Second City Works presents "Getting to Yes, And" Getting to Yes, And… | Maryellen MacDonald – ‘The Science of Talking’
Sep 23, 2025
Maryellen MacDonald, Donald P. Hayes Professor Emerita of Psychology at the University of Wisconsin–Madison, dives into the intriguing world of psycholinguistics. She explains how talking sharpens our cognition and the unique flexibility of human language compared to animal calls. Exploring the power of self-talk, MacDonald highlights its role in focus and motivation. She also emphasizes active learning's importance and how children's interactions shape their development, challenging the notion that language change should be resisted. A captivating look at the science of conversation!
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Talking Tunes The Speaker’s Brain
- Talking shapes the speaker's brain beyond mere communication effects on listeners.
- Maryellen MacDonald shows talking sharpens attention, emotion regulation, planning, and cognitive health.
Animal Calls vs. Human Flexibility
- Some animals have hardwired calls that reliably inform others about danger.
- MacDonald contrasts this with humans' flexible talking that goes far beyond innate signaling.
Listen For The End Of Sentences
- Train listeners to pay attention to sentence endings because new information usually appears there.
- Use exercises (like 'last word') to improve listening for crucial, hard-to-plan content.
