Sign-in Links
PSYC 444 Language and Reasoning Units: 3.00
This course explores the science behind how aspects of language impact how people think about social concepts. For instance, how do metaphorical frames impact how we think about diseases (such as cancer)? How do subtle variations in wording (such as talking about climate change vs global warming) influence whether we intend to live more "green" lives? How do grammatically-gendered languages (e.g., French, German) impact gender biases of its speakers? This course sheds light on how language structures shape the mental models we use to understand and reason about complex social phenomena.
Learning Hours: 120 (12 Lecture, 24 Seminar, 12 Online Activity, 72 Private Study)
Requirements: Prerequisite PSYC 203/3.0 and PSYC 241/3.0.
Exclusion PSYC 440/3.0 (Topic Title: Language and Reasoning - Fall 2021, Winter 2021, Winter 2023, Winter 2024).
Offering Faculty: Faculty of Arts and Science
Course Learning Outcomes:
- Understand, evaluate, and discuss with classmates major constructs in language and reasoning, such as the Sapir-Whorf hypothesis, conceptual metaphors, and distributed semantics.
- Facilitate active and productive classroom discussion of course-related concepts.
- Develop and present an original research project proposal related to language and reasoning.
- Write an APA-style proposal of the original research project.