Main profile

Alison

Shell

Interests: 

Executive Control

Language And Cognition, Inhibition

Projects: 

Graduate-IGERT

Units: 

Psychology

Degree(s): 

PhD, 2018, Psychology, University of Maryland

B.A. Cognitive Science, Vassar College

Advisor(s): 

Bob Slevc

Graduation Year: 

2018

Contact: 

ashell@umd.edu

Role(s): 

Alumni

About: 

My research generally focuses on the ties between language and cognition. I am interested in understanding how cognitive abilities affect both language production and language learning and comprehension. My current research investigates the cognitive processes involved in bilingual language production. Specifically I am looking at the role of inhibition in bilingualism and if it is specific to language or is a domain general process. Another project involves investigating the potential cognitive contributors to children?s advantage in second language learning. The ?Less is More? hypothesis suggests that some aspects of learning, including language, may benefit from having less in terms of cognitive control, explicit processing, working memory and executive function more generally. I hope to begin to dig into these questions by looking at learning strategies and executive functions in both children and adults in order to determine how differences here may be beneficial or detrimental to specific aspects of language learning.

Collaborators: 

Yi Ting Huang
Jared Novick
Alan Mishler
Jared Linck