Why does the digit task matter to the argument? (Passage: Language and thought)
Linguists have long debated whether the language we speak shapes how we think. One experiment compared speakers of a language with distinct words for light blue and dark blue with English speakers, who use one word for both. The first group were faster at telling apart two shades of blue when one fell on each side of the boundary between their two colour words. The effect vanished when participants were asked to repeat a string of digits while performing the task, suggesting that language was playing a role in the judgement itself.
Answer and explanation
Correct answer: A. It occupies the verbal system, and the effect disappearing suggests language was involved
- Step 1: Think about what the interference removes. Step 2. Repeating digits uses up language resources; if the effect vanishes, language was contributing. Answer: It occupies the verbal system, and the effect disappearing suggests language was involved. Why not the others: The task is not about number memory, English speakers' recognition, or ease.
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