The Relation Between Language, Culture, and Thought (Lecture by Prof. IMAI Mutsumi)

Zoom Webinar (Register)

The relations among language, culture, and thought are complex. The empirical evidence from diverse domains suggests that culture affects language, language affects thought, and universally shared perception and cognition constrain the structure of language. Although neither language nor culture determines thought, both seem to highlight certain aspects of the world, with stronger influence when there are no clear perceptible categories.
In this talk, Prof. IMAI Mutsumi discusses how language, culture, perception, and cognition interact with one another across different domains. At the end, she speculates how cultural identity might emerge through this process.

Lecture
IMAI Mutsumi
Professor of Cognitive Development and Psychology, Faculty of Environment and Information Sciences, Keio University

Q&A

Moderator
Maria Telegina
Project Assistant Professor, Tokyo College, The University of Tokyo

IMAI Mutsumi is a developmental psychologist studying lexical and conceptual development. Currently, she is the head of the Mutsumi Imai lab and Professor of Psychology at the Faculty of Environment and Information Studies, Keio University. Prof. IMAI has been designated a Fellow of the Cognitive Science Society as well as is a Governing Board member of that Society since 2017. She is also a Fellow member of the Psychonomic Society and has served as Executive Board member of the International Association for the Study of Child Language (IASCL).