萨丕尔·沃尔夫假说是一个关于语言、文化和思维之间关系的假说。该假说中所蕴含的理念是对启蒙主义时期“语言—思维”观（思维与语言是两个不同过程，且前者完全制约后者）的反拔。本书采用新沃尔夫主义者的研究范式，以英汉母语者为实验对象，在时间领域对该假说进行了检验。实验结果表明：两组被试的时间认知既有共性，也存在显著差异；已有时间认知模型对英汉母语者时间认知图式的描述存在偏差；人类时间认知的形成基于一个复杂的经验基础网络，作为这个网络的组成部分，语言因素确会影响人脑中时间表征的形成。 本书可作为认知语言学实证研究领域的参考用书。

Chapter 1 Introduction: what is SWH
1.1 A brief history of SWH
1.2 Different terms used to address SWH
1.3 Different interpretations of SWH
1.4 Misusage
1.5 Key terms in SWH
1.6 Summary: What is SWH
Chapter 2 Literature review of empirical studies on SWH
2.1 Literature review on empirical studies in the neo-Whorfian period (articles presented in English)
2.2 Literature review on empirical studies in the neo-Whorfian period (articles presented in Chinese)
2.3 Summary
Chapter 3 Research methodology: the neo-Whorfian research paradigm
3.1 Picking a domain: the domain of time
3.2 Linguistic coding of time in Chinese and English
3.3 Non-linguistic coding of time in the cognition of native speakers of Chinese and English: temporal representations in cognition
3.4 Summary
Chapter 4 Do native Chinese and English speakers think about time differently because they talk about time differently
4.1 Experiment 1: time in spontaneous gestures
4.2 Experiment 2: time in deliberate gestures
4.3 Experiment 3: the STARC effect
Chapter 5 Conclusion
5.1 Answers to the research questions
5.2 Weaknesses of the present research
References
Appendixes
Appendix 1: spontaneous gestures of native Chinese speakers (presented in interview order)
Appendix 2: spontaneous gestures of native English speakers (presented in interview order)
Appendix 3: questions for native Chinese speakers in Experiment 2
Appendix 4: questions for native English speakers in Experiment 2