Feeling, Thinking and Talking : How the Embodied Brain Shapes Everyday Communication

Combining theories from communication studies and psycholinguistics, this pioneering book explains how neurology, evolution and social structure interact in communication. Key concepts are introduced in an easy-to-read style, and examples from everyday conversation are used throughout, making it essential reading for researchers and students alike.

The way the brain, body, and mind interact with social structure to shape communication has so far not received the attention it deserves. This book addresses this gap by providing a novel account of communication as a social, biological and neurological force. Combining theories from communication studies and psycholinguistics, and drawing on biological and evolutionary perspectives, it shows how communication is inherently both biological and social, and that language and the neural systems that support it have evolved in response to a complex social environment. It introduces a clear set of terms based on current research, and illustrates key concepts using real-life examples from everyday conversation - speaking to a number of current debates around the evolutionary and biological basis of language, and the relationship between language, cognition, and environment. Thought provoking and engaging, it will change the way we think about the relationship between communication and cognition.