29399 - Psycholinguistics (1) (LM)

Learning outcomes

Students will be provided with an overview of the psycholinguistic research from mid-twentieth to nowadays. Particular attention will be paid to cognitive processes involved in language comprehension and production.

Course contents

Psycholinguistics (1) (LM) (6 CFU) aims to provide the student with a theoretical and applicative overview of language in psychology and in particular according to the approach of cognitive psychology.
The course will cover topics related to the study of language from a psycholinguistic perspective (e.g., development and origin of language, research methods, biological bases of language, language processing systems), and topics related to to applicative research on language taking into account interdisciplinary perspectives aimed at the study of language as interactional practice (e.g., pragmatic and communicative aspects of language, language as joint activity).

The lessons will aim to provide the theoretical basis and the main experimental evidence in order to promote a fruitful collective discussion on the issues addressed.

Psycholinguistics (1) (LM) (6 CFU) will start on the III period for a total of 30 hours of lessons.

Previous knowledge in psycholinguistics is not required.

Readings/Bibliography

Exam bibiliografy

for both attending and not attending students:

1) Cacciari, C. Psicologia del linguaggio. Bologna: Il Mulino.

Edizione 2011 - Capitoli I. Studiare il linguaggio; II. La ricerca sperimentale sul linguaggio; III. L'origine e lo sviluppo del linguaggio; IV. Le basi del linguaggio; VI. Il sistema di elaborazione delle parole; VII. Dalle parole alle frasi, ai discorsi, ai testi.

2) Clark, H.H. (1996). Using language. Cambridge University Press.
Capitoli: 1. Language use; 2. Joint activities; 3. Joint actions; 8. Grounding

Furthermore, for non-attending students, the professor is available to provide optional supplementary literature.

Teaching methods

Lectures will be delivered with the support of PowerPoint presentations, fostering debate on specific issues addressed in class. Discussions will be enriched through the use of videos and group exercises carried out during class sessions.

All materials presented during lectures (PDF of the PowerPoint slides, videos, links, etc.) will be made available via the Virtuale platform.

To deepen understanding of the experimental paradigms and theoretical topics covered, students will have the opportunity to participate in experimental research studies on language processsing (including online participation).

Further information will be provided during the lectures.

Non-attending students who are interested are kindly asked to contact directly l.lugli@unibo.it.

Assessment methods

The final exam will be a multiple-choice test. The questions will concern the topics studied and their applications.

The exam aims at verifying:
1. the competence of the acquired contents
2. the level of assimilation and critical-conceptual elaboration of the proposed contents
3. the ability to orientate between the main lines of interpretation

The exam consists of 31 multiple-choice questions. Each correct answer is awarded 1 point, while incorrect or unanswered questions receive 0 points.
The examination is considered passed with a minimum score of 18/30. The highest grade (30 cum laude) is awarded only if all 31 questions are answered correctly.
Students have 60 minutes to complete the exam.

During the examination, the use of any supporting materials, including textbooks, notes, or electronic devices, is not permitted. The use of artificial intelligence (AI) tools is strictly prohibited. Any use of AI constitutes a violation of academic integrity.

The exam offers a further opportunity for discussion with the teacher, a comparison that the student is invited to look for during the lessons, intervening in person with the request for clarification or with proposals for further information.

Foreign students who feel more confortable to take the exam in English, are kindly asked to contact the professor in order to arrange the examination procedure.

Exam sessions
During the 2026/2027 academic year, exam sessions are scheduled in the following months*: march/april (depending on the end of the course), may, june/july, september, november/december, january

*subject to laboratory availability

Students with disabilities and Specific Learning Disorders (SLD)

Students with disabilities or Specific Learning Disorders have the right to special adjustments according to their condition, following an assessment by the Service for Students with Disabilities and SLD. Please do not contact the instructor but get in touch with the Service directly to schedule an appointment. It will be the responsibility of the Service to determine the appropriate adjustments. For more information, visit the page: https://site.unibo.it/studenti-con-disabilita-e-dsa/en/for-students .

It is recommended that students contact the University office in advance. Any proposed adjustments must be submitted at least 15 days in advance for the instructor’s approval, who will evaluate their appropriateness in relation to the learning objectives of the course.

Teaching tools

To deepen understanding of the experimental paradigms and theoretical topics covered in the course, students will have the opportunity to take part in experimental research studies on language processing (including online participation). Further information will be provided during the lectures.

Non-attending students who are interested are kindly asked to contact directly l.lugli@unibo.it.

Office hours

See the website of Luisa Lugli