Max Planck Institute for Psycholinguistics

Investigating the role of pragmatic visual signals in language emergence using communication games and agent-based models

Abstract Studying the emergence of language has often relied on communication games and agent-based models, with a strong focus on referential linguistic signals, often overlooking pragmatic signals that are frequently expressed visually, such as facial signals. These signals are...

Social bilingual language use is associated with neural efficiency in inhibitory control: Evidence from ERPs

Abstract Cognitive control supports flexible goal maintenance and conflict resolution. Although bilingual experience has been proposed to enhance its efficiency through sustained language control, emerging evidence suggests these effects reflect adaptive recalibration driven by i...

Seeing hand gestures’ early beginnings improves predictions of upcoming utterance meaning

In face-to-face conversation, people convey meaning multimodally, including speech and hand gestures. Previous work showed that comprehenders can use gestures to predict utterance content, but it is unknown how much of a gesture comprehenders need to see for this. Here, we test w...

Genome-wide analysis of social behaviour across social domains, reporters and developmental stages: a meta-regression approach

Abstract Social behaviour is a heritable trait linked to well-being and mental health, yet it varies across social context, including social domains, informants and development, which may shape its underlying genomic architecture. Here, we conducted a genome-wide meta-regression...

What bilingualism demands

Abstract Bilingualism research sits at the intersection of linguistics, cognitive neuroscience, and psychology, yet these disciplines often operate in relative isolation, limiting explanatory power and theoretical progress. This paper argues that deeper, more purposeful cross-fer...