Psycholinguistics studies how humans learn, understand and use language, and how language use affects social dynamics. It encompasses cognitive psychology, behavioral neuroscience, and psychological disorders, and can specialize in areas such as phonology, morphology, and semantics. Researchers aim to develop practical applications for their findings, such as improving language teaching and correcting disorders like dyslexia.
A psycholinguist studies the way humans learn, understand and use language. Psycholinguists also examine the effects that language use has on human social dynamics; a speaker’s choice of words and the way he speaks, for example, can lead listeners to infer what personality traits the speaker might possess. The field of psycholinguistics encompasses several related subject areas, including cognitive psychology, behavioral neuroscience, and psychological disorders. In addition, a psycholinguist can specialize in specific areas of study such as semantics, phonology and speech therapy.
In general, a psycholinguist dissects all aspects of human language and tries to produce practical applications for his findings. A trained specialist in the field studies written and spoken language, the progression of words in a statement, and the manner in which an idea is expressed. He then applies existing psychological theories to his observation in an effort to gain a fuller understanding of how people adapt language for their purposes. The entire field can be divided into specific areas of interest, each with its own uses in working towards scientific and social progress.
One discipline a psycholinguist might specialize in is phonology, the study of the sounds humans make to produce speech. Psycholinguists conduct thorough research into how humans interpret the sounds they hear, as well as how they produce sounds when conveying a thought. Phonology often incorporates biological research into its studies, particularly on the auditory centers of the brain, the mouth and other parts of the body associated with speech, and the physical processes that lead to speech. Through research in phonology, a psycholinguist can develop better ways to teach language as well as improve speech therapy methods.
Morphology, on the other hand, is the discipline in which the psycholinguist studies visual representations of words. The field is not limited to letters of the alphabet, but to characters used as symbols for whole words, such as those in the Chinese language. By studying how humans interpret the symbols they see in front of them as words, the mechanics of their ability to see them, and how written words have meaning, researchers hope to develop important theories involving reading. The researchers also aim to correct related disorders such as dyslexia.
Semantics is a discipline that often goes hand in hand with pragmatics. A psycholinguist specializing in semantics studies the meaning of words, which is often influenced by pragmatics, or the context in which the words are presented. Psycholinguists study how words are given meaning by their structure, tone, and the situation in which they are used. This field aims to provide a better understanding of human language comprehension as well as social dynamics.
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