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Related Concept Videos

Language and Cognition01:27

Language and Cognition

Language serves as a bridge between ideas and communication, influencing how individuals perceive and interact with the world. Psychologists have long debated whether language shapes thought or vice versa. This discussion gained grip with Edward Sapir and Benjamin Lee Whorf in the 1940s, who proposed that language determines thought, a concept known as linguistic determinism. They suggested that the vocabulary and structure of a language influence how its speakers think and perceive reality.
Higher Mental Functions of the Brain: Language01:10

Higher Mental Functions of the Brain: Language

Language is a system of communication that allows the expression of thoughts, ideas, and feelings. The brain processes language in both hemispheres.
Language formation and comprehension take place in the dominant hemisphere. The dominant hemisphere is responsible for understanding the meaning of spoken, written, or sign language, as well as the ability to communicate. For most people, the left hemisphere is the dominant one. The right hemisphere, then, gives tone and emotional context to the...
Lateralization01:28

Lateralization

Brain lateralization refers to the division of mental processes and functions between the two hemispheres of the brain, a phenomenon that optimizes neural efficiency and underpins complex abilities in humans. This specialization allows each hemisphere to perform tasks where it has a comparative advantage, facilitating more refined cognitive capabilities across different domains.
Cerebral Hemispheres01:05

Cerebral Hemispheres

The human brain, a complex organ, is functionally divided into two cerebral hemispheres—left and right. These hemispheres are interconnected by a structure of paramount importance, the corpus callosum. This substantial bundle of neural fibers is not just a bridge between the hemispheres but a crucial element for the brain's comprehensive functioning. It enables efficient communication between the two hemispheres, allowing each side of the brain to control and receive sensory and motor...
Components of Language01:24

Components of Language

Language, whether spoken, signed, or written, consists of specific components: lexicon and grammar. The lexicon is the vocabulary of a language, comprising its words. Grammar is the set of rules used to convey meaning through the lexicon. For example, English grammar adds “-ed” to most verbs to indicate past tense. Words are formed by combining phonemes, which are the basic sound units of a language. Different languages have different sets of phonemes (e.g., “ah” vs. “eh”). Phonemes combine to...
Association Areas of the Cortex01:21

Association Areas of the Cortex

Association areas are regions of the cerebral cortex that do not have a specific sensory or motor function. Instead, they integrate and interpret information from various sources to enable higher cognitive processes such as memory, learning, and decision-making. Some key association areas include the following:
Prefrontal Association Area: This area is located in the frontal lobe and is involved in planning, decision-making, and moderating social behavior. It connects with primary motor areas,...

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 20, 2026

Experience is Instrumental in Tuning a Link Between Language and Cognition: Evidence from 6- to 7- Month-Old Infants' Object Categorization
05:35

Experience is Instrumental in Tuning a Link Between Language and Cognition: Evidence from 6- to 7- Month-Old Infants' Object Categorization

Published on: April 19, 2017

Linking language and categorization: evidence from aphasia.

Gary Lupyan1, Daniel Mirman

  • 1Department of Psychology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53706, United States. lupyan@wisc.edu

Cortex; a Journal Devoted to the Study of the Nervous System and Behavior
|August 1, 2012
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Language impairment selectively affects low-dimensional categorization, impacting tasks requiring focused attention. This finding highlights language

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Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: May 20, 2026

Experience is Instrumental in Tuning a Link Between Language and Cognition: Evidence from 6- to 7- Month-Old Infants' Object Categorization
05:35

Experience is Instrumental in Tuning a Link Between Language and Cognition: Evidence from 6- to 7- Month-Old Infants' Object Categorization

Published on: April 19, 2017

Defining the Role Of Language in Infants' Object Categorization with Eye-tracking Paradigms
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Defining the Role Of Language in Infants' Object Categorization with Eye-tracking Paradigms

Published on: February 8, 2019

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Translational Brain Mapping at the University of Rochester Medical Center: Preserving the Mind Through Personalized Brain Mapping

Published on: August 12, 2019

Area of Science:

  • Cognitive Science
  • Neuroscience
  • Linguistics

Background:

  • Language serves functions beyond communication, influencing non-linguistic cognitive tasks.
  • Prior research suggests a link between language impairments and difficulties in categorization.
  • Understanding this link is crucial for comprehending the broader role of language in cognition.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To systematically investigate the relationship between linguistic impairments and categorization abilities.
  • To determine if individuals with aphasia exhibit specific deficits in certain types of categorization.
  • To explore the cognitive mechanisms underlying the observed categorization impairments.

Main Methods:

  • Compared categorization performance between 12 participants with aphasia and 12 matched controls.
  • Participants identified objects fitting either high-dimensional (many shared features) or low-dimensional (few shared features) criteria.
  • Correlated categorization performance with measures of aphasia severity, naming, semantics, lesion size, and location.

Main Results:

  • Participants with aphasia showed a selective impairment in low-dimensional categorization tasks.
  • This deficit correlated specifically with the severity of naming impairments.
  • No significant correlation was found with overall aphasia severity, semantic impairment, lesion size, or location.

Conclusions:

  • Linguistic impairments, particularly naming deficits, impair categorization requiring focused attention on individual features.
  • Language may support cognitive control by facilitating the selection of task-relevant stimulus features.
  • These findings support the hypothesis that language plays a role in broader cognitive functioning.