Bagiai Is a Member of the Piraha Culture, Which Has

question 21

Multiple Choice

Bagiai is a member of the Piraha culture, which has a smaller numerical system than large-scale Western cultures.Bagiai is hunting and comes across a group of 10 tapirs (large pig-like mammals) .He kills 2 to take back to his camp.If Bagiai were asked, "How many tapir remain alive?" how would he answer this question and why?

• A) Bagiai would say, "8 tapir remain alive" because people from all cultures have terms for numbers up to the number 10.
• B) Bagiai would say, "8 tapir remain alive" because his cultural concept of numbers allows for basic addition and subtraction.
• C) Bagiai would say, "Many tapir remain alive" because while he is able to provide rough estimates of quantity, his language does not include precise terms for numbers larger than 2.
• D) Bagiai would say, "Many tapir remain alive" because his culture is high-context and explicit communication is less necessary, given the large degree of shared information within the community.
• E) Bagiai would say, "I don't know how many tapir remain alive" because his numerical vocabulary is limited and there only exists language to represent the addition and subtraction of 1, not 2.

---

Definitions:

Cohesion

The degree to which members of a group or team are united in pursuing common goals and how well they stick together.

One-Dimensional

Lacking depth or complexity; containing only one aspect or dimension.

Affective

Relating to moods, feelings, and attitudes; the emotional aspect of consciousness as opposed to cognitive or behavioral aspects.

Instrumental

Serving as a means or tool to achieve a desired goal or end.