Spatial Language Potentiates Spatial Cognition: Evidence From Hearing and Deaf Children

Gentner, Dedre; Özyürek, Aslı; Goldin‐Meadow, Susan; Gürcanlı, Özge; Loewenstein, Jeff

doi:10.1037/e527312012-201

Cited by 3 publications

(3 citation statements)

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“…One example is homesignerscongenitally deaf children of hearing parents who, deprived of a conventional language, invent their own "homesign" symbol systems (Goldin-Meadow 2003). Using the three-tiered arrays described above, we investigated homesigners in Turkey and found that (1) these children appeared not to have invented consistent terms for spatial relations, and (2) they performed substantially worse on the spatial mapping task than did hearing Turkish-speaking children (matched for performance on a simpler spatial task) (Gentner et al 2007). Likewise, deficits in numerical ability have been found in Nicaraguan homesigners, whose invented language lacks a systematic counting system (Spaepen et al 2007).…”

Section: Dedre Gentner and Stella Christiementioning

confidence: 99%

Darwin's mistake: Explaining the discontinuity between human and nonhuman minds

2008

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Over the last quarter century, the dominant tendency in comparative cognitive psychology has been to emphasize the similarities between human and nonhuman minds and to downplay the differences as "one of degree and not of kind" (Darwin 1871). In the present target article, we argue that Darwin was mistaken: the profound biological continuity between human and nonhuman animals masks an equally profound discontinuity between human and nonhuman minds. To wit, there is a significant discontinuity in the degree to which human and nonhuman animals are able to approximate the higher-order, systematic, relational capabilities of a physical symbol system (PSS) (Newell 1980). We show that this symbolic-relational discontinuity pervades nearly every domain of cognition and runs much deeper than even the spectacular scaffolding provided by language or culture alone can explain. We propose a representational-level specification as to where human and nonhuman animals' abilities to approximate a PSS are similar and where they differ. We conclude by suggesting that recent symbolic-connectionist models of cognition shed new light on the mechanisms that underlie the gap between human and nonhuman minds.

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Section: Dedre Gentner and Stella Christiementioning

confidence: 99%

Darwin's mistake: Explaining the discontinuity between human and nonhuman minds

2008

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“…한 최근의 연구들도 관련 역량들의 포괄적 조사보다는 공간 인지에서 공간 언어의 역할 [17,44], 공간 인지 참조체계의 이용 발달 [33,55] 조사 등에 더 집중되어 있다. 유아들의…”

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Development of Spatial Geometry Cognition in 3-, 4-, and 5-Year-Old

Yi¹

2017

Fam. Environ. Res

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This study composed spatial cognition tasks within the system of geometric area to study children's spatial cognition development systematically. It surveyed children's execution of direction, rotation, symmetry, conjugation, and part/whole cognition tasks. A spatial geometry cognition task set (consisting of total 27 sub-tasks) was presented to 60 children (20 each in groups of 3-, 4-, and 5-year-old) in order to confirm how children's execution of spatial geometry cognition changed depending on children's age and sex as well as if the execution of the spatial geometry cognition showed a difference after each task area. As a result, the execution of the whole direction task and the part/whole task gradually increased between age 3 and age 5. The execution of the whole rotation task, whole symmetry task, and whole conjugation task rapidly increased between age 3 and age 4. Significant sexual difference did not appear in the execution of spatial geometry cognition tasks. The execution of the conjugation and part/whole task was high in each task area, and the execution of the direction, rotation, and symmetry task was relatively low. In addition, the difference of task execution appeared in the sub-tasks of direction, symmetry, and conjugation areas. This result suggests the theoretical discussion possibility of children's spatial geometry cognition development. In addition, the empirical results of this study can be applied to child education plans and activity compositions appropriate for child development.

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“…One example is homesigners – congenitally deaf children of hearing parents who, deprived of a conventional language, invent their own “homesign” symbol systems (Goldin-Meadow 2003). Using the three-tiered arrays described above, we investigated homesigners in Turkey and found that (1) these children appeared not to have invented consistent terms for spatial relations, and (2) they performed substantially worse on the spatial mapping task than did hearing Turkish-speaking children (matched for performance on a simpler spatial task) (Gentner et al 2007). Likewise, deficits in numerical ability have been found in Nicaraguan homesigners, whose invented language lacks a systematic counting system (Spaepen et al 2007).…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Relational language supports relational cognition in humans and apes

Gentner

Christie²

2008

Behav Brain Sci

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Over the last quarter century, the dominant tendency in comparative cognitive psychology has been to emphasize the similarities between human and nonhuman minds and to downplay the differences as "one of degree and not of kind" (Darwin 1871). In the present target article, we argue that Darwin was mistaken: the profound biological continuity between human and nonhuman animals masks an equally profound discontinuity between human and nonhuman minds. To wit, there is a significant discontinuity in the degree to which human and nonhuman animals are able to approximate the higher-order, systematic, relational capabilities of a physical symbol system (PSS) (Newell 1980). We show that this symbolic-relational discontinuity pervades nearly every domain of cognition and runs much deeper than even the spectacular scaffolding provided by language or culture alone can explain. We propose a representational-level specification as to where human and nonhuman animals' abilities to approximate a PSS are similar and where they differ. We conclude by suggesting that recent symbolicconnectionist models of cognition shed new light on the mechanisms that underlie the gap between human and nonhuman minds.

show abstract

Spatial Language Potentiates Spatial Cognition: Evidence From Hearing and Deaf Children

Cited by 3 publications

References 0 publications

Darwin's mistake: Explaining the discontinuity between human and nonhuman minds

Darwin's mistake: Explaining the discontinuity between human and nonhuman minds

Development of Spatial Geometry Cognition in 3-, 4-, and 5-Year-Old

Relational language supports relational cognition in humans and apes

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