“My ultimate goal is to contribute to a more inclusive account of human communication.”: Dr. Veronica Whitford’s Research in Psycholinguistics

(Photo provided by Veronica Whitford)

“The vast majority of psycholinguistic research has focused on healthy, university-aged young adults who are monolingual English speakers. This leaves language processing in other age groups, language groups, and neurocognitive profiles much less understood. ” ~ Dr. Veronica Whitford

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*In the following article, TS refers to The Synapse, and VW refers to Veronica Whitford

TS: Could you briefly introduce yourself, what brought you to UNB, and how long you’ve been at UNB?

VW: My name is Dr. Veronica Whitford, and I am an Associate Professor in the Department of Psychology at UNB. I received my PhD in Experimental Psychology from McGill University, and completed post-doctoral fellowships in Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience at Western University, Harvard University, and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. From 2017-2019, I was an Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychology at the University of Texas at El Paso.

I joined UNB in the summer of 2019 as an NSERC Canada Research Chair – Tier II in the cognitive neuroscience of language processing. This was a tremendous opportunity for me that I am very grateful for; it allowed me to return to Canada to conduct the cutting-edge research I always envisioned.

TS: What is your research area, and how did you settle on this area?

VW: My research straddles a number of areas: developmental cognitive psychology and neuroscience, with a primary focus on psycholinguistics (language processing). I was interested in many areas of psychology as an undergraduate student - I took many fascinating courses in behavioural neuroscience, cognitive psychology, developmental psychology, and clinical psychology. I also volunteered or worked as a research assistant in several different labs, including infant development, gerontology, and psychiatric illnesses. These varied experiences helped hone my current research interests: examining the behavioural and neural correlates of language processing in both typically and atypically developing populations across the lifespan.

TS: How do you come up with research ideas, and gauge when an idea is worthwhile to pursue?

VW: Psychological research, like research in all other scientific disciplines, is highly iterative in nature. This means that research ideas often build on and extend previous lines of work to better understand the nature of certain behaviours and mental processes. Therefore, psychological research often circles back onto itself: new lines of inquiry are tied to similar (sometimes older) research questions. But new research may look at these familiar questions in a novel and/or more in-depth way. This is the approach that we adopt in my laboratory, with a particular focus on addressing imbalances or gaps in the empirical literature.

For instance, the vast majority of psycholinguistic research has focused on healthy, university-aged young adults who are monolingual English speakers. This leaves language processing in other age groups, language groups, and neurocognitive profiles much less understood. To address these issues, we are conducting new and exciting lines of research examining language processing in children, young adults, and older adults from different language backgrounds (e.g., monolinguals, bilinguals, multilinguals) and different neurocognitive profiles (e.g., people with schizophrenia, dyslexia, autism spectrum disorders). My ultimate goal is to contribute to a more inclusive account of human communication.

TS: What do you consider traits of a strong student and student researcher?

VW: In my opinion, strong student researchers are those that are inquisitive, strong critical thinkers and problem-solvers, and, perhaps most importantly, team players. We adopt a team-based approach in my lab, where all trainees (regardless of whether they are an undergraduate or graduate student) are equally accountable for the success of each research project. We work together as a unit to conduct all stages of the research process, with each individual’s success reflecting the lab’s success and vice-versa.

TS: Why did you choose to study psychology, and at what point did you know you wanted to pursue it (e.g. high school, university, etc)? Is there any discipline you seriously considered other than psychology?

VW: While rummaging through some old boxes of my family home a few years ago, I came across my elementary graduation yearbook, where I detailed what I wanted to be when I grew up. Guess what I had listed (no need to think too far outside of the box)? A “teacher” or “psychologist”. Ultimately, I ended up in a career that allowed me to combine the best of both worlds: a professor of psychology!

TS: Do you have a favourite psychological film/ book/ song/ artwork/ etc? If so, which, and what do you like about it?

VW: This is the most difficult question for me to answer, as I have so many favourites! Some of my favourite psychological movies include Donnie Darko, Fight Club, and Trainspotting, and one of my favourite pieces of art is The Scream by Edvard Munch. Anything related to the workings of the mind - normal or abnormal - captures my attention!

TS: Is there anything you wish to share about yourself as a psych professor and researcher?

VW: Several of my lab members and I will be attending leading conferences in our area this fall in Niagara-on-the-Lake (Mental Lexicon) and Boston (Annual Psychonomic Society Meeting). I am looking forward to seeing my students present the exciting lines of research that they have been working so hard on! Ψ

Created for The Synapse by Incé Husain.