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Schema
A mental framework of beliefs and expectations that influence cognitive processing. We are born with some schemas but they develop in complexity with experience of the world.
Piaget's theory: language & thought
Language depends on thought
•Children develop language by matching the correct words to their existing knowledge of the world
•Understanding of a concept (schema) comes first then they learn how to express their understanding of it - through the words they use
Piaget - thought and understanding come first
then language develops after
Young children
•If a child learns a word before they have a schema for that word they are simply parroting it.
•Language can exist without thought but a child can only use language properly when they understand what they are talking about
Development of language - Piaget theory
•Children don't begin to speak until the end of their first year
•Before age of 1 = developing schemas as learn to co-ordinate sensory & motor information
•Understand the idea or concept of language before they begin to use it
•Age 2 onwards - language development makes rapid progress
•Can talk about things not physically present eg future and their feelings
Still self centred. Can't see things from another's point of view
Logical thinking - Piaget theory
•By 7 - language use becomes much more mature and logical
•As begin to decentre they can consider and talk about the views of others
Begin to question
criticise and come up with new ideas of their own.
children think differently to adults
•Difference in thinking expressed in language used
•Animism - all things are alive
•Expressed their understanding in their language
•Bumped head on the 'naughty table'
•Calling a plant 'tired' when it was wilting
•'Did it cry when the hole was made' on seeing a hollow horse chestnut tree
•(Piaget
Evaluation of Piaget's Theory(language
thought and communication
•Early language development is not random
•When children start talking they may use two-word phrases eg 'mummy-sock'
•Children already have some understanding of the relationship between objects and people in real world before they start to talk
•If they didn't
their early talk would just be unconnected words
•Suggests children start to use language only when they have developed the right schema - supports Piaget's theory
Language comes first
•Sapir-Whorf hypothesis suggests the opposite to Piaget's theory
•Can only think about and understand the world through the language available to them.
•If someone is raised in a culture where there is no word or phrase for a particular idea
then that person isn't able to think about this
•Supported by cross-cultural studies of language and thought
So: Sapir-Whorf suggests Piaget was wrong about the relationship and thought. At least some of the time language may come first
-Schemas
•Schemas cannot be scientifically measured
•How do we know someone has developed a schema?
•They can't be measured
•If they can't be measured
there is no proof they are there
•Suggests that Piaget's theory of language and thought is not based on solid scientific evidence
Sapir-wharf hypothesis
The theory suggests that the language a person speaks has a great influence on the way they think and perceive. The weak version of the hypothesis says that language affects what we perceive and remember. The strong version says that language determines thought
thinking depends on language
§Sapir & Whorf believed language comes first and thought comes after
§Words influence our thoughts
memories and perceptions
§But
§There is a difference between saying words influence our thoughts and saying words determine our thoughts
Two versions of the hypothesis
a strong version and a weak version
Strong version
The strong version: Language determines thought
§Language determines thought
§If a language has no words for a certain thought
object or idea
§The language you learn determines what you can think about
Can be difficult to translate some words and ideas from one language to another - give me examples?!
Franz Boas (1911) - also worked with Sapir - described Inuit language as having 4 different words for snow. Whorf increased it to 7. some sources say now 27
Language and culture are linked The Inuit are able to think about and perceive snow in ways not available to English langage speakers who haven't grown up in that culture using that language
Weak version
The weak version: Language influences thought
§Language influences the way we think about things but does not completely determine what they think
§It is possible for native speakers of English to think about the different types of snow identified in the Inuit language without having the actual words for the variation
Inuit words for 'soft snow on the ground'
fine snow carried by the wind'
Which version is better?
§Sapir & Whorf both preferred the weaker version of the hypothesis
§Cross-cultural studies have shown how language can influence thinking in two ways:
§Perception & memory
Information more easily described in a particular language will be better remembered and more easily perceived than information that's more difficult to describe
Behaviorist challnge
Behaviourist challenge
§John Watson (1919)
§Thinking is a form of sub-vocal speech (i.e. unspoken)
§Thinking involves tiny movements of the tongue and larynx
Dr Scott Smith 1947
Behaviourists are only interested in behaviour that can be observed and measured
Dr smith - took a form of poison - curare - paralyses all muscles - even the tiny ones in the vocal chords. If Watson was right
Smith would lose the ability to think. He didn't. Did lose the ability to breathe and was kept alive using an oxygen supply. Smith was even able to solve puzzles whilst under the influence of the poison. More to thinking than sub-vocal speech
Evaluation of Sapir-wharf
-The differences are exaggerated
§Evidence of language differences may be exaggerated
§Geoffrey Pellum (1989) 'Great Eskimo vocabulary Hoax'
§Quanik - snow in the air
§Aput - snow on the ground
Challenges the conclusion that language may determine thought - language differences between Inuit and English speakers may not be all that great
Thoughts come before language
§Just because a culture has more words doesn't mean that the words came first
§Even if the Inuit language does have more words for snow
the more important question is why
§Suggests that language develops because of the way we perceive our environment not the other way around.
§Thoughts (about the environment) come before language as Piaget suggested
Sapir & Whorf did not consider why there are cultural differences in language
More likely explanation is that the Inuit language reflects the environment within which its population live. If there is always lots of snow
then the language which develops will include lots of different words for snow because the Inuit experience will have led them to make finer distinctions between types of snow. SO
+restricted and elaborated code
§Explains the link between language and intelligence
§Basil Bernstein (1961)
§Called restricted and elaborated codes
§Intelligence influenced by language they hear and speak
§Working class children will always fall behind in school because the restricted code they use will have a negative effect on their ability to think
§If there is a link between the language you use and intelligence
this would support the Sapir-Whorf hypothesis that language influences thought