Welcome to the BU Psycholinguistics Laboratory website!

We are exploring the idea that emotion is more important for all aspects of language than theorists have previously suggested. By measuring skin conductance responses (SCRs), our studies aim to provide quantifiable support for the idea that emotional ties play a significant role in language acquisition. Evidence supporting our hypothesis may provide answers to why people with Williams syndrome (high social connectedness) display fluent language skills in the face of severe mental retardation, while autistic people (low social connectedness) display low language skills. A powerpoint presentation on this topic is available.

Advertisement