PSYCHOLINGUISTICS

Explores the relationship between the human mind

and language.

To understand the processes which underline the

system.

To examine language as a product of the human mind,

which may provide evidence of the way in which
human beings organise their thoughts.
 PSYCHOLOGY

LINGUISTICS
NEUROSCIENCE

PSYCHOLINGUISTICS

ANTHROPOLOGY COMPUTER
SCIENCE
Areas of research:

Language processing

Language storage and access

Comprehension theory

Language and the brain

Language in exceptional circumstances

First language acquisition

 LANGUAGE
species specific?
same as speech and
communication? ?
? separated from other
mental operations?

part of general cognition?

?
?
any means by which two individuals
exchange information

COMMUNICATION

≠
LANGUAGE
A type of communication but not the
only one
LANGUAGE
voluntary

symbolic

systematic structure-dependent

speech or writing

species-specific
 SPEECH
Two factors determine the ability of the language user
to produce speech:

Articulators (Shape, size and

position)
Ability to breathe and utter
sounds at the same time.

SPEECH ≠ WRITING

Spontaneous Deliberate

Connected Uses discrete units

Occurs in real-time Can be reviewed

 LANGUAGE AND THE BRAIN
Psycholinguistics + Neurolinguistics

Comparison
Researchers compare
human brains to the
brains of other species
to find out which
characteristics enable
us to speak.
Which are the
differences and
similarities?
Lateralization
Some cognitive
Localization functions are
‘lateralized’, that is,
As other cognitive located on one
functions, language brain hemisphere
also has specific places from which it
in the brain where it operates.
mainly operates. Does it also ocurr
Which are the brain with language?
areas in which
language is located?
 A QUICK GEOGRAPHY OF THE BRAIN
There are different ways of referring to the parts of the brain.

Composition:
Top and side views:
Areas involved in language: