Abstract
dc:description.abstractThis dissertation addresses the following questions through five studies using the randomized-controlled training paradigm: Can language learning lead to linguistic relativity effects – the effect of the language(s) we speak on our cognition of non-verbal stimuli even without verbalization or preparation for verbalization using the relevant linguistic feature(s)? If yes, then what are the loci of such effects? Are they restricted to higher-level decision processes, or can they extend to lower-level perceptual processes as indexed by neurophysiological measures? Besides, under what condition(s) do linguistic relativity effects (not) emerge and what might this tell us about the underlying psychological mechanisms of such effects? My Studies 1 to 5 all suggest that language learning (more specifically learning a novel grammatical morphological system highlighting the familiar concept of event (in)transitivity) can indeed induce linguistic relativity effects. Regarding the loci, such effects were found in both higher-level decision processes (i.e., learning this novel morphological system biased non-verbal motion event categorization preferences towards motion (in)transitivity compared to a control group naïve to this novel system in Studies 1, 3, and 5) and lower-level perceptual processes (i.e., learning this novel morphological system enhanced not only attentional but also preattentive visual processing of motion event (in)transitivity as indexed by event-related potential (ERP) patterns compared to a control group naïve to this novel system in Study 2). Regarding conditions of emergence, I only studied them in relation to linguistic relativity effects in higher-level decision processes (triads-matching preferences). Through three studies (Studies 3 to 5) manipulating language instructional conditions (one meaning-focused and two form-focused conditions including required intentional induction and direct metalinguistic explanation) and types of semantic processing of the input (manipulating the degree to which embodied semantic processing was interfered with), I found that such linguistic relativity effects relied on internalized linguistic knowledge obtained through repetitive, deep, and potentially embodied semantic processing rather than mere declarative knowledge of what the target pattern is, even when the amount of input or practice was comparable. More specifically, linguistic relativity effects were more likely to emerge under the meaning-focused instructional condition than the required intentional induction condition, followed by the direct metalinguistic explanation condition. Besides language instructional conditions and types of semantic processing, I also found that such linguistic relativity effects were more likely to emerge in individuals with a lower propensity for verbal cognitive style (Study 5). All of these findings are explained within a coherent interactive activation framework of language-cognition interactions, drawing on language embodiment theories and models of the depth of processing of linguistic input. The findings are also discussed in light of contemporary psycho- and neurolinguistic research findings and the history of the philosophical debate on language-cognition relationships. Unlike traditional cross-language-group comparative studies, to the best of my knowledge, my dissertation is the first to investigate linguistic relativity effects induced by grammatical categories and morphemes using artificial language learning experiments with a randomized-controlled design (only a randomly-allocated experimental group but not the control group learned the novel system). This design helps to maximally rule out cultural confounds (that the difference in cognition between speakers of different languages may be due to different cultures instead of language per se). Besides, my dissertation is also the first to show that such linguistic relativity effects induced by grammatical categories and morphemes can even permeate preattentive visual processing. Moreover, this dissertation is also the first to show how such effects depend on language instructional conditions, types of semantic processing during learning, and individual cognitive styles.
Degree
thesis:*- Name dc:type.qualificationname
- Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
- Level dc:type.qualificationlevel
- Doctoral
- Grantor dc:publisher.institution
- University of Cambridge
- Year dc:date.issued
- 2024
Author and committee
dc:creator, dc:contributor.*- Author dc:creator
-
- Xue, Yuyan
- Advisor dc:contributor.advisor
-
- Williams, John
Subjects
dc:subject × 6Rights
dc:rightsIdentifiers
dc:identifier.*- DOI dc:identifier.doi
- https://doi.org/10.17863/CAM.114899
- OAI identifier oai:identifier
- oai:www.repository.cam.ac.uk:1810/378579