Linguistics 3701 / Psychology 3371: Language and the Mind

This course is an introduction to the psychological processes for producing and understanding speech, the means by which they arise in the child, and bases in the brain.

Instructor: William Schuler

Meeting time: Tuesday and Thursday 9:35am-10:55pm in Oxley 103

Web site: https://www.asc.ohio-state.edu/schuler.77/courses/3701/index.html. The updated syllabus, assignments, slides, etc. will be posted here, so check it regularly.

Textbook (optional): "Language in Mind: An introduction to Psycholinguistics," Julie Sedivy. Sinauer Associates, 2014. ISBN 978-0-87-893598-7.

Course Content:

Wk Assignments/readings for Monday Lecture: Tuesday Assignments/readings for Wednesday Lecture: Thursday
1 (no class) (no class) 5/12 videos: probability, conditional probability 5/13 PS1 handout
overview, background, probability
2 5/17 videos: decision theory, predicates, quantifiers, lambda calculus 5/18
language and thought
5/19 5/20
(continued)
3 5/24 video: Tom Mitchell on distributed representations 5/25
background: neural activation
5/26 PS1 due
tutorial: matrix multiplication
5/27 PS2 handout
background: associative memory
4 5/31 6/1
(continued)
6/2 6/3
background: complex ideas
5 6/7 videos: sine wave speech (original), McGurk effect 6/8
speech, phonemes, hearing
6/9 PS2 due 6/10 PS3 handout
phone recognition
6 6/14 6/15
ambiguity and resolution
6/16 6/17
(continued)
7 6/21 6/22
syntax
6/23 PS3 due 6/24 PS4 handout
background: hierarchic sequential prediction
8 6/28 step-thru:sentence processing 6/29
sentence processing
6/30 LOC1 due 7/1
memory bounds
9 7/5 papers:left-corner surprisal, category and content, left-corner surprisal in fMRI 7/6
surprisal
7/7 PS4 due (postponed to 7/14) 7/8 PS5 handout
(continued)
10 7/12 7/13
(continued)
7/14 7/15
background: generalization (learning)
11 7/19 7/20
learning sound patterns
7/21 PS5 due
paper: statistical grammar induction
7/22 PS6 handout
learning hierarchic rules
12 7/26 7/27
learning meaning
7/28 LOC2 due
alex the parrot
7/29
instinct in learning
13 (no class) (no class) 8/4 PS6 due (no class)

Credit hours and work expectations: This is a 3-credit-hour course. According to Ohio State policy, students should expect around 3 hours per week of time spent on direct instruction (instructor content and Carmen activities, for example) in addition to 6 hours of homework (reading and assignment preparation, for example) to receive a grade of (C) average.

Course requirements:

Student participation requirements: Consistent engagement is expected. All lectures will be delivered synchronously; you will be expected to log into CarmenZoom at the appropriate time to participate. If any problems arise relative to attendance, please contact the instructor as soon as possible. Communication is important. You are encouraged to participate during class, ask questions, work on in-class problems in small groups, and share your experiences relative to the subjects and discussion that day.

The online lectures will be interactive and will be helpful for you to be successful in mastering the course learning outcomes. Attendance and active participation often impacts your performance in a meaningful way, so it will be beneficial for you to attend this course synchronously as much as possible. The lecture slides will be posted on CarmenCanvas, so if you do miss a lecture, you are expected to view the missed material before the next lecture.

Faculty feedback and response time:

Grading scale: OSU standard scheme
A A- B+ B B- C+ C C- D+ D
93% 90% 87% 83% 80% 77% 73% 70% 67% 60%

General Education Requirements This course fulfills "GE Social Science: Individuals and Groups"

Goals: Students understand the systematic study of human behavior and cognition; the structure of human societies, cultures, and institutions; and the processes by which individuals, groups, and societies interact, communicate, and use human, natural, and economic resources.

Expected Learning Outcomes:

  1. Students understand the theories and methods of social scientific inquiry as they apply to the study of individuals and groups.
  2. Students understand the behavior of individuals, differences and similarities in social and cultural contexts of human existence, and the processes by which groups function.
  3. Students comprehend and assess individual and group values and their importance in social problem solving and policy making.
Students are expected to achieve these goals through in-class group exercises and discussions and through homework that focus on similarities and differences in language processing across individuals.

Students with Disabilities: The University strives to make all learning experiences as accessible as possible. If you anticipate or experience academic barriers based on your disability (including mental health, chronic or temporary medical conditions), please let me know immediately so that we can privately discuss options. To establish reasonable accommodations, I may request that you register with Student Life Disability Services. After registration, make arrangements with me as soon as possible to discuss your accommodations so that they may be implemented in a timely fashion. SLDS contact information: slds@osu.edu; 614-292-3307; slds.osu.edu; 098 Baker Hall, 113 W. 12th Avenue.

Academic Misconduct: It is the responsibility of the Committee on Academic Misconduct to investigate or establish procedures for the investigation of all reported cases of student academic misconduct. The term "academic misconduct" includes all forms of student academic misconduct wherever committed; illustrated by, but not limited to, cases of plagiarism and dishonest practices in connection with examinations. Instructors shall report all instances of alleged academic misconduct to the committee (Faculty Rule 3335-5-487). For additional information, see the Code of Student Conduct http://studentlife.osu.edu/csc/.

Mental Health Services: As a student you may experience a range of issues that can cause barriers to learning, such as strained relationships, increased anxiety, alcohol/drug problems, feeling down, difficulty concentrating and/or lack of motivation. These mental health concerns or stressful events may lead to diminished academic performance or reduce a student's ability to participate in daily activities. The Ohio State University offers services to assist you with addressing these and other concerns you may be experiencing. If you or someone you know are suffering from any of the aforementioned conditions, you can learn more about the broad range of confidential mental health services available on campus via the Office of Student Life's Counseling and Consultation Service (CCS) by visiting ccs.osu.edu or calling 614-292-5766. CCS is located on the 4th Floor of the Younkin Success Center and 10th Floor of Lincoln Tower. You can reach an on call counselor when CCS is closed at 614-292-5766 and 24 hour emergency help is also available through the 24/7 National Suicide Prevention Hotline at 1-800-273-TALK or at suicidepreventionlifeline.org.

Sexual Misconduct / Relationship Violence: Title IX makes it clear that violence and harassment based on sex and gender are Civil Rights offenses subject to the same kinds of accountability and the same kinds of support applied to offenses against other protected categories (e.g., race). If you or someone you know has been sexually harassed or assaulted, you may find the appropriate resources at http://titleix.osu.edu or by contacting the Ohio State Title IX Coordinator, Kellie Brennan, at titleix@osu.edu.

Diversity: The Ohio State University affirms the importance and value of diversity in the student body. Our programs and curricula reflect our multicultural society and global economy and seek to provide opportunities for students to learn more about persons who are different from them. We are committed to maintaining a community that recognizes and values the inherent worth and dignity of every person; fosters sensitivity, understanding, and mutual respect among each member of our community; and encourages each individual to strive to reach his or her own potential. Discrimination against any individual based upon protected status, which is defined as age, color, disability, gender identity or expression, national origin, race, religion, sex, sexual orientation, or veteran status, is prohibited.