Videos
Some recent videos about language and psychology.
TEDxAustin talk, 2013
An overview of the links between small words and psychological state.
The Secret Life of Pronouns: An Interview with the Author
Pennebaker discusses his recent book on language and psychology.
The Language of Truth and Lies: I-words
Is a linguistic lie detector possible? The use of first person singular pronouns (I, me, my) can be powerful predictors of telling the truth.
The Language of Truth and Lies: Performatives
Sometimes, I-words reveal lying in unexpected ways. The use of a linguistic device called a "performative" can signal when a person is about to be deceptive.
Ask a Psychologist: How Words Reflect Personality and Individual Differences
Pronouns, articles, and other function words can tell us about people's personalties. Men and woman use words differently in ways that tells us how they think and interact with their worlds.
Ask a Psychologist: Language and group dynamics
When people are in a group, the ways they use function words can tell us what their roles are. Leaders use pronouns differently from followers. Groups that get along well have a linguistic fingerprint that is very different from a group that doesn't work welltogether.
Ask a Psychologist: Lying and Telling the Truth
Pennebaker describes how certain classes of words can be used to detect truth and deception.
Ask a Psychologist: Tracking Love and Relationships Through Word Use
When two or more people are talking with or writing to each other, it is possible to determine how well they are clicking with each other using text analysis methods. We can predict if a couple will go out on a date before they do and who will still be dating several later by looking at the ways they use words with each other.
Expressive Writing and Emotional Well-Being
Part of the UT-Austin psychology series, Pennebaker discusses how writing about emotional upheavals can boost mental and physical health.