Question 1

The sentences "The dog bit the boy" and "The boy was bit by the dog" have the same meaning,but differ in ________.
A)syntax
B)pragmatics
C)semantics
D)morphology

Accepted Answer

The sentences have the same meaning but differ in syntax, which refers to the arrangement of words to form phrases and sentences. In the first sentence, "the dog" is the subject, "bit" is the verb, and "the boy" is the object. In the second sentence, "the boy" is the subject, "was bit" is the passive verb phrase, and "by the dog" is the prepositional phrase indicating the actor of the action.

Question 2

Researchers have found that,despite the number of color names in a language,the basic abilities to perceive color are unchanged.This finding would be troublesome for the theory of ________.
A)Piccard and Worf
B)Sapir and Whorf
C)Skinner and Watson
D)Tolman and Thorndike

Accepted Answer

The theory of Sapir and Whorf, also known as linguistic relativity, proposes that language shapes the way people perceive and think about the world. This finding suggests that the number or specificity of color names in a language does not affect the basic ability to perceive colors, which is inconsistent with the Sapir-Whorf hypothesis.

Question 3

Researchers have found that ________ influenced by culture.
A)neither language nor thought is
B)language,but not thought,is
C)thought,but not language,is
D)both language and thought are

Accepted Answer

Studies have shown that both language and thought are influenced by culture. Language reflects cultural norms, beliefs, and values while also shaping how individuals perceive and think about the world around them. Similarly, cultural experiences and values influence the way individuals process and interpret information, leading to cultural differences in cognitive processes and decision-making.

Question 4

Pragmatics are defined as ________.
A)the practical aspects of communicating with others,or the social "niceties" of language
B)the system of rules that governs how we combine words to form grammatical sentences
C)the language rules that determine how sounds and words can be combined and used to communicate meaning within a language
D)the language rules used to solve problems between people

Accepted Answer

Pragmatics refer to the practical aspects of communicating with others, such as using appropriate language for different contexts, understanding implied meanings, and following social norms of communication.

Question 5

The semantics of the sentence "He ran" refer to its ________.
A)sound
B)meaning
C)comprehension
D)syntactic structure

Accepted Answer

The question is asking about the meaning of the sentence "He ran." The semantics of a sentence refer to its meaning, so the correct answer is B. The sound (A) and syntactic structure (D) of the sentence are not relevant to the question being asked. Comprehension (C) is related to understanding the meaning, but it is not specifically related to the semantics of the sentence.

Question 6

Which developmental psychologist theorized that concepts preceded and aided the development of language?
A)Vygotsky
B)Piaget
C)Sapir
D)Whorf

Accepted Answer

Piaget believed that children developed concepts before language, and that language developed in order to express these concepts. He called this process "egocentric speech," where children talk to themselves about their actions and experiences in order to make sense of their world. However, Vygotsky also believed that language and concepts were closely intertwined, and that language played a crucial role in children's cognitive development.

Question 7

When adults who are speaking to infants change the pitch and rhythm in their speech,they are altering their ________.
A)syntax
B)grammar
C)morphemes
D)intonation

Accepted Answer

Intonation refers to the pitch and rhythm of speech, and is the aspect that adults alter when speaking to infants. Syntax refers to the structure of sentences, grammar refers to the rules of a language, and morphemes are the smallest units of meaning in language (such as prefixes, suffixes, and roots). None of these terms describe the pitch and rhythm of speech.

Question 8

The linguistic relativity hypothesis suggests that ________.
A)one's language determines the pattern of one's thinking and view of the world
B)one's thinking and view of the world determines the structure of one's language
C)we decide which objects belong to a concept according to what is most probable or sensible,given the facts at hand
D)perception of surface structure precedes deep structure in understanding a sentence

Accepted Answer

The linguistic relativity hypothesis proposes that one's language shapes the way they think and view the world, indicating that choice A is the best answer. Choice B suggests the opposite relationship between language and thinking, which is not supported by the hypothesis. Choice C seems unrelated to the hypothesis, and choice D refers to sentence comprehension rather than the language-thought relationship.

Question 9

The rhythm and emphasis on each word is called ________.
A)intonation
B)syntax
C)morphemes
D)phonemes

Accepted Answer

Intonation refers to the rising and falling of pitch in the voice while speaking, which can change the meaning or emphasis of a sentence. Syntax refers to the structure and order of words in a sentence. Morphemes are the smallest units of meaning in language. Phonemes are the individual sounds that make up words.

Question 10

The system of rules that governs how we assign meaning to the morphemes we use is called ________.
A)syntax
B)semantics
C)phonology
D)regularization

Accepted Answer

Semantics is the study of meaning in language, including the meanings of words, phrases, and sentences. It is concerned with how words and sentences can have meaning, and how meanings can be used to communicate effectively. Syntax, on the other hand, is the study of how sentences are structured and how words combine to form grammatical sentences. Phonology is the study of the sounds of language and how they are used to convey meaning, while regularization refers to the process by which irregular forms of a language become regularized over time.

Question 11

The communication between honeybees would not be classified as language because ________.
A)bees are not animals
B)bee communication seems to be instinctual
C)bees do not use a spoken or auditory communication system
D)none of these

Accepted Answer

Bee communication is considered instinctual because it is a set of innate behaviors rather than a learned or flexible system like human language.

Question 12

In order to conclusively show that animals do use language,one would have to demonstrate that ________.
A)the language had an auditory,or sound,component
B)the language had a genetic or instinctual base
C)the language used arbitrary or abstract symbols
D)the animals have the same vocal abilities as people

Accepted Answer

The use of arbitrary or abstract symbols is a key characteristic of language, as it allows for communication of abstract concepts and ideas. Demonstrating that animals use such symbols would provide strong evidence for the use of language. The other options (A, B, and D) are not necessarily required for a language system to exist in animals.

Question 13

A famous lecturer argues that because the Hopi Indians have only two nouns for things that fly,one for birds and another for nonbirds,the Hopi MUST interpret all flying things in terms of these two nouns.This argument is based on ________.
A)the idealized prototype construct
B)bottom-up processing
C)deep structure elaboration
D)the linguistic relativity hypothesis

Accepted Answer

The statement is based on the linguistic relativity hypothesis, which suggests that language shapes and influences our perception and cognition of the world. The argument assumes that the limited vocabulary of the Hopi language restricts their ability to perceive and categorize flying things beyond these two categories.

Question 14

The system of rules that governs how we combine words to form grammatical sentences is called ________.
A)syntax
B)semantics
C)morphology
D)phonology

Accepted Answer

Syntax refers to the system of rules that governs how we combine words to form grammatically correct sentences. Semantics refers to the meaning of words and sentences, morphology refers to the study of the internal structure of words, and phonology refers to the study of sounds in language.

Question 15

The practical aspects of communicating with others,or the social "niceties" of language,are referred to as ________.
A)syntax
B)grammar
C)morphemes
D)pragmatics

Accepted Answer

Pragmatics refers to the practical aspects of communicating with others, such as understanding social context, using appropriate nonverbal cues, and following social norms and rules of conversation. Syntax refers to the rules governing word order and sentence structure, grammar refers to the system of rules that dictate how words are formed and combined into phrases and sentences, and morphemes are the smallest units of meaning in language. None of these concepts specifically relate to social niceties or practical aspects of communication.

Question 16

What do we call the hypothesis that language influences what we think?
A)the dynamic hypothesis
B)the language reaction hypothesis
C)the linguistic relativity hypothesis
D)the cognitive linguistic hypothesis

Accepted Answer

The linguistic relativity hypothesis, also known as the Sapir-Whorf hypothesis, proposes that the language we speak influences the way we think and perceive the world around us.

Question 17

Which of the following is NOT an animal that has been taught to produce behavior that some think is language-like?
A)chimpanzees
B)parrots
C)armadillos
D)dolphins

Accepted Answer

While chimpanzees, parrots, and dolphins have been taught to produce behavior that some consider language-like, armadillos have not been demonstrated to possess such abilities.

Question 18

Which of the following statements BEST describes the general relationship between thinking and language?
A)Language is a tool that may be used in thinking,but it isn't the sole basis of thought.
B)Language is the sole basis of thought.
C)When we think,we always make use of language.
D)Language usually is not required in thought processes.

Accepted Answer

Language can be used as a tool in thinking, but it is not the only way that we process information in our minds. People can also think in images, sensations, emotions, and other non-verbal ways. Therefore, while language is important for communication and cognitive development, it is not the sole basis of thought.

Question 19

The sentence,"Colorless ideas sleep furiously" has ________.
A)proper syntax but poor semantics
B)proper syntax and good semantics
C)improper syntax and poor semantics
D)improper syntax but good semantics

Accepted Answer

The sentence has proper syntax because it follows the rules of English grammar (adjective-noun-verb-adverb), but it has poor semantics because the words do not convey a meaningful idea when put together in this way.

Question 20

Young children sometimes literally interpret sentences like "Do you know where your mommy is?" by answering "Yes." They failed to understand the ________ of the question.
A)pragmatics
B)propositional representation
C)syntax
D)nativism

Accepted Answer

Pragmatics refers to the social context and use of language, including interpreting implied meanings and the intentions of the speaker. Young children's literal interpretation of "Do you know where your mommy is?" suggests a lack of pragmatic understanding. Propositional representation refers to the way that ideas or concepts are stored and processed in the mind, and syntax refers to the rules governing the structure of language. Nativism is a theory that suggests that certain aspects of language acquisition are innate.

Quiz 7: Cognition

The sentences "The dog bit the boy" and "The boy was bit by the dog" have the same meaning,but differ in ________.

Researchers have found that,despite the number of color names in a language,the basic abilities to perceive color are unchanged.This finding would be troublesome for the theory of ________.

Researchers have found that ________ influenced by culture.

Pragmatics are defined as ________.

The semantics of the sentence "He ran" refer to its ________.

Which developmental psychologist theorized that concepts preceded and aided the development of language?

When adults who are speaking to infants change the pitch and rhythm in their speech,they are altering their ________.

The linguistic relativity hypothesis suggests that ________.

The rhythm and emphasis on each word is called ________.

The system of rules that governs how we assign meaning to the morphemes we use is called ________.

The communication between honeybees would not be classified as language because ________.

In order to conclusively show that animals do use language,one would have to demonstrate that ________.

A famous lecturer argues that because the Hopi Indians have only two nouns for things that fly,one for birds and another for nonbirds,the Hopi MUST interpret all flying things in terms of these two nouns.This argument is based on ________.

The system of rules that governs how we combine words to form grammatical sentences is called ________.

The practical aspects of communicating with others,or the social "niceties" of language,are referred to as ________.

What do we call the hypothesis that language influences what we think?

Which of the following is NOT an animal that has been taught to produce behavior that some think is language-like?

Which of the following statements BEST describes the general relationship between thinking and language?

The sentence,"Colorless ideas sleep furiously" has ________.

Young children sometimes literally interpret sentences like "Do you know where your mommy is?" by answering "Yes." They failed to understand the ________ of the question.