PSYCH 4270 - Evolution of Language

(crosslisted) COGST 4270
(ETM-AS) (KCM-AG)

Fall. 3 credits. Student option grading.

Prerequisite: any one course in psychology or human development. Enrollment limited to: juniors and seniors. Offered alternate years. Co-meets with PSYCH 6270.

M. Christiansen.

Seminar surveying a cross-section of modern theories, methods, and research pertaining to the origin and evolution of language. Considers evidence from psychology, the cognitive neurosciences, theoretical biology, comparative psychology, and computational modeling of evolutionary processes. Topics for discussion may include: What is special about language? What can we learn from comparative perspectives on neurobiology and behavior? Can apes really learn language? Did language come about through natural selection or cultural evolution?