PSY 357 Exam 2 GVSU questions with
complete solutions already passed
Understand how the assumptions made by Orwell in 1984 illustrate the concept of linguistic
determinism. - correct answer ✔✔The words that are available to us will determine how we
think. If these words go away, we won't have those thoughts. Linguistic determinism is the
concept that language and its structures limit and determine human knowledge or thought, as
well as thought processes such as categorization, memory, and perception.
How many words do Eskimos have for snow, according to Whorf? How many words to
Eskimos have for snow, according to Pullum? Is it truly different than the number of words that
any other culture has for snow? - correct answer ✔✔Whorf believes there are at least 7
different words for snow that Eskimos use.
Pullum believes that there are 2 different words for snow that Eskimos use.
It is not truly different than what other cultures have for snow. In fact, English may have more
words than Eskmos do, such as snow, slush, sleet, blizzard, etc. Pullum suggests that this is the
case because Eskimos expect snow to be their background. Even beach bums, Pullum says, only
have one word for sand.
What sequence of events led to so many reputable sources being wrong about the number of
Eskimo words for snow? What role did Whorf himself play in this sequence? What have been
the
consequences of this sequence of events, in terms of common cultural (mis)understandings
about
the facts of this phenomenon? - correct answer ✔✔According to Laura Martin:
, People are very apt to believe anything about other cultures that are unfamiliar, so it is not
surprising that the rumor continues.
Franz Boas started the rumor by likening the multitude of words to using the same root in
English for various forms of water.
Then, Benjamin Whorf made bold claims that Eskimos have far many more words for snow than
English does and he inflated Boas' number from four to seven.
This claim was reprinted many times.
It ended up being refuted by Roger Brown who said there are only three words for snow (even
tho his claim is misguided according to Pullum, perhaps because he read the report wrong).
Carol Eastman- there are many words. False reports then continued.
Martin documents 9-200 words. Pullum says that it is an unpopular opinion to say the truth
now with all of this false info.
Know in detail how each of these supports or does not support the Sapir-Whorf hypothesis:
__a) Whorf's observation that Eskimos have many words for snow - correct answer ✔✔Doesn't
support the Sapir-Whorf hypothesis because they don't actually have more words than in
English for snow. He does not discuss an enriched knowledge about snow, which should be
present if the Inuit population has all of these other words for snow, making their "snow
thought" more intense and knowledgeable as a population.
_3) Know in detail how each of these supports or does not support the Sapir-Whorf hypothesis:
__b) Rosch's color categorization study - correct answer ✔✔This study does not support the
weak version of the Sapir-Whorf hypothesis. This is because light or dark is perceived equally.
__3) Know in detail how each of these supports or does not support the Sapir-Whorf
hypothesis: __c) The English/Chinese bilingual categorization study (with cows, chickens, grass) -
correct answer ✔✔Supports the weak version of the Sapir-Whorf hypothesis. This is because
the categorization depended on the language used/culture based on.
__3) Know in detail how each of these supports or does not support the Sapir-Whorf
hypothesis: __d) Roberson et al.'s color categorization study - correct answer ✔✔Roberson et
complete solutions already passed
Understand how the assumptions made by Orwell in 1984 illustrate the concept of linguistic
determinism. - correct answer ✔✔The words that are available to us will determine how we
think. If these words go away, we won't have those thoughts. Linguistic determinism is the
concept that language and its structures limit and determine human knowledge or thought, as
well as thought processes such as categorization, memory, and perception.
How many words do Eskimos have for snow, according to Whorf? How many words to
Eskimos have for snow, according to Pullum? Is it truly different than the number of words that
any other culture has for snow? - correct answer ✔✔Whorf believes there are at least 7
different words for snow that Eskimos use.
Pullum believes that there are 2 different words for snow that Eskimos use.
It is not truly different than what other cultures have for snow. In fact, English may have more
words than Eskmos do, such as snow, slush, sleet, blizzard, etc. Pullum suggests that this is the
case because Eskimos expect snow to be their background. Even beach bums, Pullum says, only
have one word for sand.
What sequence of events led to so many reputable sources being wrong about the number of
Eskimo words for snow? What role did Whorf himself play in this sequence? What have been
the
consequences of this sequence of events, in terms of common cultural (mis)understandings
about
the facts of this phenomenon? - correct answer ✔✔According to Laura Martin:
, People are very apt to believe anything about other cultures that are unfamiliar, so it is not
surprising that the rumor continues.
Franz Boas started the rumor by likening the multitude of words to using the same root in
English for various forms of water.
Then, Benjamin Whorf made bold claims that Eskimos have far many more words for snow than
English does and he inflated Boas' number from four to seven.
This claim was reprinted many times.
It ended up being refuted by Roger Brown who said there are only three words for snow (even
tho his claim is misguided according to Pullum, perhaps because he read the report wrong).
Carol Eastman- there are many words. False reports then continued.
Martin documents 9-200 words. Pullum says that it is an unpopular opinion to say the truth
now with all of this false info.
Know in detail how each of these supports or does not support the Sapir-Whorf hypothesis:
__a) Whorf's observation that Eskimos have many words for snow - correct answer ✔✔Doesn't
support the Sapir-Whorf hypothesis because they don't actually have more words than in
English for snow. He does not discuss an enriched knowledge about snow, which should be
present if the Inuit population has all of these other words for snow, making their "snow
thought" more intense and knowledgeable as a population.
_3) Know in detail how each of these supports or does not support the Sapir-Whorf hypothesis:
__b) Rosch's color categorization study - correct answer ✔✔This study does not support the
weak version of the Sapir-Whorf hypothesis. This is because light or dark is perceived equally.
__3) Know in detail how each of these supports or does not support the Sapir-Whorf
hypothesis: __c) The English/Chinese bilingual categorization study (with cows, chickens, grass) -
correct answer ✔✔Supports the weak version of the Sapir-Whorf hypothesis. This is because
the categorization depended on the language used/culture based on.
__3) Know in detail how each of these supports or does not support the Sapir-Whorf
hypothesis: __d) Roberson et al.'s color categorization study - correct answer ✔✔Roberson et
