Choose the most appropriate answer from the options given below:

Which of the following is true about linguistic-relativity hypothesis?
A. Thought produces language
B. Language shapes perception and understanding
C. Language determines thought
D. Thinking and language interact

Correct option is B

The linguistic-relativity hypothesis, often associated with Benjamin Lee Whorf and Edward Sapir, suggests that the structure of a language influences the way its speakers perceive and think about the world. Let’s break down the statements:

Language shapes perception and understanding (B): This is true. The linguistic-relativity hypothesis posits that language influences how we perceive and understand the world. For example, the way different languages categorize colors or spatial relationships can affect how speakers of those languages perceive those concepts.

Language determines thought (C): This is true. The linguistic-relativity hypothesis suggests that the structure and vocabulary of a language can determine or constrain thought in significant ways. It implies that speakers of different languages may perceive and think about the world differently due to linguistic differences.

Therefore, the correct answer is Option (b) B and C only, because language shapes perception and understanding and language determines thought, which are key elements of the linguistic-relativity hypothesis.

Information Booster
a. The linguistic-relativity hypothesis suggests that language and thought are deeply intertwined, and that the structure of a language can affect the cognitive processes of its speakers.
b. Language shaping perception means that the vocabulary, grammar, and structure of a language influence how its speakers perceive time, space, color, and other abstract concepts.
c. Language determining thought implies that speakers of different languages might think about the world in fundamentally different ways due to differences in language structure.
d. The hypothesis is sometimes referred to as the Sapir-Whorf hypothesis, after the linguists who proposed it.
e. A classic example of linguistic relativity is the way some languages have many words for different types of snow, while others may have only one word for it. This linguistic difference may influence how speakers of those languages perceive snow.
f. Cognitive science and psycholinguistics explore the interaction between language, thought, and perception in more detail, and newer research often questions the extent to which language strictly determines thought.