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Futures in Research

Building interdisciplinary bridges: Communication and Psycholinguistics

Elisa Kreiss
University of California, Los Angeles

At their core, the fields of communication science and psycholinguistics share a similar interest in the study of communicative interactions, however, interdisciplinary efforts to provide a holistic perspective remain rare. In this working group, we will explore to what extent psycholinguistic research can be seen as complementing communication research and how these fields might benefit from their respective theoretical frameworks, methodologies, and interdisciplinary insights to provide a more holistic understanding of communication. As part of the workshop, we will try to develop opportunities for increased cross-disciplinary exchange and highlight the benefits and challenges to increasing interdisciplinary interaction. Some of the questions we address are: What can experimental methods from psycholinguistics bring to communication research? What are the main challenges for fostering exchange between the psycholinguistic and communication communities? What work is needed to bridge the disconnect between psycholinguistic and communication research? What is the value of understanding individuals vs. groups in both fields of study and how can they inform each other?