Psychological Linguistics

Abstract

Current!y, linguistic problems are studied unJer the influence of tllree un­satisfactory types ofpostu/ation.

General linguists following the philological or textual tradition assume that language consists of things, and thus employ a chemical model of structuration moving from elements (phonemes) to molecules (words, morphs) and higher order syntactual compounds. 171e postulates ofthe other two classes oflanguage students are more behavioral or psychological in nature.

The first of these adheres close/y to the mind-body tradition according to which language behavior consists of the expression of mental states by means of verbal utterances.

The second group rejects mentalism but reduces speech to verbal utterances on the model of physiological reflexes. The writer submits that the scientific investi­gation oflanguage requires a different approach from all three mentioned.

Accordingly, in this paper is presented the hypothesis of concrete inter­behavioral fields which provides a naturalistic foundation for the psychological substructure, and the superstructure of psychologicallinguistics.