Hauptinhalt

FB Kolloq SoSe2026: Aileen Oeberst

„Mind the gap: Forschung und Wirklichkeit”

Veranstaltungsdaten

 Prof. Dr. Aileen Oeberst, Universität Potsdam
„Mind the gap: Forschung und Wirklichkeit”

Cognitive science has long struggled with challenges stemming from its interdisciplinary nature: disciplinary silos that impede knowledge synthesis, a proliferation of redundant constructs and measures, and narrow models that fail to generalize across tasks. In this talk, I present how large language models (LLMs) can help address these persistent issues. First, I show how LLMs can be used to create research maps that reveal latent conceptual and methodological connections across fields, helping researchers navigate fragmented literatures and identify opportunities for integration. Second, I demonstrate how semantic embeddings derived from LLMs can tackle the "jingle-jangle" problem in psychological measurement by mapping items and constructs into shared representational spaces, flagging problematic construct-measure relationships, and supporting the development of more parsimonious taxonomies. Third, I discuss how LLMs can serve as integrated cognitive frameworks—multitask learners capable of predicting human behavior across diverse experimental paradigms. Throughout, I emphasize that LLMs should be viewed as instruments that complement rather than replace human expertise, and I address potential pitfalls. Used judiciously, LLMs offer promising tools for building a more cumulative and coherent science of mind.