Question 1

Participants are asked to view a scene in which there are two napkins (napkin A and napkin B) and a box. A frog sits on napkin A. When the participants are simply instructed "Put the frog on the napkin into the box," how do they usually respond?

Accepted Answer

A)  They place napkin B into the box. 
B)  Their eyes move to napkin B, but they then put the frog into the box. 
C)  They put the frog into the box without hesitation. 
D)  They first move the frog to napkin B and then, realizing their error, place the frog into the box.

Question 2

Genie is perhaps the most well-known "isolated child." After years of rehabilitation, her language is similar to that of young children in some ways, but more sophisticated than young children's in other ways. Which of the following statements is TRUE?

Accepted Answer

A)  Genie's vocabulary is similar to that of a young child's, but her syntax is more sophisticated. 
B)  Genie's syntax is similar to that of a young child's, but her semantics are more sophisticated. 
C)  Genie's syntax is similar to that of a young child's, but her vocabulary is more sophisticated. 
D)  Genie's semantic sophistication is similar to that of a young child's, but her syntax is more sophisticated.

Question 3

What does evidence regarding language learning in isolated children show?

Accepted Answer

A)  There is a critical period for language acquisition. 
B)  After about 15 years of isolation, language basics can be acquired, but language elaborations cannot. 
C)  After 6 years or so of isolation, language can be acquired normally. 
D)  All of the above answers are correct.

Question 4

Your text describes recent brain-imaging work examining the influence of color-labeling systems on brain processing. Which of the following statements is TRUE?

Accepted Answer

A)  Color-labeling systems have no effect on brain processing, supporting the Whorfian hypothesis. 
B)  Color-labeling systems have no effect on brain processing, contradicting the Whorfian hypothesis. 
C)  Beginning in childhood, color labels seem to have an effect on left-hemisphere processing 
D)  Beginning in adolescence, color labels seem to have some effect on left-hemisphere processing.

Question 5

Which issue poses a problem for the definitional theory of meaning?

Accepted Answer

A)  Relationships can be explained in terms of groups of semantic features. 
B)  We have relatively few words that describe elementary concepts. 
C)  Words and concepts can be defined much as they are in a dictionary. 
D)  It is very difficult to come up with a definition that covers all the uses of a word.

Question 6

Quianna is 1 month old. Which alternative below CORRECTLY describes her ability to distinguish sounds?

Accepted Answer

A)  Quianna is unable to distinguish between phonemes unless they are phonemes that are native to her language. 
B)  Quianna can distinguish between most or all phonemes, even those not used in her native language. 
C)  Depending on her culture, Quianna may be able to distinguish between phonemes that are not used in her native language. 
D)  Whether Quianna can distinguish between phonemes that are not used in her native language depends on her intelligence.

Question 7

Which of the following is NOT one of the ways that a word's case is indicated in a sentence?

Accepted Answer

A)  prefixes 
B)  propositional tags 
C)  prepositions 
D)  the word's position in the sentence

Question 8

Which of the following clues is a youngster most likely to use to discover the meaning of the question "Can you see me fiffining?"

Accepted Answer

A)  the syntax 
B)  the sounds of unusual phonemes 
C)  the number of phonemes in the word 
D)  the word length and complexity

Question 9

Your text describes a study in which eye-movement data revealed that participants looked at a cake rather than at an inedible object immediately on hearing the word eat and before the word cake was heard. The results of this study __________.

Accepted Answer

A)  supported the idea that the interpretation of a sentence is developed online as successive words occur 
B)  suggested that the interpretation of a sentence is formulated once the sentence is over 
C)  suggested that language has little influence on visual attention 
D)  indicated that the surroundings strongly influence the interpretation of language

Question 10

Why are garden path sentences so difficult to comprehend?

Accepted Answer

A)  Garden path sentences are passive in nature, and we are not used to interpreting passive sentences. 
B)  Garden path sentences are passive in nature, and their general nature makes them difficult to interpret. 
C)  Garden path sentences contain a greater number of function morphemes than do regular sentences. 
D)  There is an implausible semantic relationship among the words of a garden path sentence.

Question 11

Does the relationship between language and the external environment accord with the Whorfian hypothesis? Why or why not?

Accepted Answer

A)  The relationship accords with the Whorfian hypothesis. Language influences our perception of the environment. 
B)  The relationship does not accord with the Whorfian hypothesis. Our perception of the environment influences our interpretation of the speech we hear. 
C)  The relationship does not accord with the Whorfian hypothesis. There is really no relationship between language and the external environment. 
D)  The relationship does not really accord with the Whorfian hypothesis. Language does influence our perception of the environment. In turn, though, our perception of the environment influences our interpretation of the speech we hear.

Question 12

What characterizes a person with Williams syndrome?

Accepted Answer

A)  an inability to use function words in normal conversation, but an ability to use them in written communication 
B)  mental retardation but good language skills 
C)  severe language deficits but normal intelligence levels 
D)  mental retardation and severe language deficits

Question 13

In the introduction to the "Language" chapter in your text, the authors report that the German language distinguishes between 30 different kinds of kisses. You hypothesize that German speakers can tell the difference between one kiss and another with greater accuracy than can English speakers. Is such a result consistent with the Whorfian hypothesis? Is such a hypothesis likely to be confirmed by empirical research?

Accepted Answer

A)  Such a result is consistent with the Whorfian hypothesis. Such a hypothesis is likely to be confirmed by empirical research 
B)  Such a result is consistent with the Whorfian hypothesis. Such a hypothesis is not likely to be confirmed by empirical research 
C)  Such a result is consistent with the Whorfian hypothesis. Such a hypothesis is likely to be confirmed by empirical research. 
D)  Such a result is inconsistent with the Whorfian hypothesis. Such a hypothesis is not likely to be confirmed by empirical research.

Question 14

What did the anthropologist Benjamin Whorf argue?

Accepted Answer

A)  Language is merely a reproducing instrument. 
B)  Language cannot influence culture. 
C)  Language differences can lead to cultural differences. 
D)  Language is irrelevant to thought.

Question 15

How does the evidence concerning blind children's ability to learn language align with that regarding deaf children's language acquisition with respect to the nature vs. nurture issue?

Accepted Answer

A)  The evidence concerning blind children's ability to learn language accords with that regarding deaf children's language acquisition in suggesting that language acquisition is heavily influenced by nurture. 
B)  The evidence concerning blind children's ability to learn language accords with that regarding deaf children's language acquisition in suggesting that language acquisition is heavily influenced by nature. 
C)  The evidence concerning blind children's ability to learn language contradicts that regarding deaf children's language acquisition. Observations of blind children's ability to learn language suggests that language acquisition is heavily influenced by nature. 
D)  The evidence concerning blind children's ability to learn language contradicts that regarding deaf children's language acquisition. Observations of blind children's ability to learn language suggests that language acquisition is heavily influenced by nurture.

Question 16

What is the name for the smallest language unit that carries meaning?

Accepted Answer

A)  phoneme 
B)  word 
C)  morpheme 
D)  sentence

Question 17

Which of the following concepts is most consistent with the basic ideas of the prototype theory of meaning?

Accepted Answer

A)  dictionary definitions 
B)  family resemblance structures 
C)  bundles of semantic features 
D)  prescriptive rules

Question 18

Speech occurs at a rate of approximately __________ word(s) per second.

Accepted Answer

A)  1 
B)  3 
C)  6 
D)  10

Question 19

Your text describes a study in which eye-movement data revealed that participants looked at a cake rather than at an inedible object immediately on hearing the word eat and before the word cake was heard. The results of this study suggest an influence of language on __________.

Accepted Answer

A)  problem solving 
B)  reasoning 
C)  memory 
D)  attention

Question 20

Your text describes a study in which Korean, Japanese, and English speakers viewed pictures of objects in various configurations. Did the study find any differences between the speakers of the three languages in their perception of the pictures? Were the results consistent or inconsistent with the Whorfian hypothesis?

Accepted Answer

A)  The study found few differences between the speakers of the three languages. The results were inconsistent with the Whorfian hypothesis. 
B)  The study found large differences between the speakers of the three languages. The results were inconsistent with the Whorfian hypothesis. 
C)  The study found few differences between the speakers of the three languages. The results were consistent with the Whorfian hypothesis 
D)  The study found large differences between the speakers of the three languages. The results were inconsistent with the Whorfian hypothesis

Exam 10: Language