Language&thought
piagets theory
- language depends on thought
- understanding of a concept (schema) comes before the language for it, language develops alongside cognitive stages
- stages of development, can't learn about something until cognitively ready and the features of speech in all the stages S(sounds) P(egocentric) C(logical thinking) F(abstract&complex)
- children can repeat words without understanding (parrot) but cant use language to communicate effectively until cognitive understanding is developed
piagets theory strength
-matches real world observations of child lang development
- babies imitate words but cant use them to communicate effectively until they have a schema for the concept
- this shows his theory has high face validity
piagets theory weakness
- schemas cant be tested scientifically
- it is difficult to objectively study internal cognitive processes such as schemas, cant be measured
- lacks evidence and lacks internal (construct) validity as it is based on inferences
- sapir whorf hypothesis states opposite
- explain sapir whorf theory + how it has research support eg. himba tribe, only one word for blue and green, found it harder ti distinguish between the 2
- suggests piaget may have been wrong
linguistic determinism
the structure of our language determines how we think
sapir whorf theory of language
- language comes before thought
- strong vers. language determines thought, without the language for something you cant think ab it
- weak vers. language/words influence thought but doesnt exactly determine thoughts, simply makes it easier to think about things if you have the language for it
- if a cultures language lacks the words for a concept they cant understand it the same way someone would if their culture has those words
sapir whorf theory strength
p - supported by robertson's study
e- berinmo tribe new guinea language only has 5 colour names, they had trouble distinguishing colours that werent distinguished in gheir language
a- they didnt have the language for these colours so werent able to think anout them, adds validity to the idea language influences thought
(h: issues w cross cultural research)
P: A strength of the Sapir-Whorf hypothesis is that it has practical applications in education.
E: For example, it can explain why some students from lower socioeconomic backgrounds may underperform, as they may lack access to elaborated language codes and a wide vocabulary, making it harder for them to think about and express complex ideas. This has informed teaching practices, such as explicitly teaching key vocabulary in lessons before students fully understand it.
A: This supports the idea that language influences thought, as improving students’ vocabulary can enhance their understanding and academic performance, showing the theory has real-world usefulness.
sapir whorf theory weakness
p- piaget suggests opposite
e- piaget suggests (..)
a- suggests sapir whorf may have been wrong, questions validity of theory
p- a weakness of sapir whorf hypothesis is that language may not strongly influence thought
e- innuit having 1000 words for snow doesnt neccesarily mean they have a deeper understanding of it as english speakers could use snow with a descriptive word before eg, wet, powdery.
a- limits difference in understanding& perception, therefore language may influence thought less than theory claims, reduces validity of theory
issues with cross cultural research
difficulties in translation (task&answer)
high demand chatacteristics (berinmo tribe hadnt seen many outsiders, remote tribe)
outline differences between piaget and sapir-whorf theory of language (6)
piaget
- you cant discuss something before you have the schema for it, lang depends on thought
- language develops alongside stages of development
- eg, pre operational are still egocentric & havent decentered so most of their language = I & Me statements
in CONTRAST sapir whorf
- thought depends on language
- strong vers: if you dont have the language for something you CANT think ab it
- following contradictory research, weak vers created. you can still think about smt u dont have the words for, it just makes it more difficult
Von Frisch's bee study outline
A: to investigate how honey bees communicated the location of food through movement
M: (controlled observation)a glass hive was used so he could observe and record bee movements
bees were fed sugar water from dif locations away from the hive, at these locations bees were marked with paint for identification in the glass hive. more than 6000 observations of honey bees over 20 years
R: through observation he found that the bees movements corresponded with the distance the sugar water (food) was away. round dance fir less than 100m away, waggle dance fir more than 100m away, slower dance = further away, angle of waggle dance = direction of pollen
C: bees communicate using movement ti identify the location of food
what is a controlled observation
an observation (recirding what can be seen) in an environment set up by researcher
verbal communication
the use of words to pass information between people. words can be spoken but verbal communication also includes reading and writing
non verbal communication
any other way info can be passed between people eg. facial expressions, body language also factors such as tone and volume (non verbal communication within verbal communication)
eye contact uses in nvc
regulating flow of convo
singnalling attraction
expressing emotion
how is eye contact used to regulate flow of convo
correct timing of eye contact indicates when leading the convo switched to the other person. provides info about listeners level of interest. a person looks away when theyre about ti start speaking, holds eye contact when theyre about to stop, signalling the end of their turn and the start of the next persons
what is meant by eye contact
a form of nvc where two people will look directly into eachothers eyes (or avoid eye contact) to pass on social meaning
how is eye contact used to signal attraction
- people who make eye contact are judged ti be more attractive than those who dont
- 100+ pictures of faces looking at or away from camera (same faces looking at or away shown to dif ppts) direct gaze were consistently rated more attractive, even true for those pulling digusted faces
- extended holding of eye contact is used to indicate attraction ("flirting"). holding eye contact demonstrates paying attention and interest
- eye contact across a crowded room indicates attraction
how is eye contact used to express emotion
amount of eye contact in combination with facial expressions can communicate level of emotion felt witb people appearing more intensely emotional if they jold eye contal while expressing said emotion on their face
body language
a form of nvc in which the position or gestures of body parts passes on info, often relating to the persons internal emotional state
open posture
an open posture is relaxed and expanisve with open arms and facing towards the other person. demonstrates self confidence, approval and acceptance of the other person and willingness to engage
closed posture
rigid, tense, facing away and hunched positioning indicating defensiveness, rejection, disagreement and lack of interest
postural echo
the mirroring of body positioning and movements between two people in a social interaction, tends to suggest two people are getting along and demonstrates interest
touch
used to indicate affection for or dominance over the other person.
Individuals are more likely to have a positive view of an individual if they use
touch in their social interactions. This can help foster feelings of closeness
and connection
personal space
distance from our bodies we see as "our own" and expect others to avoid to maintain a comfortable distance. varies depending on relationship and context.
how does personal space vary?
contact cultures (south america, south europe, middle east) tend to have smaller personal space than non cobtact cultures (north america, asia, north europe)
gender: the personal space between men tends to be larger than between women
status: people of a similar social status will have a smaller personal soace between them compared to people of different social status between them
yukis study of emoticons outline
a- investigate if there are cultural differences in the interpretation of emotion in the use of emoticons(emojis)
m- japanese and american students presebted w emoticons. they displayed 6 combinations of eyes abd mouths that were either sad, neutral or happy. ppts rated the happiness of each face on a scale 1-9
r- emoticons rated happiest by americans if they had happy mouths, whereas rated happiest by japanese if they had happy eyes, same for sadness (america rated by mouth, jspan by eyes)
c- japanese and americans have dif interpretations of the same face expressions, focusing on different parts of the face to interpret emotions. americans gave more weight to mouth and japanese gave more weight to eyes.
examples of language affecting thought (supporting sapir-whorf theory)
solomon islanders 9 words for coconut
phillipines 92 words for rice
innuit over 1000 words to do w snow, ice, freezing, melting
Shows a deeper and different perception of those objects than english speakers, mught find it easier to think ab etc.
Hopi: no normal concept of time
emotion in spanish vs english "i am in a state of" vs "i am" means english speakers find it harder to get out of negative mindset as they more easily internalise it as identity
accidents in english v spanish "x broke the vase" vs "the vase broke" english speakers mlre likely to remember who broke it vs spanish speakers more likely to remember it was an accident
sapir whorf theory link to eyewitness testimonies
- language shapes recall
- wording changes how events are remembered
- loftus& palmer study: ppts watched clips of car accidents and were asked how fast were the cars going when they smashed/ collided/bumped/hit/ contacted eachother, higher speed estimates for stronger words like smashed, lower speed estimates for softer words like contacted. some falsely remembered seeing broken glass when there wasnt any
- supports sapir whorf theory (lang influences thought)
what are the 4 main functions of animal communication
Survival
reproduction
territory
food
animal communication for survival
animals that live in groups & are preyed on have alarm calls to alert the group about predators
meerkats: range of calls, different sounds depending on if the predator is in air or on the ground. call also varies based on distance, and body language is used to communicate direction.
rabbits signal danger by pinning ears back and putting tails up
animal communication for reproduction
many female animals can only get pregnant certain times of year, this is communicated through pheromones and body language to display fertility
male peacock attracts females by displaying feathers
animal communication for territory
animals fight to protect territory
eg. scent signals, dogs pissing on lamp posts
animal communication for food
pack hunting animals co-ordinate attacks with sound eg. wolves, killer whales
honey bees use the waggle dance to indicate location of food
human vs animal communication
displacement: humans can plan ahead, discussing past present and future and abstract concepts eg justice and culture. whereas animals focus on here&now(increased functions of human communication comapred to animal)
single vs multiple channels: humans can communicate in many dif ways (speech, gesture, writing, facial expressions) whereas animals are more limited
creativity: animals use a closed system, likited ways of communication whereas humans have an open system, new ideas can be expressed and new meanings can be created not just repetition
Duality (double articulation)
Humans: Sounds (phonemes) combine to make words, which combine to make sentences
Animals: Signals don’t usually combine in this complex way
humans have less reliance on body lang signalling due to complex lang skill
weaknesses of von frisch's bee study.
p: ignored sound& pheromone communications
e: when bees danced noiselessly, others didnt find the food source
a: reductionist
p: artificial setting
e: wild bees dont drink sugar water, cant be sure ghis is how wild bees actually behave
a: reduces ecological validity
strengths of von frischs bee study
P: A strength of the bee study is that it had high internal validity.
E: Von Frisch changed the location of food sources and observed that the waggle dance changed accordingly.
A: This shows the dance directly communicates distance and direction, making the findings more credible.
strengths of nvc
p: there are practical applications
e: understanding body lamguage signals is important and useful in daily life in fields such as healthcare (understanding those with trouble communicating) and security/ policing (identify deception)
a: shows nvc is used in real world situations and isnt just theoretical
weakness of nvc
p: research is often subjective
e: open to researcher bias as tgey have to interpret what they see. often unconscious process therefore participants are unlikely to accurately self report
a: this means much of the research surrounding it could lack internal validity and be innacurate.
evaluate nature role in nvc (+,-)
+p: neonates display a pre cry expression of sadness. sensory deprived (blind since birth) still smile
e: they show these face expressions without ever having seen them modelled
a: this shows that nature has a role in body language as otherwise sensory deptived children wouldnt be able to smile like their peers
-p: researh may be innacurate die to researcher bias
e: researchers may interpret babies body language in a way to support their theory. there is also cross cultural evidence that body language varies, tgerefore it may be learnt
a: this would mean studies on nurtures effect on nvc lack validity
evaluate nurture role in nvc (+,-)
+p: individual differences in peoples expressions of body lang such as comfort level with personal space
e: this asw as our tendency to vary nvc depending on context suggests it being a learned behaviour
cross cultural research (yukis study) shows americans and japanese look at dif parts of face to interpret emotion
a: shows nvc partly relies on culture and learned behaviours
-p: neonates can smile& pre cry sadness
e: they havent onserved this behaviour
a: this is natural- interactionist approach is best
eval of yukis study (+,-,-)
+p: supported by a range of cross cultural research
e: for example rachael e jacks study "cultural confusions show that facial expressions are not universal" reinforces that people from east and west cultured have dif ways of seeing the world
a: this shows the study has a high external validity and is accurate
-p : not applicable to real life settings
e: use of emoticons rather than real faces which are more complex and have a movement factor in interpreting emotion
a: lacks ecological validity
-p: demand characteristic
e: ppta knew they were in a lab study
a: lowers internal validity
darwins theory eval (+,-)
+p: body language is proven to havw a genetic origin
e: its observed in neonates and sensory deprived at birth
a: indicates a genetic origin selected for by evolutionary pressures
-p: cross cultural differences in body language
e: yukis study shows variation in how different groups express&interpret it
a: if body language was purely evolutionary it would be universal and more optimised between all humans
outline darwins theory of evolution
- evolution : traits that help survival & reproduction are selected for and passed on in a species. cqn be physical or behavioural
- nv communiction is evolved &adaptive meaning it increqses chance of survival
- human babies show body lang designed to cause caregiving behaviour from those around it
- animal behaviours such as dominance displays in primates are evolved and innate as primates raised in isolation respond appropriately to pics of other primates displaying threatening body lang