Linguistic relativity in Japanese and English: Is language the primary determinant in object classification?

In the present study, we tested claims by Lucy (1992a, 1992b) that differen ces between the number marking systems used by Yucatec Maya and English lea d speakers of these languages to differentially attend to either the materi al composition or the shape of objects. In order to evaluate Lucys hypothes is, we replicated his critical object classification experiment using speak ers of English and Japanese, a language with a number marking system very s imilar to that employed by Yucatec Maya. Our results failed to replicate Lu cys findings. Both Japanese and English speakers, who were comparable in th eir cultural and educational backgrounds, classified objects more on the ba sis of shape than material composition, suggesting that Lucys original find ings may have resulted not from differences between the number marking syst ems of Yucatec Maya and English but rather from differences in the cultural and educational backgrounds of his experimental groups. Alternative accoun ts of the cognitive consequences of inter-linguistic differences in number marking systems are discussed.