Stanford University (1984)
Professor, Psycholinguistics
Office Hours: Flexible, by appointment
Phone Number: (631) 632-7847
e-mail: Richard.Gerrig@stonybrook.edu
Areas of Interest:
Psycholinguistics, text understanding and representation, nonconventional language, cognitive experiences of narrative worlds
Current Research:
Dr. Gerrig's research focuses on several theoretical issues in psycholinguistics including the implications of
nonconventional language for theories of language processing and processes that give rise to
readers' experiences of being transported by narratives, the isolation that narrative worlds
provide, and the consequences of readers' narrative experiences for real-world beliefs and
judgments. Current projects focus on memory-based text processing with a particular emphasis on
the effects of readers' perspectives on text processing and representation.
Representative Publications:
Horton, W. S., & Gerrig, R. J. (2005). The impact of memory demands on audience design
during language production. Cognition, 96, 127-142.
Gerrig, R. J., & O'Brien, E. J. (2005). The scope of memory-based processing. Discourse Processes, 39,
225-242.
Horton, W. S., & Gerrig, R. J. (2005). Conversational common ground and memory processes
in language production. Discourse Processes, 40, 1-35.
Rapp, D. N. & Gerrig, R. J. Predilections for narrative outcomes: The impact of
story contexts and reader preferences. Journal of Memory and Language, in press.
Current Research Support:
NSF, "Adaptive Spoken Dialog with Human and Computer Partners."
November 2003 - October 2007. $1,500,000 (total costs)
Co-investigators: Susan Brennan (Psychology), Marie Huffman (Linguistics),
Arthur Samuel (Psychology), and Amanda Stent (Computer Science)
Alumni Network