Universität Wien

160129 PS Introductory seminar in this subject area (2012W)

Probability in Language and Cognition

Continuous assessment of course work

Details

Language: German

Lecturers

Classes (iCal) - next class is marked with N

  • Thursday 04.10. 12:15 - 13:45 Hörsaal 1 Sensengasse 3a 1.OG
  • Thursday 11.10. 12:15 - 13:45 Hörsaal 1 Sensengasse 3a 1.OG
  • Thursday 18.10. 12:15 - 13:45 Hörsaal 1 Sensengasse 3a 1.OG
  • Thursday 25.10. 12:15 - 13:45 Hörsaal 1 Sensengasse 3a 1.OG
  • Thursday 08.11. 12:15 - 13:45 Hörsaal 1 Sensengasse 3a 1.OG
  • Thursday 15.11. 12:15 - 13:45 Hörsaal 1 Sensengasse 3a 1.OG
  • Thursday 22.11. 12:15 - 13:45 Hörsaal 1 Sensengasse 3a 1.OG
  • Thursday 29.11. 12:15 - 13:45 Hörsaal 1 Sensengasse 3a 1.OG
  • Thursday 06.12. 12:15 - 13:45 Hörsaal 1 Sensengasse 3a 1.OG
  • Thursday 13.12. 12:15 - 13:45 Hörsaal 1 Sensengasse 3a 1.OG
  • Thursday 10.01. 12:15 - 13:45 Hörsaal 1 Sensengasse 3a 1.OG
  • Thursday 17.01. 12:15 - 13:45 Hörsaal 1 Sensengasse 3a 1.OG
  • Thursday 24.01. 12:15 - 13:45 Hörsaal 1 Sensengasse 3a 1.OG
  • Thursday 31.01. 12:15 - 13:45 Hörsaal 1 Sensengasse 3a 1.OG

Information

Aims, contents and method of the course

A significant body of psychological literature (sometimes referred to as the "heuristics-and-biases literature") contains experimental evidence to the effect that humans are actually very bad at reasoning with probabilities. Nonetheless, natural language contains expressions for probability, not only as technical terms of mathematics, but as words of everyday discourse. This is a situation that seems to require explanation. Various answers are conceivable: does natural language really refer to probability and we only make performance errors all the time? Has the word "probably" been misunderstood, is its logic really weaker than that of probability? Or has something about the experiments been misinterpreted?

Assessment and permitted materials

handout before the presentation, presentation

Minimum requirements and assessment criteria

The course will start with an introduction to the psychological literature, after which we will review recent developments in formal semantics that bear on this issue. As a result, at least some familarity with the concepts of formal semantics (i.e. PS Einführung in die Semantik) is a prerequisite for this course.

Examination topics

First we will introduce the issues, then presentations are assigned.

Reading list


Association in the course directory

Master Allgemeine Linguistik: MA1-M3,
Master Vergleichende indoeuropäische Sprachwissenschaft und Keltologie: MA3-WM4.2,
Master Indogermanistik und historische Sprachwissenschaft: MA4-WMG1.2,
Master Indogermanistik und historische Sprachwissenschaft: MA4-WMG1.4,
Master Indogermanistik und historische Sprachwissenschaft: MA4-WMG1.6,
Code Diplomstudium: 214, 216

Last modified: Mo 02.10.2023 00:16