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Relational language supports relational cognition in humans and apes

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  14 May 2008

Dedre Gentner  and
Stella Christie
Dedre Gentner
Affiliation:
Psychology Department, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL 60208. gentner@northwestern.educhristie@northwestern.eduhttp://www.psych.northwestern.edu/psych/people/faculty/gentner/index.htm
Stella Christie
Affiliation:
Psychology Department, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL 60208. gentner@northwestern.educhristie@northwestern.eduhttp://www.psych.northwestern.edu/psych/people/faculty/gentner/index.htm
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Abstract

We agree with Penn et al. that our human cognitive superiority derives from our exceptional relational ability. We far exceed other species in our ability to grasp analogies and to combine relations into higher-order structures (Gentner 2003). However, we argue here that possession of an elaborated symbol system – such as human language – is necessary to make our relational capacity operational.

Type
Open Peer Commentary
Information
Behavioral and Brain Sciences , Volume 31 , Issue 2 , April 2008 , pp. 136 - 137
Copyright
Copyright ©Cambridge University Press 2008

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