Psychology of language
Lecture 1
Linguistics =
What is language
Psychology =
How does the mind work?
Psychology of language =
Combination of those two
Neuroscience =
How does the brain works
Phonetics =
The study of raw speech sounds (The sound of a language for example).
When we are speaking we don’t pronounce all the letters in a word or sentence: “It’s going to rain
tomorrow.”, instead of “It is going to rain tomorrow.”.
Phonology =
The more abstract study of sound categories in a language.
How many sounds and which sounds are there in any language.
More abstract.
Morphology =
Small elements that can change the meaning of a word. The study of words and word formation.
De toegevoegde functie die een letter aan een woord kan geven:
Bike -> Bikes. De ‘s’ zorgt ervoor dat het woord meervoud wordt. Dan is de ‘s’ een morphine.
Semantics =
The study of meaning. What is the meaning of a word. Do we think of a chair when we say that word.
Syntax =
The arrangement of words and phrases to create a well-formed sentence in a language.
Pragmatics =
The study of language use. The meaning of context.
“It’s hot in here”. Has the meaning that it is warm here. But it could also have a double meaning or
indirect meaning for “someone open the window.”.
So, we are saying one thing, but we mean something else.
“My potatoes are cold” -> “Warm up my potatoes”.
Discourse studies =
The study of language in interaction.
Definition of language =
“A system of form-meaning pairings that can be used to intentionally communicate meaning.”.
- System: there is a structure to the madness.
- Form-meaning pairings: of different sizes, at various levels of specificity.
- Use: Different modalities, production and perceptions
, - Intentionally: producer wants to achieve something (except when we are sleeping)
- Communicate meaning: Almost anything can be expressed
• Language is spoken and heard, signed and seen, and written and read.
• Language is acquired, learned, and sometimes forgotten or lost.
We use it to exchange information, express emotions, get others to do something etc.
For communication students it is handy to know what other people think so we can use communication
(Om hierop in te spelen).
Language makes it possible to make a thought travel from my mind to yours and communicate
meaning.
(1) Embodiedness =
You use your body to communicate
'implying that our body is involved in many of our communicative activities. '
- Our body offers us different channels
- These channels come with limitations
➔ If were reading we need to move our eyes from right to left. So, our body come with
certain limitations
- We typically use different channels at the same time
- Information travels from brain to brain via the world and the senses.
Linguistics contexts =
Letter, word, sentence, story
(2) Incremental processing =
Step by step, word by word.
Chapter 1 - 'Basic assumptions of a new psychology of language'
: 4 Keys aspects of language
➔ It explains that humans make use of a variety of bodily channels to communicate about
aspects of the rich meaning structures present in their minds.
,Humans process language with their bodies.
- Reading: With the eyes (or if you’re blind with hands and fingers.)
- Listening: With the ears.
- Speech production: Via vocal cords and mouth.
- Writing: With one hand (and sometimes communicating with sign language).
- Non-verbal: Body language, clothes, posture, smell, facial expression.
Language comprehension =
The ability to understand the different elements of spoken or written language, like the meaning of
words and how words are put together to form sentences.
Utterance =
An oral or written word/statement.
(3) Embeddedness =
A context in which language takes place.
1. Utterances (uitingen) take place in a physical (bodily) context:
- Could be in a context of time. (This road, she’s running etc.)
- Could be in a contact of physical condition. Someone who is deaf needs to use sign language.
Someone who is blind need to use their hands/fingers for reading.
- Also, how we pronounce words (handbag -> hambag, want to -> wanna).
2. Utterances are fine-tuned to the social and cultural context:
Cultural:
- How we talk to babies (baby-talk). We often use a higher voice and slower speech.
- “Cultural frame shifting”: 'In simple terms, bilinguals may feel they have two somewhat
divergent personalities, one for each of their languages.'
Social:
- Eye contact during a conversation. Is the other listening, is he/she following your story.
- Body language: may convey information about the relationship between speaker and listener,
motivation and power, attentiveness and interest, and so on.
3. The linguistic context, referring to our knowledge about the different levels of the language in
use.
- Sounds or letters are typically part of larger linguistic units such as words.
- Words often appear in the context of a larger phrase or sentence and so on.
, How language is processed depends on:
(1) Who you are with, characteristics of the participant (kenmerken van de persoon waarmee je bent).
(2) Stimulus characteristics
(3) Task demands (taalvereisten)
(4) Mental model =
An explanation of someone’s thought process about how something works in the real world.
This model is time-dependent and open to change. When people are having a discussion with each
other, their statements will change every time when someone comes up with a new argument.
'In other words, mental models are updated all the time, by changing, adding, or removing
information, depending on the language users’ experiences, viewpoints, and expectations. '
In the most simple mental model, your current situation is represented in terms of various aspects:
- Physical: For instance, at the physical level you are aware of gravity, color, resistance of
material objects, and loudness.
- Biological: At the biological level, you perceive things emotionally, via your different bodily
senses, and by movement.
- Psychological: At the psychological level, what is happening has an emotional value or an
abstract meaning.
- Sociological: At the sociological level, you notice your role in the ongoing dialog dependent on
your background and the empathic relation between you and the person you speak with.
Example:
“You may speak more loudly (physical) when you are angry (biological and psychological), because
your dialog partner just ridiculed your favorite soccer team (sociological).”
Stored information =
Informatie die is opgeslagen in onze hersenen die we gebruiken om bepaalde dingen te begrijpen
wanneer het over bepaalde onderwerpen gaat.
Speech is ephemeral; the auditory signal does not linger around in time and space, so the listener
typically has to incorporate novel information into their mental model quickly and efficiently.
(Het auditieve signaal blijft niet hangen in tijd en ruimte, dus de luisteraar moet nieuwe informatie
doorgaans snel en efficiënt in zijn mentale model opnemen).
Mental models zijn om twee redenen belangrijk:
1. Ten eerste is het volgens deze opvatting voor effectieve communicatie niet voldoende om
boodschappen op een volledig abstracte manier weer te geven. Mentale modellen bevatten
een overvloed aan wereldbetekenis in zintuiglijke modaliteiten die niet-belichaamde
representaties niet kunnen vatten. (Alleen woorden kunnen dit niet bevatten).
Incremental processing =
Step by step, word by word.
- Language reaches your eyes and/or ears step by step
- It enters your brain via your senses piece by piece
- Language also leaves your mouth bit by bit
- So, it must also be processed incrementally
Lecture 1
Linguistics =
What is language
Psychology =
How does the mind work?
Psychology of language =
Combination of those two
Neuroscience =
How does the brain works
Phonetics =
The study of raw speech sounds (The sound of a language for example).
When we are speaking we don’t pronounce all the letters in a word or sentence: “It’s going to rain
tomorrow.”, instead of “It is going to rain tomorrow.”.
Phonology =
The more abstract study of sound categories in a language.
How many sounds and which sounds are there in any language.
More abstract.
Morphology =
Small elements that can change the meaning of a word. The study of words and word formation.
De toegevoegde functie die een letter aan een woord kan geven:
Bike -> Bikes. De ‘s’ zorgt ervoor dat het woord meervoud wordt. Dan is de ‘s’ een morphine.
Semantics =
The study of meaning. What is the meaning of a word. Do we think of a chair when we say that word.
Syntax =
The arrangement of words and phrases to create a well-formed sentence in a language.
Pragmatics =
The study of language use. The meaning of context.
“It’s hot in here”. Has the meaning that it is warm here. But it could also have a double meaning or
indirect meaning for “someone open the window.”.
So, we are saying one thing, but we mean something else.
“My potatoes are cold” -> “Warm up my potatoes”.
Discourse studies =
The study of language in interaction.
Definition of language =
“A system of form-meaning pairings that can be used to intentionally communicate meaning.”.
- System: there is a structure to the madness.
- Form-meaning pairings: of different sizes, at various levels of specificity.
- Use: Different modalities, production and perceptions
, - Intentionally: producer wants to achieve something (except when we are sleeping)
- Communicate meaning: Almost anything can be expressed
• Language is spoken and heard, signed and seen, and written and read.
• Language is acquired, learned, and sometimes forgotten or lost.
We use it to exchange information, express emotions, get others to do something etc.
For communication students it is handy to know what other people think so we can use communication
(Om hierop in te spelen).
Language makes it possible to make a thought travel from my mind to yours and communicate
meaning.
(1) Embodiedness =
You use your body to communicate
'implying that our body is involved in many of our communicative activities. '
- Our body offers us different channels
- These channels come with limitations
➔ If were reading we need to move our eyes from right to left. So, our body come with
certain limitations
- We typically use different channels at the same time
- Information travels from brain to brain via the world and the senses.
Linguistics contexts =
Letter, word, sentence, story
(2) Incremental processing =
Step by step, word by word.
Chapter 1 - 'Basic assumptions of a new psychology of language'
: 4 Keys aspects of language
➔ It explains that humans make use of a variety of bodily channels to communicate about
aspects of the rich meaning structures present in their minds.
,Humans process language with their bodies.
- Reading: With the eyes (or if you’re blind with hands and fingers.)
- Listening: With the ears.
- Speech production: Via vocal cords and mouth.
- Writing: With one hand (and sometimes communicating with sign language).
- Non-verbal: Body language, clothes, posture, smell, facial expression.
Language comprehension =
The ability to understand the different elements of spoken or written language, like the meaning of
words and how words are put together to form sentences.
Utterance =
An oral or written word/statement.
(3) Embeddedness =
A context in which language takes place.
1. Utterances (uitingen) take place in a physical (bodily) context:
- Could be in a context of time. (This road, she’s running etc.)
- Could be in a contact of physical condition. Someone who is deaf needs to use sign language.
Someone who is blind need to use their hands/fingers for reading.
- Also, how we pronounce words (handbag -> hambag, want to -> wanna).
2. Utterances are fine-tuned to the social and cultural context:
Cultural:
- How we talk to babies (baby-talk). We often use a higher voice and slower speech.
- “Cultural frame shifting”: 'In simple terms, bilinguals may feel they have two somewhat
divergent personalities, one for each of their languages.'
Social:
- Eye contact during a conversation. Is the other listening, is he/she following your story.
- Body language: may convey information about the relationship between speaker and listener,
motivation and power, attentiveness and interest, and so on.
3. The linguistic context, referring to our knowledge about the different levels of the language in
use.
- Sounds or letters are typically part of larger linguistic units such as words.
- Words often appear in the context of a larger phrase or sentence and so on.
, How language is processed depends on:
(1) Who you are with, characteristics of the participant (kenmerken van de persoon waarmee je bent).
(2) Stimulus characteristics
(3) Task demands (taalvereisten)
(4) Mental model =
An explanation of someone’s thought process about how something works in the real world.
This model is time-dependent and open to change. When people are having a discussion with each
other, their statements will change every time when someone comes up with a new argument.
'In other words, mental models are updated all the time, by changing, adding, or removing
information, depending on the language users’ experiences, viewpoints, and expectations. '
In the most simple mental model, your current situation is represented in terms of various aspects:
- Physical: For instance, at the physical level you are aware of gravity, color, resistance of
material objects, and loudness.
- Biological: At the biological level, you perceive things emotionally, via your different bodily
senses, and by movement.
- Psychological: At the psychological level, what is happening has an emotional value or an
abstract meaning.
- Sociological: At the sociological level, you notice your role in the ongoing dialog dependent on
your background and the empathic relation between you and the person you speak with.
Example:
“You may speak more loudly (physical) when you are angry (biological and psychological), because
your dialog partner just ridiculed your favorite soccer team (sociological).”
Stored information =
Informatie die is opgeslagen in onze hersenen die we gebruiken om bepaalde dingen te begrijpen
wanneer het over bepaalde onderwerpen gaat.
Speech is ephemeral; the auditory signal does not linger around in time and space, so the listener
typically has to incorporate novel information into their mental model quickly and efficiently.
(Het auditieve signaal blijft niet hangen in tijd en ruimte, dus de luisteraar moet nieuwe informatie
doorgaans snel en efficiënt in zijn mentale model opnemen).
Mental models zijn om twee redenen belangrijk:
1. Ten eerste is het volgens deze opvatting voor effectieve communicatie niet voldoende om
boodschappen op een volledig abstracte manier weer te geven. Mentale modellen bevatten
een overvloed aan wereldbetekenis in zintuiglijke modaliteiten die niet-belichaamde
representaties niet kunnen vatten. (Alleen woorden kunnen dit niet bevatten).
Incremental processing =
Step by step, word by word.
- Language reaches your eyes and/or ears step by step
- It enters your brain via your senses piece by piece
- Language also leaves your mouth bit by bit
- So, it must also be processed incrementally
