Dr. Robin Thompson

I am a linguist/psycholinguist interested in the underlying nature of human language (both signed and spoken) and, in particular, how language is related to other aspects of cognition.

From 2000-2006 I worked at The Salk Institute (Laboratory for Cognitive Neuroscience) and at San Diego State University (Laboratory for Language and Cognitive Neuroscience) as a researcher with Professor Karen Emmorey. While there, I was involved in a wide range of research looking at phenomena such as 'slips of the hands' and 'tip of the fingers' in American Sign Language (akin to slips of the tongue and tip of the tongue experiences in spoken languages) in order to examine whether form-based properties of signs have processing consequences (both for first and second language learners).

In 2006, I completed my Ph.D. in Linguistics and Cognitive Science at the University of California, San Diego. My dissertation focuses on the grammatical uses of eye gaze during American Sign Language (ASL) verb and pronoun production by both native signers and late second language learners of ASL.

Most of my time at DCAL (since 2006) is spent examining how other aspects of cognition such as perception, action, and imagery can affect language processing. I am also still interested in what the eyes are doing - because they can inform us about on-line language processing (e.g., the time course of accessing/using language and the factors involved). Currently, I pursue these interests in UCL's new multi-modal communication lab in the Department of Cognitive, Perceptual and Brain Sciences.

Thompson, R.L., Vinson, D.P., & Viglicco, G. (in press). The link between form and meaning in British Sign Language; effects of iconicity for phonological decisions. Journal of Experimental Psychology, Learning, Memory and Cognition. (click here for pdf).

You can access information on some of my other publications here.

Direct contact: 0207 6798685 email:robin.thompson@ucl.ac.uk