title: Language as cognitive tool kit: How language supports relational thought.
abstract: The extreme version of the Whorfian hypothesis-that the language we learn determines how we view the world-has been soundly rejected by linguists and psychologists alike. However, more moderate versions of the idea that language may influence thought have garnered recent empirical support. This article defends 1 such view. I propose that language serves as acognitive tool kitthat allows us to represent and reason in ways that would be impossible without such a symbol system. I present evidence that learning and using relational language can foster relational reasoning-a core capacity of higher order cognition. In essence, language makes one smarter. (PsycINFO Database Record
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Northwestern University.
authors.forename: Dedre
authors.identifier: 0000-0002-5120-6688
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Gentner
mesh_terms: D003071:Cognition; D003210:Concept Formation; D006801:Humans; D007802:Language