Psycholinguistics, the study of the psychology of language, studies how we speak, read, remember, learn and understand language. This textbook examines each of these aspects of language in detail. It emphasizes how data from a number of sources are used to generate theories of language performance. In addition to conventional psychology experiments, it emphasizes the cognitive neuropsychology of language by showing how studies of the effects of brain damage on linguistic performance can inform our understanding of intact language processing. The book also examines in depth the impact of influential connectionist modelling. It also provides an integrative overview of how the components of the language system combine together. The text begins with the input side of language, and then covers the dyslexias. Moving on from how we understand single words, the book then examines how we process and remember phrases and sentences, how sentences are connected to form discourse, and how we represent the meaning of language. There is a detailed review of brain-damaged speech and language, and developmental issues are covered. Finally, the book places language in a wider context: is language unique to humans? Does language influence the way we think?
"I want this book for me, not just for my students. For the student, it's an exceptionally thorough, but lively, introduction to language use in a wider context. For me, it's a valuable reminder of psycholinguistics's evolution from its concerns with the psychological reality of grammar, to its current spot at the center of modern cognitive neuroscience." Gary S. Dell, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
"Trevor Harley provides a systematic and lucid introduction to the scientific study of human language use. He traverses a complex range of topics from foundational theory and experiment to practical matters of pedagogy and pathology. It's a winning combination delivered with wit, balanced accuracy, and admirable directness of style." Professor Merrill Garrett, Psychology Department, University of Arizona
"Harley s book offers an excellent means of enhancing our understanding of language. It provides a clear, comprehensive and thorough review of the current state of play in psycholinguistics, making it an ideal choice for advanced undergraduate and graduate students." - Annukka Lindell, University of Wales, Bangor
"Harley has thoroughly revised his very successful textbook on psycholinguistics in light of new research. The coverage of this work is quite remarkable and it constitutes the ideal resource for advanced undergraduate students, postgraduate students and researchers interested in the field." - Martin Pickering, University of Edinburgh
"I have been using Harley's text in my 3rd year undergraduate "Psychology of Language" course since the first edition came out because I believe its coverage of the important issues is comprehensive and scholarly while being highly accessible and intellectually stimulating. My students have always found it to be a very useful resource in helping them understand language processing." --- Marcus Taft, University of New South Wales
