Psycholinguistic studies in linguistic relativity

Linguistic relativity refers to the (assumed) phenomenon that we perceive the world through the lens of language. A number of suggestions have been made how the native language that we speak determines how we think and, in extension, interact with the world surrounding us. In this seminar we will critically evaluate some of these proposals by looking at controlled experiments that have investigated the question of linguistic relativity.

BN: Students will have to present one of the research papers in a summary of about 20 minutes, thereby preparing our general discussion of the paper.

AP: Students will write a thesis ("Hausarbeit") on one of the research questions discussed in the seminar OR students will do an oral exam in which they will be questioned on the relevant papers to one of these research questions.