Vortrag von Olivier Morin
DLCE Talk
- Datum: 26.04.2016
- Uhrzeit: 14:00 - 15:00
- Vortragende(r): Olivier Morin
- Ort: Friedrich-Schiller-Universität Jena, Institut für Psychologie
- Gastgeber: Friedrich Schiller-Universität Jena, Institut für Psychologie
- Kontakt: schueck@shh.mpg.de
Natural experiments in psychology
The method of “natural experiments,” popular in economics or ecology,
consists in using naturally occurring phenomena (in conjunction with
controlled experiments, or on their own) to test hypotheses. Though less
straightforwardly interpretable than controlled experiments, the
ecological validity and historical relevance of natural experiments
arguably compensate for some of their flaws. Cultural history provides
some of the best material for such work: books, paintings, or games can
be seen as a long-standing, well-recorded experiment on human cognition.
This point of view will be illustrated with a series of studies: the
evolution of portraiture, the expression of emotions in novels, and the
shape of letters in various alphabets. Reflections on the
unpredictability of cultural change and the limits of natural
experiments will be added if time allows.