Contributions of Experimental Psycholinguistics to the understanding of language disorders

Resumo

This study is characterized as a theoretical-analytical literature review aimed at discussing the biological bases of human verbal communication and analyzing the factors associated with language disorders. In this sense, it emphasizes the use of experimental methodology from Psycholinguistics to investigate internal aspects of language comprehension and production. The study is grounded in the theoretical assumptions that underpin psycholinguistic research, with emphasis on language processing mechanisms. For the analysis, studies published between 2010 and 2023 were selected from academic databases such as SciELO, PePSIC, and institutional journal platforms, based on their relevance to the field, including Mendes et al. (2010), Alves et al. (2021), and Correia et al. (2023), which address dyslexia, Alzheimer’s disease, and stuttering, respectively. The results indicate that the analyzed disorders present specific alterations in language processing, including increased processing time in online tasks, impairments associated with working memory, and disruptions in lexical access and representation, as well as the identification of potential neural markers. It is thus evident that Experimental Psycholinguistics makes a significant contribution to the understanding of language disorders by articulating empirical evidence and theoretical models in the interpretation of cognitive processes, supporting the description of linguistic phenomena and enabling more effective interventions for the development of functional communication.