SCRIPT RELATIVITY IN PSYCHOLINGUISTICS AND SOCIOLINGUISTICS: WRITING SYSTEMS AS A CATALYST FOR COGNITION AND CULTURE: Received: 07th August 2023; Revised: 26th December 2023; Accepted: 29th December 2023

Abstract

Script relativity posits that the writing system in which we read affects our thinking, information processing, cognitive mapping, and thought patterns. Given that script effects have been investigated primarily in psycholinguistics, this paper discusses the potential to extend the scope and sequence of research to a broader level of sociolinguistics. As the microscopic psycholinguistic analysis can be complemented by a macroscopic sociolinguistic view, the interplay among cognitive, linguocultural, and sociocultural variables can facilitate our holistic understanding of script effects. To this end, this paper provides an account of writing systems as a catalyst for building cognition and culture. The dynamic interaction between individual language processing (psycholinguistics) and language use in social and cultural contexts (sociolinguistics) is discussed, which has both theoretical and methodological implications for future research, policy, and practice