You've rented the movie Sophie's Choice. There is a scene in which Sophie, a recent immigrant from Poland, is both surprised and amused that Americans have so many words for the concept "fast." She reports that in Polish, there is only one word. You've just read Chapter 3 (Social Cognition), and a friend asks you why the cultures differ in that regard. What would you say?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Poles have different schemas for the concept "fast" than do Americans. Schemas are mental representations of our knowledge about the world, and they influence how we perceive and interpret new information. In this case, the Polish schema for "fast" is likely to be more limited than the American schema, which would explain why Sophie is surprised and amused by the number of words Americans have for this concept.

You've Rented the Movie Sophie's Choice