Language and Thought Relationship » Review and Practice - Language and Thought

What you'll learn this session

Study time: 30 minutes

The relationship between language and thought
The Sapir-Whorf hypothesis and linguistic determinism
Piaget's theory of language development
Vygotsky's theory of language and thought
Key research studies on language and thought
How to evaluate theories and apply your knowledge

The Relationship Between Language and Thought

Have you ever wondered if the language you speak shapes how you think? Or if you need language to have complex thoughts? These questions have fascinated psychologists for decades. In this session, we'll explore the fascinating relationship between language and thought and review the main theories and evidence.

Key Definitions:

Language: A system of communication using sounds, symbols, or gestures that are arranged according to rules.
Thought: The mental process of reasoning, problem-solving and forming ideas.
Cognition: The mental action or process of acquiring knowledge through thought, experience and the senses.

💡 Does language shape thought?

Some psychologists believe language determines or influences how we think. Others argue thought develops first and language simply expresses those thoughts.

🧠 Does thought shape language?

This view suggests we develop concepts and ideas first, then learn the language to express these thoughts. Language is seen as a tool for communicating our thoughts.

The Sapir-Whorf Hypothesis

One of the most famous theories about language and thought was developed by linguists Edward Sapir and Benjamin Whorf in the 1930s. Their hypothesis has two main versions:

💪 Strong Version: Linguistic Determinism

This claims that language completely determines our thoughts and how we see the world. If a concept doesn't exist in your language, you can't think about it.

🧾 Weak Version: Linguistic Relativity

This suggests language influences (but doesn't completely determine) how we think. Different languages might lead people to pay attention to different aspects of experience.

Case Study: Colour Perception

The Himba tribe in Namibia has fewer colour terms than English but can distinguish between shades of green that English speakers see as identical. This suggests language affects how we categorise colours, but doesn't limit our ability to perceive differences.

Evidence for and against Sapir-Whorf

Supporting Evidence

Several studies have found evidence that language can influence thought:

Colour perception: People find it easier to remember and distinguish colours that have distinct names in their language.
Spatial orientation: Some languages use absolute directions (north, south, east, west) instead of relative ones (left, right). Speakers of these languages develop better directional awareness.
Time perception: English speakers think of time horizontally (the past is behind, the future ahead), while Mandarin speakers often think of time vertically (the past is up, the future down).

Challenging Evidence

However, other research challenges the strong version of the hypothesis:

Universal concepts: People can understand concepts even if their language doesn't have words for them.
Translation: We can translate between languages, suggesting thoughts aren't trapped within language systems.
Non-verbal thinking: We can think using mental images, not just words.

Piaget vs Vygotsky: Different Perspectives

📖 Piaget's View

Jean Piaget believed that cognitive development comes before language. According to him, children develop thinking skills through interaction with their environment and language simply reflects their existing cognitive abilities.

Key idea: Thought develops first, then language.

💬 Vygotsky's View

Lev Vygotsky argued that language plays a crucial role in cognitive development. He believed that language is a tool that helps children develop higher thinking skills and that social interaction is essential for language acquisition.

Key idea: Language and thought develop together and influence each other.

Case Study: Inner Speech

Vygotsky noted that young children often talk to themselves while playing (private speech). As they grow older, this becomes internalised as "inner speech" - the voice in our head that helps us think through problems. This suggests language becomes a tool for thinking.

Research Evidence on Language and Thought

Key Studies

🔬 Whorf's Study of Hopi

Whorf claimed the Hopi language lacked words for time, leading to a different conception of time. Later research showed this was incorrect - Hopi speakers do understand time concepts.

🔬 Boroditsky's Direction Study

When asked to arrange pictures in time order, English speakers arranged them from left to right, while Hebrew speakers (who read right to left) arranged them right to left.

🔬 Inuit Snow Words

The claim that Inuit people have dozens of words for snow is often cited as evidence for Sapir-Whorf. However, this has been exaggerated - English also has many snow-related terms.

Evaluating the Theories

Strengths and Limitations

When evaluating theories about language and thought, consider these points:

✅ Strengths

There is evidence that language can influence certain aspects of thought, particularly categorisation and memory.
Vygotsky's ideas about the social nature of language development are supported by research.
The weak version of Sapir-Whorf (linguistic relativity) has some empirical support.

❌ Limitations

The strong version of Sapir-Whorf (linguistic determinism) is not supported by evidence.
Many studies have methodological issues or have been misinterpreted.
It's difficult to separate the effects of language from other cultural factors.
People can think without language (e.g., using mental images).

Application and Real-World Examples

Understanding the relationship between language and thought has practical applications:

Education: Teachers can use language strategically to help students develop concepts.
Bilingualism: Learning multiple languages may provide cognitive benefits and different perspectives.
Marketing: The language used in advertising can influence how people perceive products.
Inclusive language: Changing language (e.g., gender-neutral terms) may help shift attitudes over time.

Interesting Fact: Bilingualism

Research suggests that bilingual people may switch between different perspectives when they switch languages. For example, bilingual people may describe the same event differently depending on which language they're using.

Review and Practice Tips

To prepare for your exam on language and thought:

Make sure you can explain the difference between the strong and weak versions of the Sapir-Whorf hypothesis.
Compare and contrast Piaget's and Vygotsky's views on language development.
Be able to describe at least two studies that provide evidence about the relationship between language and thought.
Practice evaluating theories by considering both supporting and challenging evidence.
Think about real-world applications of these theories.

Remember, in psychology, it's important to consider multiple perspectives and evaluate the evidence carefully. The relationship between language and thought is complex and no single theory fully explains it.

🧠 Test Your Knowledge!