Language and Thought
Language

Announcements

• Thought paper due on Thursday.
• Psy Chi is meeting Wednesday, 10/17/01, at 5 P.M. in Wilson 115. Dr. Denise Davis will be speaking about career opportunities in clinical psychology, volunteer opportunities in the community, and preparing for graduate school.

Important Properties of Human
Languages

Languages are Communicative

• Human languages are specialized for communication.

Languages are Symbolic

• Languages use symbols not "signs;" the symbols have conventional meanings.

Languages are Rule-based

• A language is a system of rules that allows the user to produce and to recover meanings out of sequences of symbols.
• Which combinations of sounds are permissible and which are not?
• Which words have related meanings and which do not?
• Which sequences of words have meaning and which do not?

Languages are Hierarchical

• Phonemes
• Morphemes
• Words
• Phrases
• Sentences
• Discourse

Languages are "Timeless"

• Languages can be used to communicate about things outside of immediate experience.

Languages are Dynamic

• New words can be created to communicate new ideas:
• web, netcrawler, cyberspace, boybands, bioterrorism, Britneys
• Languages change.

Example of a "closed" communication system: Tail-wagging dance

• Direction
• Distance
• Quality

 

Components of a Grammar

Phonology

• Rules that specify the permissible sounds and combinations of sounds in a language.

Semantics

• Rules that specify how the meanings of words are related to the meanings of other words.

Pragmatics (part of Semantics)

• Rules that specify "extra-linguistic" aspects of meaning.

Syntax

• Rules that specify how words can be combined to form sentences and how different sentences are related to each other.

Language & Thought

• Does language determine thought or does thought determine language?

Sapir-Whorf Hypothesis

• Linguistic determinism and linguistic relativity: Speakers of different languages think in different ways.

Evidence

• No evidence that language determines cognition.
• But there is evidence that thinking is influenced by language.

Evidence

• The counting and mathematics achievement of Chinese children may be facilitated by the number-naming system of Chinese languages.
• English nouns tend to classify by shape; other languages (Yucatec Maya) tend to classify by substance. Visual categorization follows the language.

Language & The Brain

• Aphasia: Disturbance to language caused by damage to the brain.
• Three major types: Broca's, Wernicke's, Anomic.

Broca's Aphasia

• Nonfluent, "telegraphic" speech
• Anomic
• Comprehension may be spared
• Recognize disability; depressed

Wernicke's Aphasia

• Fluent but nonsensical
• Normal phrase length
• Poor comprehension
• May not recognize problem; frustrated but may not be depressed

Anomic Aphasia

• Difficulty finding words to express ideas
• Comprehension and reading may be spared

Examples

• H., S., & W.
• R.H.
• Intelligent, articulate, avid reader.
• Acquired herpes simplex infection in left hemisphere 12/97. Diffuse damage.
• Classical anomic aphasia; can't read or write.

Summary

• Human language is a unique form of animal communication.
• Languages are rule governed at several levels.
• Thought is not determined by language, but it may be influenced by language.
• Damage to the brain, esp., the LH, can cause disturbances to language called "aphasia."