We (as the Department of Developmental Psychology) would like to invite you to a talk by Karolin Salmen (Universität Heidelberg) on Thursday, 23 January 2020 at 12.15 (seminar room 2.111, Waldweg 26). In the talk, Karolin Salmen will speak about “The Semiotic Approach to Serial Reproduction” (see abstract below).
We are looking forward to seeing you at our colloquium.
Best wishes,
Feride N. Haskaraca Kizilay
Title: Choose your words wisely: The Semiotic Approach to Serial Reproduction
Abstract: Most information reaches us not through direct observation but through communication – often with one or more intermediary. The process of retelling changes the original information: some pieces are lost (attrition), others are emphasized (sharpening) or added (halo effect). Prior research has primarily attributed these changes to cognitive factors, such as memory, stereotypes or motivation. This talk introduces a novel perspective: A semiotic approach to serial reproduction, which emphasizes the crucial role of the sign system (e.g. the words or phrases used). This theoretical approach is complemented by the new experimental paradigm serial backtranslation. In a first empirical study, the semiotic approach successfully predicted attrition, sharpening and halo effects in retold person descriptions. These results not only inform further research and theorizing, but also possible applications in public health campaigns, political communication, education and media.