News & Events

22.07.2013

Space matters for spatial language, but so do function and action (sometimes)


Prof. Laura Carlson, Department of Psychology, University of Notre Dame, Indiana

Descriptions of the spatial relations between objects are typically thought to depend primarily on spatial features, such as the geometric configuration of the objects. Indeed, in many spatial tasks, such spatial features have priority. However, in some contexts, information about the objects (such as what they do, how they interact, and the action one takes on them) has also been shown to influence the comprehension and production of such spatial descriptions. I will discuss research that more closely examines the setting of priorities for these various influences (spatial, functional, action, perceptual) during the apprehension of spatial descriptions.

Date: 09.03.2009

Time: 11:15 h

Location: Rotunde Cartesium, Enrique-Schmidt-Str. 5, Universität Bremen

Speakers homepage: http://www3.nd.edu/~lcarlson/Laura_Carlson/Welcome.html