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Welcome to the Cognition, Learning, and Communities Lab at King’s College London. Our group is interested in exploring diverse areas of linguistic and conceptual development across various populations and contexts. Within our research scope, we have three primary areas of interest:

Interaction Between Cognition and Language Acquisition:

We aim to understand how cognition and language intertwine during the acquisition process. We explore the mechanisms shaping language acquisition and conceptual understanding, examining how individuals across different age groups and cultural backgrounds navigate linguistic landscapes. Additionally, we have focus on the similarities and differences in typical and atypical development.

Complexities of Multilingualism Across the Lifespan:

Our research extends beyond monolingual contexts to understand the complexities of multilingualism throughout the lifespan. From early childhood to adulthood, we explore how the mind processes the interaction of multiple languages, with a special focus on the syntactic, semantic, and pragmatic domains of language. By delving into the intricacies of bi/multilingualism in typical and atypical development, we seek to understand the pathways and challenges of language acquisition in diverse linguistic environments.

Discourse and Communication in Health, Science, and Mental Health:

Human communication across areas such as physical wellbeing, mental health, and crisis situations provides a rich landscape for understanding language use. Through discourse analysis, we aim to explore how individual experiences are shaped by the language used to provide health advice, express environmental concerns, and share experiences of mental health disorders. By understanding the cognitive conceptualizations underpinning discourse in these domains, we aim to enhance our understanding of public perceptions, engagement with recommended actions, and the lived experiences of individuals navigating complex health and mental health landscapes.

Our Approach

Our approach to these areas is rooted in empirical investigation, aimed at expanding theory while fostering active collaboration with stakeholders. Theoretically, we draw upon Cognitive Linguistics and Psycholinguistics, employing frameworks such as Conceptual Metaphor Theory, Embodiment, Prototype Theory, Usage-Based Theory, Social Constructivism, and Generative Grammar. In terms of methodology, we employ a diverse range of qualitative and quantitative approaches, with a preference for multi- and mixed methods. Our methodologies encompass experiments (both offline and online, including eye-tracking), surveys, discourse analysis, observations, interviews, and corpus analyses of longitudinal data. Ultimately, our goal is to further expand our understanding of language, cognition, and communication dynamics across various contexts.

People

Poppy  Ellis Logan

PhD candidate

Dorota Gaskins

Lecturer in Applied Linguistics

Jill Hohenstein

Professor in Psychology and Language Development

Olivia Knapton

Senior Lecturer in Linguistics

Xinyan Kou

PhD Candidate

Yuko Matsuoka

PhD student

Projects

    Image missing an alt value
    Applying eye-tracking technologies to metaphor comprehension and beyond

    Testing if novel perceptual and conceptual metaphors are comprehended differently in real time through an eye-tracking experiment with adult participants.

    Image missing an alt value
    Generating a metaphorical mindset in four year olds

    This project focuses on relational metaphors in which a concrete notion facilitates the understanding of an abstract notion.

    Image missing an alt value
    Metaphor production in preschool bilingualism: a usage-based study

    This longitudinal corpus-based investigation examines how three bilingual toddlers aged 2-3 use metaphors in their two languages, English and German.

    Image missing an alt value
    Women’s experiences of phobias of insects and other bugs

    This project explores women’s experiences of phobias of insects and other bugs with a particular focus on how the bug is experienced as a threat to the self.

    Publications

    Almohammadi, A., Gaskins, D., & Rundblad, G. (2024) Metaphor comprehension in the acquisition of Arabic. Journal of Child Language, 1-21 (First View) https://doi.org/10.1017/S0305000923000740

    Gaskins, D. & Rundblad, G. (2023) Metaphor production in the bilingual acquisition of English and Polish. Frontiers in Psychology, 14:1162486. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1162486

    Gaskins, D., Falcone, M. & Rundblad, G. (2023) A usage-based approach to metaphor identification and analysis in child speech. Language and Cognition, 1-25. https://doi.org/10.1017/langcog.2023.17

    ­Gaskins, D. (2024) A Polish Adaptation of Usage-Based Approach to Metaphor Identification and Analysis in Caregiver and Child Interactions. Research Methods in Applied Linguistics, 3(1). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rmal.2024.100100

    People

    Poppy  Ellis Logan

    PhD candidate

    Dorota Gaskins

    Lecturer in Applied Linguistics

    Jill Hohenstein

    Professor in Psychology and Language Development

    Olivia Knapton

    Senior Lecturer in Linguistics

    Xinyan Kou

    PhD Candidate

    Yuko Matsuoka

    PhD student

    Projects

      Image missing an alt value
      Applying eye-tracking technologies to metaphor comprehension and beyond

      Testing if novel perceptual and conceptual metaphors are comprehended differently in real time through an eye-tracking experiment with adult participants.

      Image missing an alt value
      Generating a metaphorical mindset in four year olds

      This project focuses on relational metaphors in which a concrete notion facilitates the understanding of an abstract notion.

      Image missing an alt value
      Metaphor production in preschool bilingualism: a usage-based study

      This longitudinal corpus-based investigation examines how three bilingual toddlers aged 2-3 use metaphors in their two languages, English and German.

      Image missing an alt value
      Women’s experiences of phobias of insects and other bugs

      This project explores women’s experiences of phobias of insects and other bugs with a particular focus on how the bug is experienced as a threat to the self.

      Publications

      Almohammadi, A., Gaskins, D., & Rundblad, G. (2024) Metaphor comprehension in the acquisition of Arabic. Journal of Child Language, 1-21 (First View) https://doi.org/10.1017/S0305000923000740

      Gaskins, D. & Rundblad, G. (2023) Metaphor production in the bilingual acquisition of English and Polish. Frontiers in Psychology, 14:1162486. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1162486

      Gaskins, D., Falcone, M. & Rundblad, G. (2023) A usage-based approach to metaphor identification and analysis in child speech. Language and Cognition, 1-25. https://doi.org/10.1017/langcog.2023.17

      ­Gaskins, D. (2024) A Polish Adaptation of Usage-Based Approach to Metaphor Identification and Analysis in Caregiver and Child Interactions. Research Methods in Applied Linguistics, 3(1). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rmal.2024.100100

      Group leads