Psychology 2134A 001 FW25
The Psychology of Language
Western University
London Canada
Department of Psychology
Fall 2025
Psychology 2134A Section 001
The Psychology of Language
1 Calendar Description
This course introduces the vocabulary and concepts used by psychologists who study human language. The course covers traditional psycholinguistic topics such as meaning, speech perception, comprehension, production and theories of language acquisition.
https://www.registrar.uwo.ca/academics/timetables.html
Prerequisite(s): A mark of at least 60% in 1.0 credits of Psychology at the 1000 level.
4 lecture hours; 3 in person and 1 online. Course Weight: 0.5
Unless you have either the prerequisites for this course or written special permission from your Dean to enrol in it, you may be removed from this course and it will be deleted from your record. This decision may not be appealed. You will receive no adjustment to your fees in the event that you are dropped from a course for failing to have the necessary prerequisites.
2 Course Information
Instructor: Dr. John Campbell
Office & Phone: see Brightspace
Office Hours: By appointment
Email: jcampb7@uwo.ca
Teaching Assistant: TBA
Office: TBA
Office Hours: TBA
Email: TBA
Time and Location of Classes: see Student Centre for Timetable
For courses that include an online component, students must have a reliable internet connection and computer that are compatible with online learning system requirements.
3 Course Materials
Sedivy, J. (2020). Language in Mind: An introduction to psycholinguistics (2nd edition). New York: Oxford University Press. ISBN 9781605357058. (38-115 USD)
4 Course Objectives and Learning Outcomes
Psycholinguistics is the study of how people produce and understand language. It is a branch of cognitive science, which is the study of mental processes. This course will cover many areas of research, including: the structure of language; language acquisition; speech perception and production; sentence processing; reading; language and the brain; and language disorders. The goal of the course is to familiarize you with psychological phenomena related to language, theories that try to explain how and why these phenomena occur, and experimental evidence supporting or challenging these theories.
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Learning Outcome |
Learning Activity |
Assessment |
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Depth and Breadth of Knowledge. Develop critical understanding of the key concepts, principles, and overarching themes related to psycholinguistics (e.g., compare and contrast language and communication, identify brain regions crucial for language functions, language comprehension and production). |
Lectures, Ted talks and other videos, online demonstrations |
Midterm exams and final exams |
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Knowledge of Methodologies. Understanding the methods used to achieve the results that are related to our greater knowledge of language comprehension and production. |
Lectures, Ted talks and other videos, online demonstrations and activities |
Midterm exams and final exams |
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Application of Knowledge. Identifying how this knowledge can be utilized to change our behaviours and how we interact with others. |
Online demonstrations and activities |
Midterm exams and final exams |
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Communication Skills. Evaluate theories of language processing (e.g., reading, speech perception)
Understand theoretical contributions to research and vice versa. |
Lectures, videos, activities |
Midterm exams and final exams |
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Awareness of Limits of Knowledge. Recognizing the limitations of research in the field of Psychology and Psycholinguistics over the years and questions that remain on the topics covered.
|
Lectures, videos, activities |
Midterm exams and final exams |
|
Autonomy and Professional Capacity. Developing a greater self-awareness and knowledge of language communication and production in general. Utilizing the knowledge in Psycholinguistics to increase overall skills in various forms of communication. |
Lectures, videos, activities |
Midterm exams and final exams |
5 Evaluation
The evaluation and testing formats for this course were created to assess the learning objectives as listed in section 4.0 and are considered necessary for meeting these learning objectives.
Grades in this course will be based on three in person exams. The exams will consist of a combination of multiple-choice and fill in the blank questions. Students are responsible for material assigned in the textbook, as well as material covered in lectures. The First Exam (Oct. 06), worth 30% of the final grade, will cover material from Sept 8 through Sept 29. The Second Exam (Nov. 10), worth 30% of the final grade, will cover material from Oct 13 through Oct. 27. The Final Exam (December Exam Schedule), worth 40% of the final grade.
The evaluation and testing formats for this course were created to assess the learning objectives as listed in section 4 and are necessary for meeting these learning objectives
Policy on Missing Coursework
If you miss an exam and have an excuse documented and approved by the academic counselling office in your home faculty, you will be offered a make-up exam time. Please note that make-up exams may consist, in part or exclusively, of essay, short-answer, fill-in-the-blank, and/or multiple-choice items.
Grades will be posted to the course web site as soon as possible after each exam.
The Psychology Department follows Western’s grading guidelines: https://www.uwo.ca/univsec/pdf/academic_policies/general/grades_undergrad.pdf
The expectation for course grades within the Psychology Department is that they will be distributed around the following averages:
70% 1000-level to 2099-level courses
72% 2100-2999-level courses
75% 3000-level courses
80% 4000-level courses
In the event that course grades are significantly higher or lower than these averages, instructors may be required to make adjustments to course grades. Such adjustment might include the normalization of one or more course components and/or the re-weighting of various course components.
Policy on Grade Rounding
Please note that although course grades within the Psychology Department are rounded to the nearest whole number, no further grade rounding will be done. No additional assignments will be offered to enhance a final grade; nor will requests to change a grade because it is needed for a future program be considered.
6 Assessment/Evaluation Schedule
Date % of final grade Material covered
Exam 1 Oct 06 30% Sept 8 through Sept 29
Exam 2 Nov. 3 30% Oct 13 through Oct. 27
Exam 3 Dec Exams 40% Nov 24 through Dec 2
7 Class Schedule
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Week |
Date |
Lecture |
Textbook Readings |
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1 |
Sept. 8 |
Course Overview & Introduction to Psycholinguistics |
Chapter 1 |
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2 |
Sept. 15 |
Origins of Human Language |
Chapter 2 |
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3 |
Sept. 22 |
Language and the Brain |
Chapter 3 |
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4 |
Sept. 29 |
Speech Perception |
Chapter 7 |
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5 |
Oct. 06 |
Midterm #1 |
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6 |
Oct. 13 |
Speech Production |
Chapter 10 |
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7 |
Oct. 20 |
Morphology |
Chapter 5 |
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8 |
Oct. 27 |
Syntax I |
Chapter 6 |
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9 |
Nov. 3 |
Reading Week |
No Lecture |
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10 |
Nov. 10 |
Midterm #2 |
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11 |
Nov. 17 |
Syntax II |
Chapter 9 |
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12 |
Nov. 24 |
Reading |
Chapter 8 |
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13 |
Dec. 1 |
Language Diversity |
Chapter 13 |
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14 |
Dec 8 |
Language Diversity II |
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15 |
Dec. 11 – Dec. 22 |
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FINAL EXAM: Covers lectures and assigned readings from Weeks 8 ,9, 13 |
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8 Academic Integrity
Scholastic offences are taken seriously, and students are directed to read the appropriate policy, specifically, the definition of what constitutes a Scholastic Offence, at the following Web site: https://www.uwo.ca/univsec/pdf/academic_policies/appeals/scholastic_discipline_undergrad.pdf.
Possible penalties for a scholastic offence include failure of the assignment/exam, failure of the course, suspension from the University, and expulsion from the University.
Statement on Use of Electronic Devices
Electronic devices can used during lectures but please be respectful in the use of your phones. Phones should be on silent and no recording during lectures is allowed without previous permission.
No electronic devices are allowed to be used during exams.
Use of AI
The use of generative AI tools such as ChatGPT to produce written work is not permitted unless permission is granted by the instructor for specific circumstances. Any work submitted must be the work of the student in its entirety unless otherwise disclosed. When used, AI tools should be used ethically and responsibly, and students must cite or credit the tools used in line with the expectation to use AI as a tool to learn, not to produce content.
AI Policy for Psychology:
Responsible use of AI is allowed in Psychology. This includes using AI for brainstorming, improving grammar, or doing preliminary/background research on a topic.
AI is not to be used in place of critical thinking.
The misuse of AI undermines the academic values of this course. Relying on AI to create full drafts or fabricate sources is prohibited. You are ultimately responsible for any work submitted, so it is highly advised that you critically review your Generative AI output before incorporating this information into your assignments.
If you use AI, you must clearly explain its role in your work. All written assignments will require an AI Usage Statement, in which you will indicate what tools you have used, what you have used them for, and (broadly) how you have modified this information. Assignments without an AI Usage Statement will not be accepted.
Violations of this policy will be handled according to Western’s scholastic offense policies.
Multiple Choice Exams
Computer-marked multiple-choice tests and/or exams will be subject to submission for similarity review by software that will check for unusual coincidences in answer patterns that may indicate cheating.
Exam Proctoring Software
Tests and examinations for online courses may be conducted using a remote proctoring service. More information about this remote proctoring service, including technical requirements, is available on Western’s Remote
Proctoring website at: https://remoteproctoring.uwo.ca.
Personal Response Systems (“Clickers”)
In classes that involve the use of a personal response system, data collected will only be used in a manner consistent to that described in this outline. It is the instructor’s responsibility to make every effort to ensure that data remain confidential. However, students should be aware that as with all forms of electronic communication, privacy is not guaranteed.
9 Academic Accommodations and Accessible Education
View Western’s policy on academic accommodations for student with disabilities at this link.
Accessible Education provides supports and services to students with disabilities at Western.
If you think you may qualify for ongoing accommodation that will be recognized in all your courses, visit Accessible Education for more information. Email: aew@uwo.ca Phone: 519 661-2147
10 Absence & Academic Consideration
Academic Considerations: https://registrar.uwo.ca/academics/academic_considerations/index.html
11 Other Information
- Office of the Registrar: https://registrar.uwo.ca
- Student Development Services: www.sdc.uwo.ca
- Psychology Undergraduate Program: https://www.psychology.uwo.ca/undergraduate/index.html
Students who are in emotional/mental distress should refer to Health and Wellness@Western https://www.uwo.ca/health/ for a complete list of options about how to obtain help.
Please contact the course instructor if you require material in an alternate format or if you require any other arrangements to make this course more accessible to you.
If you wish to appeal a grade, please read the policy documentation at: https://www.uwo.ca/univsec/pdf/academic_policies/appeals/appealsundergrad.pdf. Please first contact the course instructor. If your issue is not resolved, you may make your appeal in writing to the Undergraduate Chair in Psychology (psyugrd@uwo.ca).
Copyright Statement
Lectures and course materials, including power point presentations, outlines, videos and similar materials, are protected by copyright. You may take notes and make copies of course materials for your own educational use. You may not record lectures, reproduce (or allow others to reproduce), post or distribute any course materials publicly and/or for commercial purposes without the instructor’s written consent.
12 Land Acknowledgement
We acknowledge that Western University is located on the traditional territories of the Anishinaabek, Haudenosaunee, Lūnaapéewak, and Chonnonton. Nations, on lands connected with the London Township and Sombra Treaties of 1796 and the Dish with One Spoon Covenant Wampum. This land continues to be home to diverse Indigenous Peoples (First Nations, Métis and Inuit) whom we recognize as contemporary stewards of the land and vital contributors of our society.
