Question 1

Psychologists have attempted to teach a number of nonhuman primates to communicate using American Sign Language. Which of the following statements accurately reflect the linguistic accomplishments of these animals
A)They can learn the signs for a large number of words.
B)They can combine signs into simple sentences.
C)They can learn signs simply through observation.
D)all of these

Accepted Answer

Nonhuman primates have demonstrated the ability to learn a significant number of signs, combine these signs into simple sentences, and acquire new signs through observation, reflecting the complexity and adaptability of their communication skills when taught American Sign Language.

Question 2

Overall, research attempting to teach animals to use language has found which of the following
A)Most animals can express complex thoughts using language
B)In comparison to humans, animals have more trouble learning language
C)Animals cannot learn any real language
D)The language spoken by animals is equivalent to language spoken by humans

Accepted Answer

Animals have demonstrated the ability to learn aspects of language, but they do not achieve the complexity or fluency that humans do, indicating they have more trouble learning and using language in the same way humans do.

Question 3

Psychologists have attempted to teach a number of nonhuman primates to communicate using American Sign Language. Which of the following statements accurately reflects a limitation of the linguistic accomplishments of these animals
A)In their use of signs, these animals focus overwhelmingly on food and pleasure; they communicate only rarely about social relationships.
B)Animal language is not nearly as creative and novel in its construction and use as human language is.
C)Nonhuman primates struggle to learn each new sign; learning language never gets any easier for them.
D)A, B, and C

Accepted Answer

Animal language is not nearly as creative and novel in its construction and use as human language is. Nonhuman primates struggle to learn each new sign; learning language never gets any easier for them. In their use of signs, these animals focus overwhelmingly on food and pleasure; they communicate only rarely about social relationships.

Question 4

Rather curiously, the German language distinguishes between 30 different kinds of kisses. You hypothesize that German speakers can tell the difference between one kiss and another with greater accuracy than can English speakers. How does such a prediction relate to the linguistic relativity hypothesis Is your hypothesis likely to be confirmed by empirical research
A)Such a prediction is consistent with the linguistic relativity hypothesis.Your hypothesis is likely to be confirmed by empirical research.
B)Such a prediction is consistent with the linguistic relativity hypothesis.Your hypothesis is not likely to be confirmed by empirical research.
C)Such a prediction is inconsistent with the linguistic relativity hypothesis.Your hypothesis is likely to be confirmed by empirical research.
D)Such a prediction is inconsistent with the linguistic relativity hypothesis.Your hypothesis is not likely to be confirmed by empirical research.

Accepted Answer

The linguistic relativity hypothesis suggests that the structure of a language affects its speakers' worldview or cognition. Predicting that German speakers can distinguish between different kinds of kisses because their language has more words for them is consistent with this hypothesis. However, empirical research has often found the effects of language on thought to be weaker than the hypothesis suggests, making it less likely that such a specific hypothesis would be confirmed.

Question 5

Perhaps the most controversial aspect of Chomsky's nature approach to language acquisition is:
A)the idea that the surface structure of linguistic expression is rapidly forgotten
B)the proposal that imitation is the main mechanism for language learning
C)the idea that reinforcement is insufficient to account for language acquisition
D)the notion of a universal grammar

Accepted Answer

Chomsky's most controversial idea is the notion of a universal grammar, which posits that the ability to acquire language is innate to humans and that all human languages share a common structural basis. This challenges previous theories that emphasized learning through imitation and reinforcement.

Question 6

A stroke in Broca's area would mainly impair language production rather than language comprehension

Accepted Answer

Broca's area is primarily responsible for language production and speech articulation, so a stroke affecting this area would more significantly impair the ability to produce language rather than the ability to understand it.

Question 7

In Chomsky's terms, expressing a thought in a sentence is a matter of translating:
A)the manifest structure into the latent structure
B)the latent structure into the manifest structure
C)the deep structure into the surface structure
D)the surface structure into the deep structure

Accepted Answer

Chomsky's theory involves translating the deep structure (the underlying meaning or thought) into the surface structure (the actual sentence as spoken or written).

Question 8

According to your text, Benjamin Whorf was a(n) __________.
A)anthropologist
B)biologist
C)linguist
D)psychologist

Accepted Answer

Benjamin Whorf was a linguist, best known for his ideas about linguistic relativity, the hypothesis that the structure of a language affects its speakers' world view or cognition.

Question 9

Which of the following defines linguistic relativity
A)The idea that language influences thought
B)The idea that some languages are better than others
C)The idea that thought influences language
D)The idea that intelligence limits language

Accepted Answer

Linguistic relativity, often associated with the Sapir-Whorf hypothesis, suggests that the structure of a language affects its speakers' world view or cognition. Hence, it posits that language influences thought.

Question 10

As compared to people who speak only one language, bilinguals
A)show superior analytic skills.
B)may be more cognitively flexible.
C)demonstrate better cognitive functioning.
D)A, B, and C

Accepted Answer

Bilinguals may exhibit superior analytic skills, more cognitive flexibility, and overall better cognitive functioning compared to monolinguals, as they constantly manage two linguistic systems, which can enhance mental capabilities.

Question 11

Which animal is the best nonhuman language speaker
A)Kayla, a whale
B)Freddy, a gorilla
C)Kanzi, a bonobo
D)Polly, a parrot

Accepted Answer

Kanzi, a bonobo, is renowned for his ability to communicate using a form of sign language and lexigrams, demonstrating a high level of understanding and use of human language constructs among nonhuman animals.

Question 12

Dr. Erskine believes that our thought processes are influenced by the language we speak. What is the relationship between Dr. Erskine's hypothesis and the linguistic relativity hypothesis
A)It is stronger than the linguistic relativity hypothesis.
B)It is unrelated to the linguistic relativity hypothesis
C)It opposes the linguistic relativity hypothesis.
D)It is nearly the same as the linguistic relativity hypothesis.

Accepted Answer

Dr. Erskine's hypothesis aligns with the linguistic relativity hypothesis, which suggests that the structure of a language affects its speakers' world view or cognition.

Question 13

"We think the way our language lets us," muses your French literature professor. This statement relates to the linguistic ___________ hypothesis.
A)generativity
B)universality
C)specificity
D)relativity

Accepted Answer

The statement relates to the linguistic relativity hypothesis, which suggests that the structure of a language affects its speakers' worldview or cognition. Essentially, it posits that people who speak different languages perceive and think about the world differently because of the linguistic structures they use.

Question 14

Which of the following statements best expresses the idea of linguistic relativity
A)Language is equivalent to thought.
B)Language influences thought.
C)Thought determines language.
D)Language is unrelated to thought.

Accepted Answer

Linguistic relativity, often associated with the Sapir-Whorf hypothesis, suggests that the structure of a language influences its speakers' worldview or cognition. Thus, the idea that language influences thought best encapsulates this concept.

Question 15

A phoneme is the smallest unit of meaning in language.

Accepted Answer

A phoneme is the smallest unit of sound in a language that can distinguish one word from another, not the smallest unit of meaning. The smallest unit of meaning is called a morpheme.

Question 16

Neural density in left-hemisphere language areas is ________ correlated with second-language proficiency and ________ correlated with the age at which a second language is acquired.
A)positively; negatively
B)positively; positively
C)positively; not
D)not; negatively

Accepted Answer

Neural density in left-hemisphere language areas is positively correlated with second-language proficiency, meaning higher neural density is associated with greater proficiency. It is negatively correlated with the age at which a second language is acquired, indicating that learning a second language at a younger age is associated with higher neural density.

Question 17

According to Benjamin Whorf, __________ plays a large part in shaping thought.
A)language
B)the harshness of one's environment
C)evolution
D)relationship dominance

Accepted Answer

Benjamin Whorf is known for the Sapir-Whorf Hypothesis, which posits that language significantly influences thought. According to this theory, the structure and vocabulary of one's language shape their worldview and cognitive processes.

Question 18

According to your text, approximately ______% of Americans grow up bilingual
A)5
B)10
C)20
D)25

Accepted Answer

Approximately 20% of Americans grow up bilingual, reflecting the linguistic diversity and multicultural heritage present in the United States.

Question 19

Your text states that a young chimpanzee named Loulis learned 70 signs simply by watching her mother, a chimpanzee named Washoe, use signs. Loulis demonstrated:
A)insight learning
B)observational learning
C)latent learning
D)operant conditioning

Accepted Answer

Loulis learned signs by observing his mother, which is a classic example of observational learning, where an individual acquires a new behavior by watching the actions of another.

Question 20

Your text states that in early psychological research comparing monolingual and bilingual children, the bilingual children were often of lower socioeconomic status than were their monolingual counterparts. In such research, the children's socioeconomic status was a(n) _______ variable.
A)predictor
B)confounding
C)control
D)outcome

Accepted Answer

The socioeconomic status in this context is a confounding variable because it is an external variable that could influence the results of the study (i.e., the comparison between monolingual and bilingual children) in an unintended way, making it difficult to isolate the effect of being bilingual.

Quiz 9: Intelligence and Language

Psychologists have attempted to teach a number of nonhuman primates to communicate using American Sign Language. Which of the following statements accurately reflect the linguistic accomplishments of these animals

Overall, research attempting to teach animals to use language has found which of the following

Psychologists have attempted to teach a number of nonhuman primates to communicate using American Sign Language. Which of the following statements accurately reflects a limitation of the linguistic accomplishments of these animals

Perhaps the most controversial aspect of Chomsky's nature approach to language acquisition is:

A stroke in Broca's area would mainly impair language production rather than language comprehension

In Chomsky's terms, expressing a thought in a sentence is a matter of translating:

According to your text, Benjamin Whorf was a(n) __________.

Which of the following defines linguistic relativity

As compared to people who speak only one language, bilinguals

Which animal is the best nonhuman language speaker

Dr. Erskine believes that our thought processes are influenced by the language we speak. What is the relationship between Dr. Erskine's hypothesis and the linguistic relativity hypothesis

"We think the way our language lets us," muses your French literature professor. This statement relates to the linguistic ___________ hypothesis.

Which of the following statements best expresses the idea of linguistic relativity

A phoneme is the smallest unit of meaning in language.

Neural density in left-hemisphere language areas is correlated with second-language proficiency and correlated with the age at which a second language is acquired.

According to Benjamin Whorf, __________ plays a large part in shaping thought.

According to your text, approximately ______% of Americans grow up bilingual

Your text states that a young chimpanzee named Loulis learned 70 signs simply by watching her mother, a chimpanzee named Washoe, use signs. Loulis demonstrated:

Your text states that in early psychological research comparing monolingual and bilingual children, the bilingual children were often of lower socioeconomic status than were their monolingual counterparts. In such research, the children's socioeconomic status was a(n) _______ variable.