Whorfian Hypothesis

The Whorfian Hypothesis

The idea that language constrains thought and perception, so that cultural differences in cognition could be explained at least partially by differences in language.

Other investigators have argued for a different proposal: Strong relations exist between language and other cognitive processes. One hypothesis, called the Whorfian hypothesis of linguistic relativity, was originated by Benjamin Whorf, a chemical engineer whose hobby was studying Native American languages of North America. It states that language both directs and constrains thought and perception.

Whorf believed that the language or languages one grows up learning and speaking thus determine the way one perceives the world, organizes information about the world, and thinks. Whorf (1956) based his hypothesis on the observation that each language differs in how it emphasizes various aspects of the world.