Language and thought [2500-EN-COG-F27] Semestr letni 2022/23
Ćwiczenia, grupa nr 1

The class will cover language and thought research from a wide range of domains. These will include: speech sounds, sound metaphors, color, smell, spatial frames of reference, time, events, number, false belief understanding, grammatical gender and nominal classification. The last three to four classes will be dedicated to work on various aspects of students’ research proposals. Course timetable with scheduling of topics and readings will be provided at the beginning of the course.

Bibliography:

Dolscheid, S., Shayan, S., Majid, A., & Casasanto, D. (2013). The thickness of musical pitch: Psychophysical evidence for linguistic relativity. Psychological Science, 24(5), 613–621.

Fausey, C. M., & Boroditsky, L. (2011). Who dunnit? Cross-linguistic differences in eye-witness memory. Psychonomic Bulletin & Review, 18(1), 150–157. https://doi.org/10.3758/s13423-010-0021-5

Gordon, P. (2004). Numerical cognition without words: Evidence from Amazonia. Science, 306(5695), 496–499.

Kuhl, P. K., Williams, K. A., Lacerda, F., Stevens, K. N., & Lindblom, B. (1992). Linguistic experience alters phonetic perception in infants by 6 months of age. Science, 255(5044), 606–608. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1736364

Majid, A. (2020). Human olfaction at the intersection of language, culture, and biology. Trends in Cognitive Sciences

Majid, A. (2020). Language and cognition. In International Encyclopedia of Anthropology. Hoboken: Wiley-Blackwell, 1-8.

Majid, A., Bowerman, M., Kita, S., Haun, D. B. M., & Levinson, S. C. (2004). Can language restructure cognition? The case for space. Trends in Cognitive Sciences, 8(3), 108–114.

Núñez, R., & Cooperrider, K. (2013). The tangle of space and time in human cognition. Trends in Cognitive Sciences, 17(5), 220–229. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tics.2013.03.008

Regier, T., & Kay, P. (2009). Language, thought, and color: Whorf was half right. Trends in Cognitive Sciences, 13(10), 439–446. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tics.2009.07.001

Slobin, D. I. (1996). From “thought and language” to “thinking for speaking”. In J. J. Gumperz & S. C. Levinson (Eds.), Rethinking linguistic relativity (pp. 70–96). Cambridge University Press.

Phillips, W., & Boroditsky, L. (2003). Can quirks of grammar affect the way you think? Grammatical gender and object concepts. In Proceedings of the Annual Meeting of the Cognitive Science Society (Vol. 25, pp. 928–933).

Wolff, P., & Holmes, K. J. (2011). Linguistic relativity. Wiley Interdisciplinary Reviews: Cognitive Science, 2(3), 253–265.

- Written exam (70%)

- Research proposal, 2500-3000 words (30%).

Students are expected to prepare a written research proposal (without actually carrying out the research) following an academic report format. The proposal should consist of the following parts: (1) Introduction, reviewing background literature and articulating the main research question, (2) Method, with details as to how research would be conducted, (3) Conclusion, with possible results and explication of how the proposed research speaks to the central research question, and (4) References, including at least 15 relevant items in the reference list

Two absences are allowed. Additional absences require a note from a doctor or an exceptional personal circumstance.

Students must respect the principles of academic integrity. Cheating and plagiarism (including copying work from other students, internet or other sources) are serious violations that are punishable and instructors are required to report all cases to the administration.

Elementary knowledge of basic linguistic concepts