Philosophical Psychology - Case Study Example

Psychology THOUGHT, LANGUAGE AND INTELLIGENCE Introduction Thought, language and intelligence are three major areas of cognitive science. “Cognitive science is the study of human intelligence in all its forms, from perception and action to language and reasoning” (Osherson, 1996: xi). The activities of cognition or mental processes include: understanding, remembering, interpreting, organizing, problem solving, decision making and creating. Our brain works with various types of mental representations, in the form of symbols, language, concepts and images, states Melucci (p.147). The purpose of this paper is to identify the characteristics of thought, language and intelligence, determine the inter-dependence between these constructs, and their practical application in interpreting creative work such as poetry. Discussion Thoughts consist almost entirely of mental visual images; and thoughts interact by means of mostly learned associations between those images (Carruthers: 31). Language is a natural innate capability of the human brain. The special features that make language unique include symbols such as letters, phonemes and words; syntax or grammar; and abstraction or intangible concepts. Intelligence is a construct, an abstract representation. Intelligence quotient (IQ) is a score that is produced by tests which measure intelligence (Melucci: 143, 149). Thinking takes place at various levels, such as episodic or relating to an occurrence, semantic or pertaining to the meaning of an episode, procedural or the method of performance, and automatic as in the case of procedural tasks such as driving to a familiar location. More focused attention and mental effort is required when driving to an unfamiliar location or under external stress such as adverse weather conditions (Melucci: 143). Regarding language learning, Noam Chomsky (p.xxv) believed that human beings are born prepared to learn language; for a young child, language learning is instinctive. Between the ages of two and six, a child learns enough vocabulary and syntax, including thousands of words and an extensive number of complex grammar rules to communicate effectively with all adults. Intelligence can be defined in different ways based on the understanding of the term. From the behaviorist aspect, intelligence is the ability to learn from experience and function successfully in one’s environment. From the cognitive viewpoint, it is the ability to judge, comprehend, and reason. The utilitarian definition of intelligence is that it is the ability to understand and deal with people, objects and symbols. Further, intelligence is “the ability to act purposefully, think rationally, and deal effectively with the environment” (Melucci: 150), according to David Weschler the author of the widely used IQ test: the Weschler Scales. It is clear that most definitions of intelligence include the ability to reason (Pyle: 3). Language and Thought Language and thought are closely connected, and the function of language in thinking is extremely important. Russian psychologists believe that language and thinking have different roots. Piaget emphasizes the role of thinking in actions and operations, and plays down the role of language. On the other hand, American psychologist Bruner states that thought conforms to language, and is the major transformer of experience (Pyle: 84). The words that are used to describe an event can change the way people remember it. In the social sphere, the words that individuals choose to use can influence perceptions of people and events (Melucci: 148). According to Bruner (p.123), a culture aids intellectual growth in a crucial way: by the internalization of dialogue in thought. Hence, conversation may be considered to be the major factor in teaching. Several studies of children who have lived in institutions for many years, show that “lack of dialogue in the early years impairs language development and personality development” (Corson: 22). Further, Britton (1970) states that intelligence which is the ability to solve problems and cope with the world, is mainly dependent on talk in early childhood. This is because external speech or dialogue becomes internal speech or thought, which helps in the solving of problems. Although speech is not identical with thought, it provides the means of reflecting upon thought processes and controlling them, which is essential for exercising intelligence and for problem solving. It is evident that the many dialogues in the past that people have participated in, form the basis for the ability to think. Because thinking is a mental process, it is not possible to describe its processes with any degree of certainty (Corson: 22). On the other hand, Bloom & Kyle (p. 351), assert that since “rich, powerful and abstract cognition can take place within minds that due to injury or deprivation have no natural language”, verbal language does not influence thought. Even babies know their surroundings and the individuals who occupy their world; they just do not know the names. Before learning words in a language such as English, French, Spanish, or other, all humans have concepts in place of the particular words. Jerry Fodor (p. 124) calls these concepts as “mentalese” or a “language of thought”. According to Fodor, all language learning is in fact second language learning. When a child learns the vocabulary of English, for example, essentially the mappings from the English words are applied by the child onto the symbols of mentalese or prior language of thought. Intelligence and Language Human intelligence uses language as an instrument for freely expressing thought and feeling. The creative use of intelligence is characteristic of human beings’ unique cognitive abilities. It is important to develop skilled behavior in students, states Chomsky (2), (p.89). The normal development of creative abilities should be encouraged by widening the range and complexity of materials presented to the enquiring mind, and by promoting a freedom of expression. Many developmental psychologists have found the correlation between cognitive development and language development. For example, a one-year-old child has limited vocabulary as well as very little mental life, whereas a two-year-old child has a wider vocabulary and a much richer mental life. Many philosphers agree that rich and abstract thought cannot exist without language. Evolved communication skills are believed to contribute to increasing cognitive powers or intelligence. From this viewpoint, it can be stated that people who have no language such as the hearing impaired, will have a diminished mental life, leading to weaker cognitive abilities (Bloom & Kyle: 352). The Application of Language, Thought and Intelligence to the Interpretation of Poetry The poetic structure of the human mind is revealed in the understanding of figurative aspects of language. This is usually related to the interpretation of literature and poetry which are rich in figurative thought and language. Figurative language does not require special cognitive ability, and such language is not encountered only in literary texts. Figurative language is usually readily understandable, “without being perceived as violating communicative norms, because this type of language is a natural, direct and automatic expression of the way people think, reason and imagine” (Gibbs: 20).. The use of metaphors, similes, idioms and other poetic structures of language, are decoded by the human mind, by using semantics of thought which convey the literal meaning. Intelligence which gives the ability to reason, and is built on previous learning experiences, helps in comprehending poetic language. Regarding literal language and literal thought, they consist of “fundamental processes of figuration” (Gibbs: 20). Since literal language is the fundamental method of communication, comprehension is automatic, through the cognitive processes related to thought and based on intelligence. Literal meaning plays an important part in understanding figurative language, hence by applying thought, language and intelligence, interpreting poetry is done naturally and easily by most individuals. Thus, it is clear that the cognitive processes of thought, language and intelligence play an important part in the appreciation of poetry. Conclusion This paper has highlighted the important elements of thought, language and intelligence. Further, the inter-dependence between these constructs in human cognitive processes, and their practical application in interpreting creative work such as poetry, have been discussed. The three important areas of human cognition are seen to be inter-related in their functions. In all aspects of cognitive activities, such as learning, acquisition of new languages, problem solving and memory, these factors play an important part. Language conforms to thought, thought processes are conveyed through language and dialogue, and transfer knowledge. Human intelligence uses language for communicating thought, feelings, skills and knowledge. It is important that the development of creative abilities should be encouraged in children, by increased exposure to ideas, materials, and learning opportunities. Further, the freedom of expression enables the full use and improvement of individuals’ cognitive potentials. Works Cited Bloom, Paul & Kyle, Frank C. Thinking through language. Mind and language, 16.4 (2001): 351-367. Britton, James. Language and learning. London: Penguin. 1970. Bruner, Jerome S. Relevance of education. London: Penguin. 1972. Carruthers, Peter. Language, thought and consciousness: an essay in philosophical psychology 1996. New York: Cambridge University Press. Chomsky, Noam (1). Knowledge of language: its nature, origin and use. The United States of America: Greenwood Publishing Group. 1986. Chomsky, Noam (2). Language and mind. New York: Cambridge University Press. 2006. Corson, David. Oral language across the curriculum. Philadelphia: Multilingual Matters Ltd. 1988. Fodor, Jerry A. The language of thought. New York: Crowell. 1975. Gibbs, Raymond W. The poetics of mind: figurative thought, language and understanding. New York: Cambridge University Press. 1994. Melucci, N.J. Psychology the easy way. New York: Barron’s Educational Series, Inc. 2004. Osherson, Daniel N. The study of cognition. In An invitation to cognitive science by Lila R. Gleitman (ed.), The United States of America: The MIT Press, xi-xviii, 1995. Pyle, David W. Intelligence: an introduction. Massachusetts: Routledge. 1979. . Read More