Question 1

Which of the following is NOT an essential type of rule contained in a language grammar?
A)phonology
B)heuristics
C)syntax
D)semantics

Accepted Answer

Phonology, syntax, and semantics are all essential components of language grammar. Phonology refers to the study of the sound system of a language, syntax refers to the structure of sentences and phrases, and semantics refers to the meaning of words and phrases. Heuristics, on the other hand, are not an essential type of rule contained in language grammar. Heuristics refer to problem-solving techniques or strategies that may be used to learn or apply grammar rules, but they are not an inherent part of the grammar itself.

Question 2

Luke is trying to devise a plan to defeat the latest scheme of the evil Empire.Luke is going through the process technically known as:
A)introspection
B)learning
C)thinking
D)maturation

Accepted Answer

Luke is actively using his cognitive abilities to analyze the situation and come up with a solution. This process is commonly referred to as thinking. Introspection involves self-reflection and examination of one's thoughts and feelings, learning refers to gaining knowledge or skills, and maturation involves the natural process of growth and development.

Question 3

A space explorer has discovered life forms on an alien planet that can communicate, but the explorer decides the aliens don't really have a true language.This is because the alien's communication system lacks a set of rules collectively known as:
A)pragmatics
B)phonology
C)heuristics
D)grammar

Accepted Answer

Grammar refers to the set of rules that govern the structure and composition of a language. Without a set of rules, communication cannot be considered language. While phonology (the study of the sounds used in a language) and pragmatics (the study of how context affects language use) are important components of language, they alone do not constitute a complete language system. Heuristics refer to problem-solving strategies, which are not directly related to language.

Question 4

Phonology, syntax, and semantics are three aspects of:
A)morphemes
B)heuristics
C)pragmatics
D)grammar

Accepted Answer

Phonology, syntax, and semantics are three components of grammar, which is the system of rules governing the structure and use of language. Morphemes are the smallest units of meaning in language, while heuristics refer to problem-solving strategies and pragmatics are the ways in which context and social factors affect language use.

Question 5

When three-year-old Garret is coloring a picture, he carefully selects a brown crayon to color a tree trunk, a green crayon for the leaves in the tree, and a red crayon for the bird in the tree.When Garret is asked to name the colors he has been using, he confidently answers "blue" each time.The fact that Garret can distinguish between the colors, even though he can't accurately name them yet, suggests that:
A)the linguistic relativity hypothesis provides an accurate description of the link between thought and language
B)the exemplar theory provides the best explanation of the way in which new categories are formed
C)the linguistic relativity hypothesis does not accurately reflect the link between thought and language
D)the prototype theory does not provide an adequate description of the way in which new categories are formed

Accepted Answer

Garret's ability to distinguish between colors despite not being able to accurately name them suggests that the linguistic relativity hypothesis, which proposes that language shapes and affects thought, may not be entirely accurate. If language were the sole determinant of thinking and categorization, Garret would not be able to differentiate between the colors he is using. However, his ability to distinguish between them shows that there may be other cognitive processes at work in categorization and thinking. This is evidence against the linguistic relativity hypothesis, which suggests that language determines all aspects of thought and cognition.

Question 6

Thinking involves:
A)committing newly encountered facts to memory
B)the development of new behaviors through reinforcement
C)the mental manipulation of knowledge
D)developing new patterns of problem solving through maturation

Accepted Answer

Thinking involves mental manipulation of knowledge, which means analyzing and processing information, drawing conclusions, making decisions, and problem-solving. It is an active process that requires cognitive skills such as attention, perception, memory, language, and creativity. Therefore, option C is the best choice as it closely describes what thinking involves. Options A, B, and D are incorrect because they do not provide a comprehensive and accurate description of thinking.

Question 7

Imagine that anthropologists found a culture that had over 80 different words for rice.If researchers also found that the people in this culture thought about and perceived rice in different and more elaborate ways than people who have only one word for rice, it would:
A)support the prototype theory of categorization
B)support the linguistic relativity hypothesis
C)provide evidence that the exemplar theory of categorization is incorrect
D)provide evidence that the linguistic relativity hypothesis is incorrect

Accepted Answer

The fact that the culture has over 80 different words for rice suggests that they have a more elaborate and nuanced understanding of rice. This aligns with the linguistic relativity hypothesis, which argues that language affects how we think and perceive the world around us. The more words a language has for a particular concept, the more attention and importance it may hold in the culture's worldview. Therefore, the presence of multiple words for rice supports the idea that language shapes thought and perception.

Question 8

Grammar refers to the rules:
A)governing how to combine words into sentences
B)governing the practical usage of language
C)of language concerning how to combine sounds to create words
D)of language that enable the communicator to combine symbols to convey meaning

Accepted Answer

The answer of Grammar refers to the rules:
A)governing how to...

Question 9

The language Dani is spoken in the Amazon rainforest.The language has just two color words, one to refer to darkly colored objects and one to refer to lightly colored objects.Some researchers have argued that the Dani would not be able to perceive the entire color spectrum because the language lacks words for all the colors.This view is referred to as:
A)linguistic adaptation
B)cognitive linguistics
C)linguistic grammar
D)linguistic relativity

Accepted Answer

The view that language shapes our perception of reality is known as linguistic relativity, also known as the Sapir-Whorf hypothesis. In the case of the Dani language, the lack of specific color terms suggests that their perception of color may be different from those who have a more elaborate color vocabulary in their language. This view is consistent with the idea of linguistic relativity.

Question 10

The rules of language that enable the communicator to combine symbols to convey meaning are a language's:
A)pragmatics
B)phonology
C)heuristics
D)grammar

Accepted Answer

Grammar refers to the set of rules that dictate how words are combined to communicate meaning in a language. Pragmatics refers to the practical aspects of communication, such as how language is used in social situations. Phonology refers to the study of the sounds used in a particular language. Heuristics refer to problem-solving strategies or rules of thumb. Therefore, the best choice is D, as it specifically refers to the rules of language structure.

Question 11

A language is a communication system made up of rules, which are collectively referred to as:
A)heuristics
B)algorithms
C)grammar
D)syntax

Accepted Answer

While heuristics and algorithms can be used to solve problems, they are not applicable to describing language structure. Syntax refers to the ordering of words in a sentence, while grammar encompasses a broader range of rules, including syntax, semantics, and phonology. Therefore, the best choice is C) grammar, as it encompasses all the rules that make up a language communication system.

Question 12

The activities that underlie all forms of thought are technically known as:
A)introspection
B)learning
C)cognition
D)maturation

Accepted Answer

The term "cognition" refers to the mental activities involved in thinking, knowing, perceiving, and remembering. It encompasses all forms of thought, including perception, attention, problem-solving, decision making, and more. Introspection refers specifically to the process of examining one's own thoughts and feelings, while learning and maturation are more specific terms that do not encompass all forms of thought.

Question 13

The linguistic relativity hypothesis predicts that:
A)language and thought should develop independently
B)people in all cultures should think alike, despite their language differences
C)language development should consistently lag behind cognitive development
D)people should have difficulty thinking about things they cannot describe in words

Accepted Answer

The linguistic relativity hypothesis, also known as the Sapir-Whorf hypothesis, suggests that language shapes the way people think and perceive the world around them. In other words, the words and grammatical structures of a language influence how speakers think and perceive reality. This can cause difficulties in thinking about things that cannot be easily expressed in words, making option D the correct answer. Option A is incorrect because the linguistic relativity hypothesis suggests that language and thought are intimately connected. Option B is incorrect because the hypothesis predicts that people from different cultures will think differently due to their language differences. Option C is also incorrect because although the hypothesis suggests that language influences thought, it does not propose that language development always lags behind cognitive development.

Question 14

The term cognition refers to:
A)committing newly encountered facts to memory
B)the activities that underlie all forms of thought
C)developing new patterns of problem solving through maturation
D)the development of new behaviors through reinforcement

Accepted Answer

Cognition is a broad term that refers to all mental activities and processes associated with thinking, learning, and understanding. This includes perception, attention, memory, problem-solving, decision making, and language processing. Therefore, option B, "the activities that underlie all forms of thought," best describes cognition among the given options.

Question 15

Scientists who study the processes underlying all forms of thought are called:
A)cognitive psychologists
B)neuroscientists
C)heuristic psychologists
D)developmental psychologists

Accepted Answer

Cognitive psychology focuses on the mental processes involved in all aspects of human thought, including perception, attention, language, memory, problem-solving, and reasoning. Therefore, scientists studying these processes are referred to as cognitive psychologists. Neuroscientists, on the other hand, focus more on the structure and function of the nervous system as it relates to behavior and cognition. Heuristic psychologists study problem-solving strategies, while developmental psychologists focus on how individuals change and develop over time.

Question 16

The linguistic relativity hypothesis suggests:
A)the speed of language acquisition relates to the richness of language in the environment
B)language influences thought and perception
C)good language requires being informative, truthful, relevant, and clear
D)language is highly correlated with intelligence

Accepted Answer

The linguistic relativity hypothesis suggests that language influences thought and perception, meaning that the language one speaks can shape how they perceive and process the world around them. It suggests that language is not just a tool for communication, but it can also affect how individuals think and perceive the world. The other options (A, C, and D) are not specific to the linguistic relativity hypothesis.

Question 17

According to the linguistic relativity hypothesis, language:
A)shapes how we think and how we perceive the world
B)shapes the way we think, but not our perceptions of the world
C)shapes our perceptions of the world, but not the way we think
D)has only a minimal influence on thought processes and perception

Accepted Answer

The linguistic relativity hypothesis, also known as the Sapir-Whorf hypothesis, suggests that the language we speak shapes how we think and perceive the world around us. This means that the language we use influences our thought processes and our perception of the world, making option A the best choice. While language does not completely determine our thoughts and perceptions, it does influence and shape them to a considerable extent.

Question 18

American Sign Language is considered a true language because it has a set of rules that enable the communicator to convey meaning.These rules are collectively known as:
A)pragmatics
B)phonology
C)heuristics
D)grammar

Accepted Answer

American Sign Language, like any other language, has a set of grammatical rules that allow communicators to convey meaning. Therefore, the correct choice is D) Grammar.

Question 19

The view that language shapes how we think and how we perceive the world is called:
A)linguistic adaptation
B)cognitive linguistics
C)linguistic grammar
D)linguistic relativity

Accepted Answer

Linguistic relativity, also known as the Sapir-Whorf hypothesis, proposes that the language we use influences how we perceive and think about the world. This theory suggests that different languages lead to different cognitive patterns and can impact how we categorize and experience the world. This concept has been debated among linguists and cognitive scientists, but it remains an important idea in the field of linguistics.

Question 20

The processes that underlie the mental manipulation of knowledge, usually in an attempt to reach a goal or solve a problem, are called:
A)introspection
B)learning
C)thinking
D)maturation

Accepted Answer

The processes described in the question are best described as thinking, which involves the manipulation of knowledge to achieve a specific goal or solve a problem. Introspection refers to the examination of one's own thoughts and feelings, while learning involves the acquisition of new knowledge or skills. Maturation refers to the natural development and growth of an organism.

Quiz 9: Language and Thought

Which of the following is NOT an essential type of rule contained in a language grammar?

Luke is trying to devise a plan to defeat the latest scheme of the evil Empire.Luke is going through the process technically known as:

A space explorer has discovered life forms on an alien planet that can communicate, but the explorer decides the aliens don't really have a true language.This is because the alien's communication system lacks a set of rules collectively known as:

Phonology, syntax, and semantics are three aspects of:

Thinking involves:

Imagine that anthropologists found a culture that had over 80 different words for rice.If researchers also found that the people in this culture thought about and perceived rice in different and more elaborate ways than people who have only one word for rice, it would:

Grammar refers to the rules:

The rules of language that enable the communicator to combine symbols to convey meaning are a language's:

A language is a communication system made up of rules, which are collectively referred to as:

The activities that underlie all forms of thought are technically known as:

The linguistic relativity hypothesis predicts that:

The term cognition refers to:

Scientists who study the processes underlying all forms of thought are called:

The linguistic relativity hypothesis suggests:

According to the linguistic relativity hypothesis, language:

American Sign Language is considered a true language because it has a set of rules that enable the communicator to convey meaning.These rules are collectively known as:

The view that language shapes how we think and how we perceive the world is called:

The processes that underlie the mental manipulation of knowledge, usually in an attempt to reach a goal or solve a problem, are called: