Lecture 1 type up

• What is the Sapir-Whorf Hypothesis?


  It suggests that language influences thought and perception.
• What are the two forms of the Sapir-Whorf Hypothesis?


  Linguistic Relativity and Linguistic Determinism.
• What does Linguistic Relativity imply?


  Our language influences the way we perceive and think about the world.
• How does the Inuit language illustrate Linguistic Relativity?


  It has multiple words for snow, allowing nuanced perception of it.
• What is Linguistic Determinism?


  It posits that language determines the way we think.
• How does Linguistic Determinism differ from Linguistic Relativity?


  Linguistic Determinism claims language shapes thought entirely, while Relativity suggests it only influences perception.
• What is the "Modularity of the mind" theory proposed by Fodor?


  It suggests that the mind consists of distinct modules specialized for different cognitive functions.
• How do words categorize the world according to the Sapir-Whorf Hypothesis?


  • Words in a language create categories for perception.
  • Different languages categorize the world differently.
• What are the Russian words for light blue and dark blue?

  Light blue is "goluboy" and dark blue is "siniy."
• How do Russian speakers perform in distinguishing shades of blue compared to English speakers?


  Russian speakers are better at distinguishing shades from different categories.
• What is the prediction regarding Russian speakers' performance in distinguishing shades of blue?


  They should perform better when the shades are from different categories.
• What do the results indicate about Russian speakers' advantage in color discrimination?


  They perform better when options come from different categories compared to the same category.
• What are the two explanations for why Russian speakers might be better at color discrimination?

  1. Linguistic Determinism: They see blues differently due to language.
  2. Linguistic Mediation: Language activates color words, enhancing perception.
• What is the purpose of the interference task in the color discrimination study?


  To determine if Russian speakers have heightened sensitivity or if language aids their performance.
• What were the conditions manipulated in the interference task?


  None, spatial, and language interference.
• What should happen if Russian speakers have increased sensitivity in the color discrimination task?


  Their advantage should remain evident across all secondary task conditions.
• What were the results of the color discrimination task regarding Russian and English speakers?


  Russian speakers were faster than English speakers, especially with different categories.
• What conclusion can be drawn if Russian speakers lose their advantage in the language interference task?


  It suggests that heightened sensitivity is not the correct explanation.
• What do the results of the Russian blue study indicate about linguistic mediation?


  • Language mediates perception by activating corresponding color words.
  • This activation enhances perceptual discrimination.
• What was the aim of the wine expert study by Croijmans et al. (2021)?


  To determine if wine experts activate odour labels online during recognition tasks.
• What was the result of the wine expert study regarding novices and experts?


  Experts were much better than novices in discriminating the wines.
• How did the results of the wine expert study differ from the Russian blue study?


  Russian speakers lost their advantage in the language interference task, while wine experts did not.
• What implications arise from the contrasting results of the Russian blue study and the wine expert study?


  • Activation of word labels may depend on when expertise is acquired.
  • Early language acquisition may lead to automatic activation of labels.
• What is the main finding regarding wine experts and novices in recognizing wine odours?


  Wine experts are better at recognizing wine odours than novices.
• How does the language-interference condition affect wine experts compared to novices?


  The advantage of wine experts remains evident in the language-interference condition.
• What was observed about wine experts during the recognition task?


  Wine experts did not activate odour labels online in the recognition task.
• What contrasting results are shown between the Russian blue study and the wine expert study?


  The advantage in the language interference task was eliminated in the Russian blue study but not in the wine expert study.
• What is a key difference in the timing of expertise acquisition between Russian speakers and wine experts?


  Russian speakers learned their language as infants, while wine expertise is obtained later in life.
• What are the implications of practicing word-colour or word-odour associations from a young age?


  • Labels may be automatically activated if practiced from a young age.
  • Deeply ingrained associations in cognitive and perceptual systems.
  • Repeated exposure helps make these associations automatic.
• How does language influence the perception of colour and smell?


  Language influences but does not determine the perception of colour and smell.
• What is lower-order cognition?


  Lower-order cognition refers to basic cognitive processes that are usually automatic and require less conscious effort.
• What is higher-order cognition?


  Higher-order cognition involves more complex, deliberate, and conscious cognitive abilities.
• Are East Asians generally better at mathematics compared to other groups?


  Yes, East Asian children and teenagers are generally better at mathematics.
• How does language play a role in mathematics according to the study?


  Language may influence mathematics through the structure of numeral systems.
• How do numeral systems in Asian languages differ from English?


  Asian languages have a more consistent numeral system, making it easier to learn numbers.
• How do language differences affect the naming of shapes?


  Languages like Chinese have easier names for shapes, making them easier to remember.
• What is the significance of the Kuuk Thaayorre people's use of cardinal directions?


  They use cardinal directions instead of left and right, which helps them stay oriented.
• How do English speakers organize time compared to Kuuk Thaayorre speakers?


  English speakers organize time from left to right, while Kuuk Thaayorre speakers organize it based on cardinal directions.
• What challenges do speakers of languages without exact number words face?


  They have trouble keeping track of exact quantities and do not count effectively.
• How do languages differ in their division of the colour spectrum?


  Some languages have many words for colours, while others have only a few.