1. Psycholinguistics Scope
Experimental Developmental
Comprehension Acquisition
Production
Related Fields
Neurolinguistics
Sociolinguistics
Pragmatics
LINGUISTICS
SLA
Based on M. K. Tanenhaus, Psycholinguistics: An Overview.

2. The Bigger Context - 1 Cognitive Science Cognitive Psychology
(interdisciplinary)
Cognitive Psychology
(thought, memory, perception, LANGUAGE, imagery, judgment, problem solving)
Psycholinguistics
Experimental Developmental
Comprehension Acquisition
Production

3. The Bigger Context - 2 Fields claiming independent status:
Neurolinguistics
Sociolinguistics
Pragmatics
Linguistics
SLA

4. Views of Language LINGUISTS
 Linguistic autonomy
 Language is NOT merely a manifestation of
general cognitive abilities: innate and unique
 Rules and representations are distinct subsystems
 Syntax is central
 Focus on competence rather than performance
 Assumes it is possible to study structure
separately from use
 Assumes sentence is basic unit of interest
 Often rationalist in approach
 "Narrower" scope of enquiry

5. Views of Language PSYCHOLOGISTS Linguistic minimalism / cognitivist
 Language viewed in the same framework as
other cognitive systems
 Rules are just manifestations of more general
processes
 Syntax has a less central role
 No sharp boundary between structure and use
 The sentence is NOT the basic unit of interest
necessarily
 Generally empirical in approach
 "Broader" scope of enquiry