Unity and diversity – the Williams subjects’ message Unity and diversity – the Williams subjects’ message

Williams subjects, due to a genetically based neuro-developmental disorder from birth, besides various medical problems, demonstrate a dissociation between cognitive and special linguistic processing, and a dissociation within language modules, language domains, and language mini-domains with refere...

Full description

Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Hans W. Dechert
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina 2008-04-01
Series:Ilha do Desterro
Subjects:
Online Access:http://www.periodicos.ufsc.br/index.php/desterro/article/view/7451
Description
Summary:Williams subjects, due to a genetically based neuro-developmental disorder from birth, besides various medical problems, demonstrate a dissociation between cognitive and special linguistic processing, and a dissociation within language modules, language domains, and language mini-domains with reference to different languages. This ichotomous profile results from a deletion on one hromosome. What other genes on the same chromosome, not yet identified, or other genes on other chromosomes of the human genome, may be responsible for the same or similar or any other cognitive deficits and/or interactions of cognitive and linguistic deficits, and as such may reveal the specific processes located within specific modules, domains, and/or mini-domains across different languages and cultures, we do not know. What we need, however, is a unified consilient approach engaging the sciences and the humanities to
 integrate knowledge from various sources of investigation. Williams subjects, due to a genetically based neuro-developmental disorder from birth, besides various medical problems, demonstrate a dissociation between cognitive and special linguistic processing, and a dissociation within language modules, language domains, and language mini-domains with reference to different languages. This ichotomous profile results from a deletion on one hromosome. What other genes on the same chromosome, not yet identified, or other genes on other chromosomes of the human genome, may be responsible for the same or similar or any other cognitive deficits and/or interactions of cognitive and linguistic deficits, and as such may reveal the specific processes located within specific modules, domains, and/or mini-domains across different languages and cultures, we do not know. What we need, however, is a unified consilient approach engaging the sciences and the humanities to
 integrate knowledge from various sources of investigation.
ISSN:0101-4846
2175-8026