Language and Thought Relationship » Thinking Depends on Language

What you'll learn this session

Study time: 30 minutes

The Sapir-Whorf hypothesis and its two versions
How language shapes our perception of colour, time and space
Key studies that investigate the relationship between language and thought
The role of linguistic determinism in cognitive development
Criticisms of the idea that thinking depends on language
Real-world applications of this psychological concept

The Relationship Between Language and Thought

Have you ever wondered if the language you speak affects how you think? Could speaking a different language actually change how you see the world? This fascinating area of psychology explores whether our thinking depends on language, or if we can think without language at all.

Key Definitions:

Language: A structured system of communication using words, symbols, sounds, or gestures.
Thought: The mental process of considering or reasoning about something.
Linguistic Determinism: The strong view that language completely determines thought.
Linguistic Relativity: The weaker view that language influences thought but doesn't completely determine it.

💬 The Sapir-Whorf Hypothesis

This theory, developed by linguists Edward Sapir and Benjamin Whorf in the 1930s, suggests that the structure of language affects how people conceptualise the world. It comes in two versions:

Strong version (Linguistic Determinism): Language completely determines thought - we can only think in concepts that our language has words for.
Weak version (Linguistic Relativity): Language influences thought but doesn't completely control it - language shapes how we perceive and categorise the world.

💡 Why This Matters

Understanding the relationship between language and thought helps us:

Appreciate cultural differences in thinking
Understand how bilingual people might process information differently
Develop better teaching methods
Consider how language shapes our perception of social issues

Evidence That Thinking Depends on Language

Colour Perception Studies

One of the most famous areas of research into language and thought involves how different cultures perceive colours based on the words they have for them.

Case Study: The Himba Tribe

The Himba people of Namibia have fewer words for colours than English speakers. They have no specific word that distinguishes blue from green but have multiple words for different shades of green. In tests, Himba participants struggled to identify a blue square among green ones but could easily spot subtle green shade differences that English speakers couldn't see. This suggests that having specific words for colours affects how quickly and easily we can identify them.

This research supports linguistic relativity - the language we speak influences (but doesn't completely determine) how we perceive colours. Having a word for a specific colour makes it easier to notice and remember that colour.

Spatial Orientation and Direction

Different languages describe space and direction in different ways, which may affect how people think about location.

🌎 English

Uses relative terms like "left" and "right" which change depending on which way you're facing.

🌏 Kuuk Thaayorre

An Aboriginal language that uses absolute directions (north, south, east, west) instead of relative ones.

🌐 The Effect

Kuuk Thaayorre speakers have been found to have exceptional directional awareness, always knowing which way is north.

Time Perception

How we talk about time can shape how we think about it. In English, we often talk about time horizontally - the future is "ahead" and the past is "behind." But this isn't universal:

The Aymara people of South America talk about the future as behind them (because it can't be seen) and the past as in front (because it can be known).
Mandarin speakers often describe time vertically, with next month being the "down month" and last month being the "up month."

Research shows that these language differences affect how people arrange time concepts in space when asked to order events.

Critical Evaluation: Does Thinking Really Depend on Language?

Evidence Supporting the Relationship

Several studies provide evidence that language influences thought:

Grammatical gender effects: In languages where objects have grammatical gender (like French or Spanish), speakers tend to attribute gender-stereotyped qualities to those objects. For example, Spanish speakers might describe a "bridge" (masculine: "el puente") using words like "strong" or "sturdy," while German speakers might describe a "bridge" (feminine: "die Brücke") as "beautiful" or "elegant."
Counting systems: Some languages have limited number words. The Pirahã tribe in the Amazon has words only for "one," "two," and "many." Research shows they struggle with precise counting of larger quantities, suggesting language affects numerical thinking.

Evidence Against the Strong Version

While language clearly influences thought, several findings challenge the strong version (linguistic determinism):

💭 Non-linguistic Thinking

We often think in images, feelings and abstract concepts without using words. Artists, musicians and athletes frequently report thinking in non-linguistic ways. Also, pre-linguistic babies and animals can solve problems without language.

🧠 Translation Possibility

If thought was completely determined by language, translation between languages would be impossible. Yet we can translate concepts between very different languages, suggesting there's a level of thought that exists independently of specific languages.

Real-World Applications

Understanding how language shapes thought has several practical applications:

Education: Teaching methods can be adapted based on how language affects conceptual understanding.
Marketing: Companies consider language differences when marketing products globally.
Bilingualism: Learning multiple languages may provide cognitive advantages by offering different ways of thinking about problems.
Inclusive language: Recognising how language shapes perceptions helps us understand the importance of inclusive terminology.

Bilingual Advantages

Research suggests bilingual people may have enhanced executive function (mental skills that help you manage tasks) and may be better at seeing problems from multiple perspectives. This could be because they regularly switch between different linguistic frameworks, giving them more flexible thinking patterns.

Conclusion: The Balanced View

Most psychologists today support a moderate version of linguistic relativity - language influences thought but doesn't completely determine it. Our language gives us tools to think with and can make some thoughts easier or more difficult, but we can still think beyond the boundaries of our language.

Next time you learn a new word or phrase that captures something you've felt but couldn't express before, you're experiencing this relationship between language and thought firsthand!

🧠 Test Your Knowledge!