Linguistic Relativity and Flexibility of Mental Representations: Color Terms in a Frame Based Analysis

Leda Berio

doi:10.1007/978-3-030-50200-3_6

Abstract

AbstractThis paper connects the issue of the influence of language on conceptual representations, known as Linguistic Relativity, with some issues pertaining to concepts’ structure and retrieval. In what follows, I present a model of the relation between linguistic information and perceptual information in concepts using frames as a format of mental representation, and argue that this model not only accommodates the empirical evidence presented by the linguistic relativity debate, but also sheds some light on unanswered questions regarding conceptual representations’ structure. A fundamental assumption is that mental representations can be conceptualised as complex functional structures whose components can be dynamically and flexibly recruited depending on the tasks at hand; the components include linguistic and non-linguistic elements. This kind of model allows for the representation of the interaction between linguistic and perceptual information and accounts for the variable influence that color labels have on non-linguistic tasks. The paper provides some example of strategy shifting and flexible recruitment of linguistic information available in the literature and explains them using frames.

Highlights

Cross linguistic1 research about basic color terms has been for a long time a central concern in the debate regarding Linguistic Relativity, i.e. the influence of language on conceptual representations
I will argue that a frame-based model of mental representations allows for the representation of the relation between the perceptual information contained in color concepts and their linguistic labels in a way that is compatible with the empirical evidence used in the Linguistic Relativity debate
Participants might be comparing perceptual input, solving the task on the basis of this comparison, and using a strategy based on labeled mental representations instead when two different color terms are present: this suggests switching between strategies, but does not support necessarily the idea that the linguistic information in a concept can be activated or not depending on the situation

Summary

Berio (B)

I will argue that a frame-based model of mental representations allows for the representation of the relation between the perceptual information contained in color concepts and their linguistic labels in a way that is compatible with the empirical evidence used in the Linguistic Relativity debate. The core claim of the paper will be that such a model allows for the presentation of the interaction between different components of a mental representation and can account for the variable influence of linguistic labels on color-related tasks in terms of strategy shifting and flexible use of mental representations’ components. 4 of the paper, I explain how this view can be fruitfully applied to communicative situations and pragmatic effects and, most importantly, to model the experimental data presented in Sect. I draw conclusions regarding the debate and suggest further necessary steps

Color Terms and Whorfianism

Frames and Representation of Colors

Color Words and Flexible Use of Representations’ Features

A Brief Excursus into Another Conceptual Domain

Back on Colors

Findings

Conclusions and Open Questions