Universität Wien

160187 PS Introductory Seminar on Cognitive Psychology for Linguists (2017S)

Continuous assessment of course work

No previous registration is required. A good command of English is necessary; affinity for technology-based empirical research and for some (elementary) mathematics is highly advantageous.

Registration/Deregistration

Note: The time of your registration within the registration period has no effect on the allocation of places (no first come, first served).

Details

max. 40 participants
Language: English

Lecturers

Classes (iCal) - next class is marked with N

  • Friday 10.03. 13:30 - 16:30 Seminarraum 2 Sensengasse 3a 1.OG
  • Friday 24.03. 13:30 - 16:30 Seminarraum 2 Sensengasse 3a 1.OG
  • Friday 07.04. 13:30 - 16:30 Seminarraum 2 Sensengasse 3a 1.OG
  • Friday 28.04. 13:45 - 16:30 Seminarraum 2 Sensengasse 3a 1.OG
  • Friday 12.05. 13:30 - 16:30 Seminarraum 3 Sensengasse 3a 1.OG
  • Friday 26.05. 13:30 - 16:30 Seminarraum 3 Sensengasse 3a 1.OG
  • Friday 09.06. 13:45 - 16:30 Seminarraum 2 Sensengasse 3a 1.OG
  • Friday 23.06. 13:45 - 16:00 Seminarraum 2 Sensengasse 3a 1.OG

Information

Aims, contents and method of the course

The major aim of this methodologically focused introductory seminar is to give detailed insights about how a specific research technique: eye-tracking/gaze-tracking, can be used for a deeper understanding of linguistic, communicative and some related cognitive processes. Eye-tracking is an innovative, fastly developing research technology that has gained much significance in cognitive, psycholinguistics and experimental studies on communication and cognition in the last decade(s). In the course, (1) foundations and key variants of this research technique will be discussed first in a detailed way. Then we shall turn to (2) a few specific psycholinguistic issues to demonstrate the use of this research technology. These specific issues will include, among others, lexical access, sentence integration, pragmatic inferences, their relation to intentional communication and cognition; atypical language, communication and cognition (primarily, but not only, in autism).
A deeper aim of the course is to demonstrate and discuss some general but key aspects of quantitative, data-informed empirical research methodologies.

Assessment and permitted materials

Requirements:
Active participation in the seminars.
Knowledge and integration of core readings.

(1) 'Presentation + summary' option:
Presentation of 1 paper in about 20 minutes; using presentation software or written handouts.
Submission of a short but coherent critical written summary of the presented paper plus another related paper, with emphasis on methodological issues; 5-10 pages. You are expected to find a relevant, related paper to review.

(2) Term paper option
Alternatively, instead of presentation + summary: submission of a term paper; on a specific issue closely related to the course; based on literature review of the issue, with reflections on the topics discussed in the seminars; cca. 15-20 pages.

Deadline for submitting all written materials (written summary OR term paper):
At least 2 weeks before you need the grade/credit;
but not later than December 2017.

Minimum requirements and assessment criteria

(1) In case of the 'presentation + summary' option:
The presentation and the sumamry will be assessed independently of each other, along the following aspects:
- acuity of the representation of the research goals;
- acuity of the representation of the methodology and its adequacy;
- acuity of the representation of the argumentation and conclusions;
- integration of the core readings;
- critical analysis.
(2) In case of the term paper option:
The term paper will be evaluated along the following aspects:
- how well-circumscribed the topic is?
- acuity of the representation of the research question;
- quality of the processed literature (relevance, topicality);
- acuity of the representation of the methodology and its adequacy;
- acuity of the representation of the argumentation and conclusions;
- integration of the core readings;
- critical analysis.

Examination topics

(no exam option)

Reading list

Core readings
Wade, NJ (2007): Scanning the seen: vision and the origins of eye-movement research. In: van Gompel, R. P. G., Fischer, M. H., Murray, W. S., & Hill, R. L. , eds., Eye Movements: A Window on Mind and Brain: Elsevier. 31-64.
Rayner, K. & Pollatsek, A. (2006): Eye-Movement Control in Reading. In: M.J. Traxler & M.A. Gernsbacher, szerk., Handbook of Psycholinguistics. 2nd edition. Academic Press. 613-657.
Berends, S. M., Brouwer, S. M., & Sprenger, S. A. (2016): Eye-Tracking and the Visual World Paradigm. In: Designing Research on Bilingual Development (pp. 55–80). Springer.
Recommended readings & sources
Eysenck, M. & Keane, MT (2010 or later edition). Cognitive Psychology A Student's Handbook, 6th or later edition.) Especially the following chapters:
Chapter 1 (Approaches to human cognition)
Chapters 6 & 7 (On memory)
Chapter 9 (Reading)
Chapter 16 (Consciousness)
Holmqvist, K., Nyström, M., Andersson, R., Dewhurst, R., Jarodzka, H., & Van de Weijer, J. (2011). Eye tracking: A comprehensive guide to methods and measures: Oxford University Press.
Liversedge, S., Gilchrist, I. D., & Everling, S. (Eds.). (2011). The Oxford Handbook of Eye Movements. Oxford, UK: Oxford University Press.

Association in the course directory

MA1-M2

Last modified: Mo 07.09.2020 15:36