Dr. Ebert believes that language directly influences how we view our world. As such, a native English speaker who learns Spanish as an adult can never fully understand the world the same way that a native Spanish speaker does. Dr. Ebert's views are most compatible with the ____.
A) strong form of the Whorfian hypothesis
B) weak form of the Whorfian hypothesis
C) poverty of stimulus argument
D) any form of the linguistic relativity hypothesis

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Dr. Ebert's belief that language directly influences our view of the world aligns with the strong form of the Whorfian hypothesis, which states that language determines thought and perception. The weak form of the Whorfian hypothesis suggests that language influences thought and perception to a certain extent, but other factors also play a role. The poverty of stimulus argument relates to the idea that humans have an innate ability to learn language without explicit instruction. Any form of the linguistic relativity hypothesis (which encompasses both strong and weak forms of the Whorfian hypothesis) suggests that language has an influence on the way we perceive and think about the world.

Dr Ebert Believes That Language Directly Influences How We View