THEORETICAL FOUNDATIONS OF TIME PERCEPTION IN LINGUISTICS AND COGNITION.
Abstract
This thesis chapter explores the theoretical foundations of time perception from a cognitive linguistic perspective, emphasizing the interplay between language, culture, and embodied cognition. Drawing on cross-linguistic analyses, developmental studies, and neuroimaging evidence, it investigates how grammatical encoding, cultural narratives, and metaphorical frameworks shape temporal conceptualization. The chapter highlights significant variation in how different linguistic communities structure and experience time, ranging from linear and segmented to cyclical and context-dependent models. Empirical research on bilingualism, reaction-time experiments, and brain imaging reveals a strong correlation between linguistic structures and cognitive processing of temporal information. Furthermore, it examines the implications of these findings for developmental psychology, clinical practice, education, and cross-cultural communication. Ultimately, the chapter argues that time is not an objective, universal construct but a culturally mediated and experientially grounded phenomenon. By integrating insights from cognitive science, anthropology, and psycholinguistics, the study underscores the necessity of interdisciplinary approaches in understanding how humans conceptualize time.
References
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