Language, Thought and Communication | Edexcel GCSE Psychology (1PS0)
Language, Thought and Communication
- 77 questions
- 5 subtopics
- Paper 2
- Paper 2
Language, Thought and Communication is examined in Paper 2, optional (two of five are studied).
It covers Piaget and Vygotsky on language and thought, linguistic relativism and determinism, human and animal communication, non-verbal communication and Darwin's evolutionary theory and the Yuki and Boroditsky studies.
Sample questions from Language, Thought and Communication
Answer each one closed book first, then open the answer.
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Piaget and Vygotsky on language and thought
Give one weakness of Piaget's view of language and thought.
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Piaget may have underestimated the role of language and social interaction in developing thought. Vygotsky argued that language becomes a key tool for thinking. -
Piaget and Vygotsky on language and thought
What is egocentric speech, according to Vygotsky?
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Egocentric speech is a young child talking aloud to guide their own actions. Vygotsky saw egocentric speech as thinking out loud, typically between about three and seven years. -
Linguistic relativism and determinism
Why has Whorf's claim about the Hopi been criticised?
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Later research found that the Hopi language does have ways of expressing time. Whorf's evidence was based on limited contact with Hopi speakers. -
Linguistic relativism and determinism
Give one strength of linguistic relativism.
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Research on colour and on time shows that language can influence how people think. Relativism fits the evidence better than the strong claim of determinism. -
Human and animal communication
What is cultural transmission in language?
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Cultural transmission means language is passed on by learning from others rather than through genes. A child learns whichever language is spoken around them. -
Human and animal communication
What is creativity in Aitchison's criteria?
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Creativity is the ability to produce and understand sentences never heard before. A limited set of words can be combined into an unlimited number of messages. -
Non-verbal communication and Darwin's evolutionary theory
What is postural echo?
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Postural echo is copying another person's posture, often without realising. Postural echo signals rapport and agreement between people. -
Non-verbal communication and Darwin's evolutionary theory
Give an example of a cultural difference in gestures.
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A thumbs-up is a positive sign in the UK but is considered rude in some other countries. The same gesture can therefore be misread between cultures.
The 5 subtopics
One subtopic is one session. Work down the list.
| Subtopic | What it covers | Questions |
|---|---|---|
| Piaget and Vygotsky on language and thought | Piaget's view that thought comes first and representational thinking, Sinclair-de-Zwart's findings, and Vygotsky's pre-linguistic thought, egocentric speech and inner speech. | 15 |
| Linguistic relativism and determinism | The Sapir–Whorf hypothesis, linguistic determinism and relativism, and the evidence from the Hopi, Inuit snow words, the Dani, the Berinmo and the Pirahã. | 14 |
| Human and animal communication | The difference between communication and language, Aitchison's ten criteria including displacement and structure-dependence, and vervet monkey alarm calls and the honeybee waggle dance. | 16 |
| Non-verbal communication and Darwin's evolutionary theory | Facial expressions, eye contact, posture, postural echo, gestures, personal space and Hall's zones, cultural differences, and Darwin's evolutionary theory of expression. | 16 |
| The Yuki and Boroditsky studies | Yuki's study of eyes and mouths in American and Japanese emoticons, and Boroditsky's study of how English and Mandarin speakers think about time. | 16 |
How the guide is worked
Answering a question from memory stores it far better than reading the answer again. The guide runs that as a fixed procedure on one subtopic at a time, about twenty minutes a session.
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Step 1 · Closed book
Cover the answers. Work through one subtopic and write down what you can. Leave blanks where you have nothing.
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Step 2 · Open book
Go back to the top. Read each printed answer and write it out in full, including the ones you had right.
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Step 3 · Closed book again
Same questions, same order, from memory. The gap between pass one and pass three is the session result.
Read the full method, the return schedule and the research behind it.
Nearby topics
Edexcel GCSE Psychology Active Recall Guide
Every topic, not just this one. 891 questions with their answers.