This is Part II of a three-part series.
Our talkative species occupies much of our time each day in conversation. Historical views of this loquaciousness often expressed singular interest in personal motive, asking: What could individuals hope to achieve with so much talk? How do aims shape expressions? It is hardly surprising that such abstract concerns were difficult to satisfy. In our technical era, scrutiny has turned to mechanism, and the psychological focus has been placed on cognitive resources: What must interlocutors know and be able to do in order to converse? These lectures consider some recent investigations that characterize the superb facility of the listener. In turn, the themes examine the perceptual versatility of listeners in recognizing spoken utterances despite limitless physical variation in expression; the perceptual effect of the uniqueness of each talker as an anatomical, social and personal source of speech; and, the consequences of the contrast between hearing and listening for psychological understanding and a mature neuroscience.
Speaker:
Robert E. Remez, Professor of Psychology, Barnard College, Columbia University
This event is free and open to the public.
Visit the Columbia University Seminars website for more information.
