Memory & Language Lab
The Memory and Language Research Group at the University of Granada is a research team led by Professor Teresa Bajo, and is part of the Department of Experimental Psychology. The group's research focuses on the cognitive processes involved in language processing and memory, with a particular emphasis on the relationship between the two.
The group's research interests include language comprehension and production, memory encoding and retrieval, and the effects of contextual information on language processing and memory. They also study individual differences in these processes, such as the effects of age, cognitive ability, and language proficiency on language processing and memory performance.
The group's research has contributed to the understanding of the complex cognitive processes involved in language processing and memory, and has important implications for language learning and education, as well as for understanding the effects of aging and cognitive decline on memory and language processing.
LINES OF RESEARCH
Inhibitory control of memory
The general aim of this line is to study the properties of inhibition as a mechanism that helps in selecting memory traces of different nature. We focus on studying the nature of this process by using retrieval practice, directed forgetting and updating tasks, etc.. Finally, we also aim to observe whether this mechanism can be enhanced through training.
Language selection and cognitive control in bilinguals
We explore the organization of the bilingual lexical system and the importance of executive control mechanisms for controlling language processing in bilinguals. Additionally, we study how the recurrent engagement of these processes may transfer to non-verbal skills in different populations (e.g. children, adults, or interpreters).
Individual differences in memory and language
The general aim of this line is to study the role of cognitive control in memory retrieval and language selection by exploring individual differences (e.g. inhibitory deficits in the aging, drug addition, mental disorders). We focus on studying the nature of this process by using retrieval practice, directed forgetting and naming task, etc.
LAB EQUIPMENT
The research conducted by the Memory and Language Research Group is interdisciplinary in nature, drawing on theories and methods from cognitive psychology, psycholinguistics, and neuroscience. The group employs a range of experimental methods, including behavioral experiments, eye-tracking, and neuroimaging techniques, to investigate the cognitive processes involved in language processing and memory.
WORLDWIDE COLLABORATIONS
The Memory and Language Research Group at the University of Granada has several international collaborations with other research institutions around the world. These collaborations involve joint research projects, the exchange of researchers and students, and the organization of conferences and workshops.
These collaborations are possible thanks to projects like the PIRE or CASA projects. Each year the lab receives at least 5 students coming from the USA.
Overall, the international collaborations of the Memory and Language Research Group at the University of Granada allow for the exchange of ideas and expertise, and contribute to the development of new research methods and approaches to the study of language processing and memory. Teresa has made the Memory and Language lab part of a worldwide hub of labs in Cognitive Neuroscience and Psycholinguistics.
The Memory and Language lab is found in the Mind, Brain and Behavior Research Center (CIMCYC) of the University of Granada (UGR).
The CIMCYC is an environment of training and professional development for more than 250 people devoted to research excellence in Psychology and related scientific fields.
Email: mbajo@ugr.es