding orientations?
Relative (to the speaker) e.g. the cat is on my right
Absolute (cardinal direction) e.g. the cat is north of the car
How does language influence spatial encoding? (Levinson, 1997)
Language shapes spatial memory. Dutch speakers (relative encoders) use left-right order, while Tzeltal speakers (absolute encoders) use north-south order, reflecting their language’s spatial system.
How does language influence spatial encoding in children? (Haun et al., 2011)
By 8 years old, children encode space like adults. Dutch children (relative encoders) use left-right, while Namibian children (absolute encoders) use north-south. Switching strategies is difficult.
How do spatial semantic categories differ across languages?
English distinguishes containment (‘put in’) vs. support (‘put on’), while Korean focuses on tight-fit (‘kkita’) vs. loose-fit (various verbs).
How does language influence toddlers’ sensitivity to spatial categories?
At 18–24 months, English- and Korean-learning toddlers distinguish tight vs. loose fit. By 3 years, English learners lose this sensitivity.
What aspects of numerical cognition are independent from language?
The operation of two non-symbolic number systems (analog magnitude system, object individuation system) is independent.
What is symbolic number representation, and how does it depend on language?
Symbolic number representation uses language-based symbols (e.g., ‘3,’ ‘seven’) for precise counting and math. Language enables this, shaping numerical cognition.
What do Symbolic number systems support?
Precise number representations (without any limits)
Recording number
How do number-naming systems differ between English and Mandarin Chinese?
Mandarin Chinese follows a consistent base-10 structure (e.g., ‘ten-one’ for 11), while English has irregular names (e.g., ‘eleven,’ ‘twelve’).
How do different number-naming systems affect children’s math skills?
Transparent number systems (e.g., Mandarin) help children grasp numerical concepts more easily than irregular systems (e.g., English).
What tasks were used to test children’s numerical skills?
Abstract counting – Saying numbers in order.
Object counting – Assigning numbers to objects.
Problem-solving (Give-N task) – Giving a specific number of objects.
What were the observations from these tasks?
Chinese-speaking children performed better across all tasks and had less difficulty with numbers 11–19 compared to English-speaking children.
What does this suggest about language and numerical cognition?
Language enables precise and limitless number representation. Transparent number systems make learning easier, aiding early math development.
