How Language Can Change Human Thoughts

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Abstract

This research is being conducted to analyze how language plays its role in determining, manipulating, adjusting and influencing human’s thoughts and perception. Research was conducted in University of Gujrat, using a survey method. Fake statement was presented as a fact and point of view were given in its favor. To check the influence of language in thoughts, forty samples were taken. Sample was taken in the form of two variables, males and females. Results support that language influences human’s thinking style and as compared to males who have more rationalistic approach, females are easily convinced through language. In fact females don’t need more justifications to agree.

Introduction

Language is an evitable element in human life. Language provides us with the path for transmitting and conveying our opinions, it broods new point of views, polishes our personality and plays a role as a tool to express ourselves. It helps us to understanding of this complex world and simplifies our interactions with other people for our survival. Language is the medium of human’s interaction, Broditsky. The root of the human’s existence in this complicated world is language. Whorf (1956), came up with the idea of language relativity in which it was proposed that language guides our way to experience this world. It determines human’s way of perceiving world; language structure influences our world perceiving mechanism. As according to the point of Lera Briditsky it comes to surface that we find different languages are encompassed with the use of different genders, tens, words etc. perceive the reality differently. Human’s thoughts and concepts are envisioned by language they use. So it explores the notion that our thoughts are directed and influenced by our language, Ervin-Tripp (1967).

Adam Szczegielniak defines language as a standard which distinguishes human from animals. This is the language and cognitive ability of humans which stands as a unique features of human that entitles them with superior creature. Language promotes our thoughts, builds them and influences our cognitive potential. Language fabricates our memory, Loftus and Palmer (1947). We fabricates our thoughts in term of language vocabulary, we are bounded to language and flourished to flaunt with the hands of language. Language provides soul to thoughts, if there is no language there is no thought. Humans are no more than a dumb creature. Language not only infuses a soul to our thoughts but it is rich with the power of persuasion. It appears as a source that can influence , modify or alter our thoughts, Deutscher deeply analyzed Whorf’s proposal and the connectivity it has with mind and after having experiments, he put forward his conclusions that language strikes individual’s perceptions, Deutscher (2010). People are convinced only when our words have this majestic power. We convince a child for leaving a toy only by telling him that we would by him a more wonderful toy, it is an influence of language which makes a child alter his mind. We can find another very common example of parent’s behavior towards their children, that when children are at the age of 8 to 12 years, parents make their children to obey them with strict behavior, but when children are twenty above, parent’s way of talking becomes friendly and they try to behave in polite way and choose the words that seem soft. We often find a mother saying to her six years old child that she would not talk to him if he does not eat food and child get upset. It is because his mind at that level are innocent and these words influence their minds. They take that words seriously. But on the other hand when we come to the 18 years old boy or above it we find that parents talk very politely and try to convince them in a humble way. Because they think that young children become rebellious by harsh behavior and they choose those words that may produce a positive effect on their minds. Parents are mostly very careful when they talk to children. That means that language sorely linked with our thinking angle and use of different words produce different reactions which shows how language shapes and affects our thoughts. Language really modifies our perceptions. Consequences of language in human’s perception s were given a solidity by conducting a color experiment among Greeks and English people, which reeks were embedded with two different words for two different shades of blue color and English people had a failure for perceiving them differently, Because of presence of single word for blue color in their language, Gullame (2009, PDF).

To verify that language may influence and affect human thoughts, believes and perspectives, a research question is designed which is composed of a false statement “Horoscope always gives right predictions.” A comprehensive study is conducted to check the validity that if the language can change one’s thought. By examining and experimenting on people that if they can be convinced to take this statement as true through verbal persuasion, language’s role in designing, destructing, altering and persuading human thoughts tested to affirm.

Objectives

The main objective of this study to inspect the influence of language which changes thoughts, Modify them completely. The aim of study to check out that to which level language can manipulates existing thoughts, shapes residing believes, change thinking style and can spawns innovative notions in human minds. This research is led verify the influence and impacts of verbal persuasion in human cognition. The main purpose of research is justify language’s impact in human thoughts by convincing people to believe in a lame statement to acknowledge how far we can persuade one’s thought and develop one’s believe by verbal persuasion. Then, this study stands as an evidence that language has an attribute to change human thoughts and believes.

Methodology

This research was conducted in the University of Gujrat from undergraduates. 40 students of different department were chosen as the sample of this research. The age of participants lies in between 20-24. The participants were divided in two variables; males and females. 20 participants were males and 20 were females. Most of the students were from 3rd and 5th semester. We conducted quantitative research and the method used was interview survey method in which face to face interview was taken. Just for the sake to explore the responses of the people to gather more and deeper information. The views of the variables were not in the form of groups rather there was one to one interaction between the researchers and the participants. The participants kept unaware of the falseness of the statement rather the statement was presented as an astrological research. In start, participants did not believe on the authenticity of the statement. Only few females accepted it and males totally denied it. The idea of presenting this false statement to the participants was to determine that how far we can manipulate their thoughts and believes.

Though there exists no reality in that statement but we produced arguments in its favor. At initial level participants were convinced that yes sometimes our zodiac signs gone true but usually wrong. After that we gave them the examples of the lives of people. To further strengthen our point we tried to convince them by tell them the love marriage stories of some celebrities. Moreover told them about the big tragedies of the world which were predicted by the astrologers before happened. An article was also presented to the participants to change their views by saying that the article had written by s renowned researcher. The result was collected from them by face to face interview, questionnaire was used, where we could easily check the results that how much variables convinced.

Result and Analysis

The result of this research highlight that 57 % males and 67 % were females were agreed and 13% females were strongly agree. But on the other hand ratio of participants that disagreed includes 43% males and 20% females.

While the ratio before providing the references and solid arguments in favor of statement were different. 13% females accepted the statement and none of the male student accepted it.

The above table shows the ratio of participants views when they were initially told that a new astrological research explored that “Horoscope always gives right predictions.” This ratio highlights the mental condition of the participants before that references were given in the favor of the statement. All the males and majority of females were disagreed.

Then through verbal persuasion, we tried to convince participants to mould their thoughts to alter their beliefs.

This above table shows the result after the verbal persuasion. And it is quite interesting. We just took a superstitious statement and taking language as a weapon which influenced the thoughts and beliefs of many of the participants. This is transparently shown in the results.

Ratio of the above results depicts with clarity that a large number of participants received the influence of language persuasion. It affirms that language has an ability to transmute people’s beliefs.

Conclusion

Results of conducted study and gap between the ratio of pre-argumentation and after providing the participants with arguments to convince them with verbal persuasion, authenticated that language has a vital relation and connection with human cognition. Language has the ability to shape, influence, persuade, convince, alter and manipulate human thoughts, believes, perceptions and notions. Hence this study proved that language shapes thoughts.

References

Boroditsky, L. (2001). Cognitive psychology.43(1),1-22
Whorf, B. L. (1940). Science and linguistics. 227-31,247-8

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