Language and thought
- Piaget believed thought comes first, and language develops to express it.
- The Sapir-Whorf hypothesis suggests language affects thought: the words we have shape how we see the world. A strong version says language determines thought; a weaker version says it influences it.
- Evidence includes cultural differences in recognising and remembering colours and in recalling events, which may be linked to the words a language has.
Human and animal communication
- Animals communicate for survival, reproduction, territory and food. Von Frisch studied the "waggle dance" of bees, which shows other bees the direction and distance of food.
- Human language is different: we can discuss the past and future and things not present (displacement), create endless new sentences, and use language creatively.
Non-verbal communication
- Non-verbal communication includes eye contact, facial expressions, body language (open and closed postures, postural echo, touch) and personal space.
- Personal space varies with culture, status and gender.
- Darwin argued non-verbal communication evolved because it helped survival. Evidence that some expressions are innate comes from similar expressions across cultures and in babies born blind.
- Yuki found that Japanese people focus more on the eyes and American people more on the mouth when reading emotions, suggesting culture shapes non-verbal communication.
Key terms
- Sapir-Whorf hypothesis
- The idea that language affects thought.
- Displacement
- Talking about things not present, in the past or future.
- Waggle dance
- The movement bees use to show others where food is.
- Non-verbal communication
- Communication without words, such as body language.
- Postural echo
- Copying another person's body posture.
- Personal space
- The area around a person they consider their own.