We use words to communicate. What we communicate, however, goes beyond what words can mean. Research in the Rochester Kinder (k/i/nder as in “kindergarten”) Lab focuses on how we express and understand intentions, emotions, and other socially meaningful information in our everyday linguistic interactions. We use words to communicate. What we communicate, however, goes beyond what words can mean.

Our questions include:

• How do we process rhythmic and melodic aspects of language to understand the speaker’s intentions and emotions?
• When do we say “the big dog” rather than just “the dog”? How do we make our referring expressions both informative and concise? What happens when you don’t?
• What do we know about different dialects and accents? Does our social background and knowledge affect how we process language?

The Rochester Kinder Lab is a member of the Center for Language Sciences: a consortium of research groups at the University of Rochester.