Articles tagged with Psycholinguistics
A study led by UC Riverside psychologist Megan Zirnstein found that bilinguals can actively predict word meanings and adapt quickly, just like monolingual peers. The research highlights the need to acknowledge variability in bilingual communities and suggests that control ability can help readers overcome prediction errors.
Researchers compared neural activity of signers and speakers using magnetoencephalography, finding similar brain regions involved in phrase building. The study suggests that despite physical differences, signed and spoken languages share intricate neurobiological processes.
A study published in Psychological Science found that people tend to use more emotional language when trying to persuade an audience, even if it may not be effective. The researchers used a quantitative linguistic analysis tool to analyze reviews and found that participants used more emotional descriptors when trying to persuade readers.
Scientists have identified genetic variants associated with synaesthesia, revealing a connection between genes involved in brain cell wiring and the condition. The study provides new insights into the biology of synaesthesia, a trait that runs in families and can manifest differently in each individual.
Infants can generalize beyond their native language to recognize that all languages can allow people to communicate. By 12 months, infants understand that non-native languages can transfer information to others, even if they don't understand the words themselves.
Researchers found that babies as young as six months old can recognize relationships between words and objects, such as cars and strollers. This understanding of word relationships is linked to the amount of time caregivers talk about objects in their daily lives.
A study published in Springer's Psychonomic Bulletin & Review found that incorporating gestures into conversations leads to faster turn transition times and quicker responses. Gestures appear to provide a visual component that helps speakers convey additional information, enabling listeners to process and respond more efficiently.
A study of 12,815 U.S. and U.K. Facebook users found that religious affiliation is associated with the use of positive emotion and social words, while non-religious individuals use more negative emotion and cognitive processes. The researchers also discovered that non-religious people make more frequent mention of the body and death th...
Research by UChicago psychologists found that using a foreign language decreases emotional aversion, leading people to be less averse to breaking taboos and more willing to make utilitarian choices. The study suggests that the decision-making process is affected by the emotional distance provided by speaking a non-native language.
Researchers at the University of Warwick found that certain words are perceived as funnier when read on their own. The study, which analyzed over 800 participants and 5000 random words, revealed that men and women have different preferences for humorous words.
A new study reveals that humans can entrain to the temporal structure of sign language, regardless of whether they are fluent or non-fluent signers. The researchers developed a novel metric to measure visual rhythms in sign language and found that brain waves locked into specific frequencies of sign language.
A study found that people from different cultural backgrounds change their language when lying, with Black African and South Asian participants using more first-person pronouns to distance themselves from the lie. The results challenge Western stereotypes on linguistic cues to deception.
A new study demonstrates that people use the word "you" in a general sense to distance themselves psychologically from negative experiences. Participants who used generic 'you' reported more psychological distance from their negative experiences, suggesting a coping mechanism.
A new study reveals that adults who learned Spanish as a second language can understand subtle aspects of Spanish grammar not present in English. Researchers found that these adults were capable of learning and processing a new language in a way similar to native speaker language use.
Scientists discover gene BCL11A responsible for a new intellectual disability syndrome, which affects brain development and function. The study reveals that two healthy copies of the gene are necessary for normal brain cell development.
A qualitative study found that women feign orgasm as a means to end unwanted and unpleasurable sex. Despite being asked about consensual sex, all participants discussed problematic experiences. The research highlights the need for better language to describe women's experiences of unwanted sex.
A study published in PLOS ONE found that languages using distinct words for snow and ice are spoken in warmer climates, supporting the idea that languages reflect communicative needs. The researchers analyzed nearly 300 languages and discovered a connection between temperature and snow/ice terminology.
A study published in PLOS ONE challenges the notion that Inuit and other Arctic groups have a vast number of words for snow, instead revealing that languages from warmer regions tend to use one word for both snow and ice
Research suggests that bilingual speakers can avoid language-switching costs by consistently using the same language throughout a conversation or task. In experiments, participants were shown to respond faster when they stuck with a language rather than switching mid-sentence.
Researchers found that Nheengatú speakers communicate time of day by pointing at the sun's position in the sky, similar to saying 'nine o'clock' in English. This practice shows that users of auditory languages can develop visual language like sign languages.
A study of nearly a million tweets found that liberals use more emotionally expressive language, while conservatives talk about religion. The research suggests that online networks can provide valuable data to understand people's psychological characteristics and behavior.
A study from UCL and Oxford University found that US NFL fans and sports reporters have unrealistic expectations about their team's performance. The average number of wins predicted by fans was 9.59, while expert predictions were no better than a naive forecasting model.
Researchers found a strong correlation between maternal mind-mindedness and child's ability to understand others' thoughts. The study showed that mothers who used more 'mind related comments' with their babies had children who performed better in social tasks at age 5.
A new study from the University of Chicago has found that children exposed to multiple languages are better at interpreting others' meaning and taking their perspectives. The researchers discovered that even partial exposure to another language can improve social communication skills, not just full bilingualism.
Research from Northeastern professor of psychology Iris Berent and her colleagues finds that linguistic preferences are guided by abstract rules rather than motor system simulation. Abstract rules trigger motor action, not the other way around.
Sheila E. Blumstein received the Silver Medal in Speech Communication from the Acoustical Society of America for her work on how acoustic signals are transformed into linguistic representations. She has made significant contributions to our understanding of speech processing and neural systems.
Young children's gestures segment information into simpler units and express them one by one, similar to language processing. This study provides insight into the universal properties of languages, suggesting that young children's preference for communication has shaped their structure.
Researchers found that brain activity is more similar to that of speakers when listeners can predict what they will say, even before a sentence is spoken. This suggests the brain acts as a prediction machine, anticipating events in communication.
Research finds that people using a foreign language take a relatively utilitarian approach to moral dilemmas, making decisions based on assessments of what's best for the common good. This pattern holds even in emotionally difficult outcomes, such as sacrificing one life so others could live.
Fluent bilinguals have both languages active at all times, regardless of conscious use. This suggests that they control parallel language activity and select intended language without conscious thought.
Research explores how verbalizing emotional experiences can help individuals cope with phobias and improve mood by reframing past events. The studies suggest that using certain language patterns can influence physiological arousal and overall happiness.
Researchers discovered that a negative word can prevent access to a native language system, highlighting the brain's ability to block information from conscious thought. This finding breaks new ground in understanding the interaction between emotion and thought in the brain.
Researchers create 'Literal Lucy' to test speakers' ability to distinguish between literal and pragmatic meaning. The study finds that adopting a third-party perspective improves reliability in making this distinction.
Researchers found that using a ski glove to hinder motor fluency can reverse right-handers' judgments of good and bad, making them associate left with the 'right side' of space. This study suggests that people's conceptions of good and bad depend on their bodily experiences.
Infants raised in bilingual environments can discriminate between English and French just by watching people speak, according to UBC researcher Janet Werker. Exposure to two native languages contributes to the development of perceptual sensitivity that extends beyond their mother tongues.
A recent study found that not all movie-watching experiences are enjoyable, with some films inducing emotional discomfort due to graphic content or disturbing themes. The presence of family members or unknown individuals can also impact viewer satisfaction.
A study by Harvard University psychologists found that bilingual individuals' opinions of ethnic groups were affected by the language they spoke. The researchers used the Implicit Association Test to show that language can create and shape implicit attitudes, challenging the view that attitudes are stable.
A pre-school language intervention programme has been shown to improve expressive language skills, including vocabulary and grammar, in children with poorly developed speech and language skills. The programme also lays the foundation for phonics and indicates improvements in letter-sound knowledge and spelling.
A study by University of Texas at Austin psychologists found that people match each other's language styles more during happier periods of their relationship. Style-matching scores were calculated between poetry written by two pairs of spouses, revealing changes in relationships over time.
Researchers found that treating people with botulinum toxin to block facial expressions caused them to take longer to read angry and sad sentences compared to happy ones. The study supports the embodied cognition hypothesis, suggesting that emotions are rooted in basic bodily processes of perception and action.
Researchers found that foreign accents undermine a person's credibility by making them harder to understand, leading listeners to judge statements as less truthful. The severity of the accent increases the impact on credibility, with heavy accents being rated as less truthful than native speakers.
A new study from the University of Illinois found that driving impairs language skills, including comprehension and speech production. Participants who drove while being told stories remembered only 20% of what was said to them.
A study reveals cultural variations in spatial relationships, with nomadic hunter-gatherers remembering body movements differently than Westerners. German children followed a consistent pattern, while Hai||om children adapted their movements based on direction.
A new study found that foreign subtitles can enhance second-language listening ability, particularly when the subtitles are in the same language as the film. English subtitling was associated with improved recognition of both familiar and unfamiliar words, while Dutch subtitling reduced this effect on new materials.
Research found that native English speakers who learned Hindi or Zulu as children retained the ability to quickly relearn and correctly identify phonemes from these languages, even if they didn't speak them anymore. Exposure to foreign languages in childhood has a lasting impact on speech perception.
A recent study published in Psychological Science found that bilinguals cannot completely 'turn off' a language, as knowledge of a second language affects native-language reading. Bilingual students read sentences with control words and cognates, showing shorter fixation times on cognates than controls.
Researchers found that reading emotion verbs activates specific facial muscles, even if the reader is unaware of it. This phenomenon was replicated in another experiment where subliminal presentation of emotion words influenced cartoon ratings.
Research at the University of Chicago shows that playing sports or watching them improves language skills for discussing their sport. The brain's motor areas are activated when listening to conversations about a sport, even if there's no intention to act.
A study comparing English-speaking and Indonesian-speaking children found that polysemous words like 'animal' in English hindered their precision in identifying the scope of biological concepts. In contrast, Indonesian-speaking children exhibited little trouble distinguishing between plants and animals.
Studies reveal that word order affects language production, with French speakers using a different syntax than English speakers. Additionally, researchers find commonalities in naming patterns for locomotion across languages, suggesting universal rules and constraints.
Researchers identified common genes influencing personality and predisposing people to happiness. The 'affective reserve' of happiness can be called upon in stressful times, suggesting a heritable component of well-being.
Animated speech and language tutors, developed by UC Santa Cruz professor Dominic Massaro, help remedial readers, language learners, and autistic children by modeling natural human speech and articulation. The technology is being incorporated into a new remedial reading program and tailored to teach languages such as Arabic.
Toddlers learn language skills earlier than expected and recognize how speakers use sounds to convey meaning. They ignore sounds not significant in their native tongue.
A new study by Dr. Carmelia Suleiman explores the role of gender in media interviews with politicians Bill and Hillary Clinton. Researchers found that language choices and habits in conversation were influenced more by the interviewers' perspectives than the interviewees' genders.
A study found that temporary inhibition of native language words helps learners focus on the new language. Fluently bilingual speakers were less prone to this effect, suggesting it's an adaptive strategy during initial second language learning stages.
Jeff Elman's work in connectionism and artificial neural networks has led to breakthroughs in speech perception, language processing, and cognition. His creation of the TRACE model and Simple Recurrent Network has been widely used to simulate human behavior.
A new algorithm called Automatic Distillation of Structure (ADIOS) has been developed to learn complex patterns in raw texts, including transcripts of parents' speech directed at young children. The algorithm can generate grammatical new sentences and prove useful in fields like bioinformatics.
Research by Heather Bortfeld shows that babies can discern the beginnings and endings of words that follow their names, providing a foundation for learning language. By using familiar words like their names, babies can anchor their early learning of other word forms and tap into the process at an earliest stage possible.
Researchers at Purdue University found that parts of the human brain think about prepositions in different ways when it comes to time and location. The study used language tests with stroke patients and found that words like 'on' and 'in' are processed independently, regardless of their spatial meaning.
A recent study published in Nature reveals that the brain processes Silbo Gomero, a unique whistle language used by Spanish shepherds, similarly to how it deciphers spoken languages. The researchers found that left hemisphere language regions were uniquely adapted for communicative purposes, independent of the modality of signal.