Studying Language, Understanding, and Thought
Language is universal across human cultures, but unique to our species in the animal kingdom.
Figuring out how language "happens" in our minds and brains is therefore central to understanding
what it means to be human.
Humans use language to achieve the incredible feat of transferring thoughts between people. What happens inside our heads to make this feat possible?
How do different parts of the mind work together to make us comprehend one another?
Our lab studies these questions using neuroimaging, behavioral, and machine learning approaches.
In short, we want to understand how humans understand.
The BlankLangLab is part of the Cognitive Psychology area of the UCLA Psychology Department. We are also affiliated with the Department of Linguistics.