Question 1

The superiority of Asian children in acquiring early counting skills can be attributed to:
A) more rigorous teaching standards
B) genetic factors
C) strategies for teaching place value
D) a higher cultural regard for mathematics

Accepted Answer

Research suggests that the teaching of place value is the key to counting skills. Asian cultures often teach this concept earlier and more explicitly than Western cultures, leading to Asian children demonstrating higher counting skills at an earlier age. This difference in teaching strategies is likely to be the cause of the observed differences, rather than genetic or cultural factors.

Question 2

Whereas English makes a distinction between putting things in and putting things on, Korean makes a distinction between:
A) putting large versus small objects into containers
B) putting things in tight versus loose containers
C) putting things temporarily versus permanently into containers
D) putting things into round versus rectangular containers

Accepted Answer

Korean distinguishes between putting things into tight versus loose containers, reflecting a nuanced approach to spatial relationships that is not emphasized in English.

Question 3

In Yucatec, the plural morpheme:
A) is used obligatorily with animate and discrete referents
B) is used optionally with animate and discrete referents
C) is used optionally with animate but not discrete referents
D) is used obligatorily with animate but not discrete referents

Accepted Answer

The answer of In Yucatec, the plural morpheme:
A) is used...

Question 4

_____ terms indicate the relationship between an object in space and a person.
A) Absolute
B) Conditional
C) Relative
D) Intrinsic

Accepted Answer

Relative terms indicate the relationship between an object in space and a person. For example, the person may be located to the left or right of the object or may be closer or further away from it, rather than describing the object's position in absolute terms (such as longitude and latitude) or intrinsic terms (such as its size or color).

Question 5

Carroll and Casagrande (1958) examined form perception in Navaho-speaking children and English-speaking children. They found that:
A) Navaho-speaking children focused more on form than color than the English-speaking children did
B) English-speaking children focused more on form than color than the Navaho-speaking children
C) Navaho-speaking children on a reservation focused more on form than color than English-speaking children on the reservation, but not more so than the English-speaking suburban children
D) there were no differences in form perception between English-speaking and Navaho-speaking children

Accepted Answer

Carroll and Casagrande (1958) found that Navaho-speaking children on a reservation focused more on form than color than English-speaking children on the reservation. However, they did not find any differences between Navaho-speaking and English-speaking suburban children.

Question 6

In sum, the research on cross-linguistic color, number, object, and spatial naming:
A) provides no support for Whorf's hypothesis
B) fully supports Whorf's hypothesis
C) provides some support for Whorf's hypothesis
D) should not be evaluated relative to a Whorfian framework

Accepted Answer

The research on cross-linguistic color, number, object, and spatial naming provides some support for Whorf's hypothesis. While it does not fully support it, there is evidence that language can influence our perception and cognition to some extent. However, it is important to note that this research should not be solely evaluated within a Whorfian framework and should take into account other factors such as cultural, social, and individual differences.

Question 7

Studies of counterfactual reasoning in English- and Chinese-speaking individuals have demonstrated that:
A) Chinese speakers cannot solve counterfactual reasoning problems
B) English speakers make more errors on counterfactual reasoning problems than Chinese speakers
C) even though the English and Chinese languages are so different, speakers of both languages reasoned in precisely the same way.
D) variations in materials and subjects in these studies have made it difficult to interpret the results

Accepted Answer

The passage does not support options A, B, or C. It states that studies have been conducted on both English- and Chinese-speaking individuals, but the variations in materials and subjects have made it difficult to interpret the results, suggesting that there is no clear consensus on how different language speakers approach counterfactual reasoning problems.

Question 8

Lucy's studies of the object-substance distinction in English and Yucatec speakers found that:
A) Yucatec speakers specified the number of inanimate objects more than English speakers
B) Yucatec speakers grouped objects on the basis of material
C) English speakers grouped objects on the basis of material
D) Despite differences in their languages, English and Yucatec speakers grouped objects in an almost identical fashion.

Accepted Answer

Lucy's studies found that Yucatec speakers tend to group objects based on their material, whereas English speakers tend to group them based on their shape or function. This suggests a cultural difference in how people conceptualize objects. A is incorrect because there was no significant difference in the way English and Yucatec speakers specified the number of inanimate objects. C is incorrect because Lucy's studies found that English speakers did not group objects based on their material. Finally, D is incorrect because Lucy's studies found clear differences in how English and Yucatec speakers grouped objects.

Question 9

In a study of the effects of grammatical gender on cognition, Boroditsky, Schmidt, and Phillips (2003) found that when Spanish speakers were asked to describe objects that were masculine in their language they:
A) used fewer inanimate words
B) used words such as big, dangerous, strong, and sturdy
C) used fewer gestures
D) used longer and less-frequent words

Accepted Answer

Boroditsky, Schmidt, and Phillips (2003) found that Spanish speakers used words such as big, dangerous, strong, and sturdy when describing objects that were masculine in their language. This suggests that the grammatical gender of a language can influence the way people think about and describe objects.

Question 10

In Sera et al.'s (2002) study of gender marking, ________ children were more likely to assign a voice to an object based on the grammatical gender of the object:
A) English
B) German
C) French
D) Mayan

Accepted Answer

The answer of In Sera et al.'s (2002) study of...

Question 11

Phrases that reference object coordinates, as in front of the post or to the left of her are examples of _____ spatial terms.
A) absolute
B) conditional
C) relative
D) intrinsic

Accepted Answer

The answer of Phrases that reference object coordinates, as in...

Quiz 14: Language, Culture, and Cognition

The superiority of Asian children in acquiring early counting skills can be attributed to:

Whereas English makes a distinction between putting things in and putting things on, Korean makes a distinction between:

In Yucatec, the plural morpheme:

_____ terms indicate the relationship between an object in space and a person.

Carroll and Casagrande (1958) examined form perception in Navaho-speaking children and English-speaking children. They found that:

In sum, the research on cross-linguistic color, number, object, and spatial naming:

Studies of counterfactual reasoning in English- and Chinese-speaking individuals have demonstrated that:

Lucy's studies of the object-substance distinction in English and Yucatec speakers found that:

In a study of the effects of grammatical gender on cognition, Boroditsky, Schmidt, and Phillips (2003) found that when Spanish speakers were asked to describe objects that were masculine in their language they:

In Sera et al.'s (2002) study of gender marking, ________ children were more likely to assign a voice to an object based on the grammatical gender of the object:

Phrases that reference object coordinates, as in front of the post or to the left of her are examples of _____ spatial terms.