The Whorfian hypothesis and numerical cognition: Is 'twenty-four' processed in the same way as 'four-and-twenty'?

Abstract

Recent theoretical developments have redefined a Whorfian effect as a processing difference due to the language of the individual, and no longer as a marker for or against linguistic determinism. Within this framework, Whorfian effects can be used to investigate whether a particular part of the cognitive system is penetrable by language processes or forms an encapsulated module, provided the experimenter ensures that the target language difference is not caused by peripheral input or output processes. In this article, we examine the possibility of a Whorfian effect in numerical cognition by making use of the fact that in the Dutch number naming system the order of tens and units is reversed (i.e. 24 is read 'four-and-twenty'). In a first experiment, we asked native French- and Dutch-speaking students to name the solution of addition problems with a two-digit and a single-digit operand (e.g. 20 + 4 = ?, 24 + 1 = ?). The order of the operands was manipulated (20 + 4 vs. 4 + 20) as well as the presentation modality (Arabic vs. verbal). Three language differences emerged from this study. Experiment 2, however, showed that these differences were all due to input or output processes rather than differences in the addition operation (i.e. the differences between Dutch and French disappeared when subjects were asked to type the answer rather than pronounce it). On the basis of these findings, we question the idea that mathematical operations are based on verbal processes. © 1998 Elsevier Science B.V.