Welcome to the ERC-funded project BraveNewWord

Our Psycholinguistic Lab at BraveNewWord

At BraveNewWord, our psycholinguistic lab investigates how adults process novel words, combining insights from cognitive psychology, computational linguistics, and neuroscience. Through our interdisciplinary approach, we deeply explore the semantic aspects of language acquisition and comprehension.

Using Computational Models for Language Acquisition

We simulate human language learning by analyzing natural language usage through computational models. These models support our empirical investigations, which include behavioral experiments and advanced neuroscience techniques such as EEG. This method allows us to closely observe brain activity during language processing.

Key Findings in Word Processing and Semantic Cues

Explore our psycholinguistic studies to uncover how implicit associations and sub-lexical cues stored in memory help infer the meanings of pseudowords. Our research on the Mental Time Line (MTL) shows that subtle cues, such as verb endings, activate spatial-temporal mapping, impacting temporal language processing. We also examine morphological cues in affixed pseudowords, revealing how recognizing semantic information from morphemes enhances meaning extraction from new terms.

At BraveNewWord, we are committed to advancing knowledge on how language shapes thought and perception. Through our interdisciplinary research, we strive to deepen understanding of the cognitive and neural processes involved in learning new words. Join us on this exciting journey of discovery.