David Ludden
TOP CLAW RECIPIENT
Dr. David C. Ludden
Professor of Psychology, Psychology Department Chair
Biography
Dr. David Ludden's degree is in cognitive psychology, but he considers himself a generalist and is fascinated by all aspects of the study of human experience. His primary interest is the psychology of language, considering not only how language is processed in the brain, but also how our social world both shapes and is shaped by the language we speak.
Struck with a desire to travel from an early age, he studied abroad in Austria and France as an undergraduate. After that, he spent extended periods of time in East Asia, living and working in Japan and China.
He is the author of two textbooks, The Psychology of Language: An Integrated Approach (2015, SAGE Publications) and A History of Modern Psychology: The Quest for a Science of the Mind. He also maintains the blog “Talking Apes: How natural selection reprogrammed the brain for language” on the Psychology Today website.
Education
- Doctorate – psychology – University of Iowa
- Master’s – linguistics – The Ohio University
- Bachelor’s – modern languages – The Ohio University
Academic Interests
- Psycholinguistics
- Evolutionary psychology
- History of psychology