1 Psychology and human development1.7 Language and communication
1.7.3 Language and thought
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Written by Resident Doctor Committee · Published
New in the 2027 syllabus
The College added this topic for exams from January 2027.
Does language shape thought?
Linguistic determinism is the strong claim that language fixes what we can think. The evidence does not support it, because people can think without words.
Linguistic relativity is the weaker claim. Everyday language use can influence attention, categorisation or memory, but it does not make other ways of thinking impossible.
Non-verbal thought includes mental imagery, spatial reasoning and some problem-solving that happens before a person can put the solution into words.
Vygotsky described social speech becoming private speech (talking aloud to oneself) and then inner speech, which helps guide behaviour.
Differences between languages
A language's vocabulary and grammar can make some features easier to label, or more likely to be noticed out of habit. But a missing word does not mean a missing concept.
Translation can change a word's emotional tone or lose a distinction. Words that look equivalent may not describe the same experience.
Language, education and culture are bound up together. This makes it hard to put a group difference in performance down to language alone.
In clinical practice
Use an interpreter when you and the patient do not share enough language. An interpreter can clarify meaning and context.
Before calling unusual phrasing thought disorder, consider the patient's grammar, fluency and cultural ways of expressing things.
Bilingualism is not a language disorder in itself. Assess the person's ability in, and exposure to, each language they use.