Inner Cosmos with David Eagleman Ep28 "Does your language shape your thinking?"
Oct 2, 2023
Cognitive scientist Lera Boroditsky explores the influence of language on perception and attention, discussing topics such as color perception, representation of time, black storytelling, cultural orientation awareness, orientation patterns, thinking patterns, grammar's impact on children's thinking, and the relationship between language and our brains.
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Boaz’s Snow Vocabulary Observation
- Franz Boaz reported many distinct Inuit words for different kinds of snow, like snow for sledding versus softly falling snow.
- Later research confirmed Nuktitut contains dozens of snow-related distinctions linked to local needs.
Language Shapes Thinking, Not Determines It
- The strong Sapir-Whorf claim that language determines thought has largely failed empirical tests.
- However, a weaker claim that language influences perception and cognition has substantial supporting evidence.
Language Adapts To Communicative Needs
- Languages evolve to maximize communicative efficiency given local needs and frequencies.
- Commonly referenced concepts gain finer lexical distinctions while rare concepts remain coarse.