Mark Torrance
@marktorrance.bsky.social
Cognitive and educational psychology of text production
Reposted by Mark Torrance
2026 big update to the psycholinguistic database page! If you know of corpora, lexical databases, or other resources that I've missed, please LMK. Trying to keep this thing relatively current and could use the help www.reilly-coglab.com/data
Psycholinguistic Databases, Stimuli, Utilities — Concepts & Cognition Laboratory
www.reilly-coglab.com
February 1, 2026 at 10:01 PM
2026 big update to the psycholinguistic database page! If you know of corpora, lexical databases, or other resources that I've missed, please LMK. Trying to keep this thing relatively current and could use the help www.reilly-coglab.com/data
Reposted by Mark Torrance
Martínez-Cano et al identified narrative characteristics in writing by people with schizophrenia to determine how these relate to positive and negative symptomatology. Results reveal that language difficulties occur in writing and allow for symptom differentiation.
www.jowr.org/jowr/article...
www.jowr.org/jowr/article...
www.jowr.org
January 25, 2026 at 9:01 PM
Martínez-Cano et al identified narrative characteristics in writing by people with schizophrenia to determine how these relate to positive and negative symptomatology. Results reveal that language difficulties occur in writing and allow for symptom differentiation.
www.jowr.org/jowr/article...
www.jowr.org/jowr/article...
Reposted by Mark Torrance
I'm very excited about this paper with @yngwienielsen.bsky.social just out in @nathumbehav.nature.com in which we provide evidence for the mental representation of non-hierarchical linguistic structure in language use.
🧵 1/4
Read the paper here: rdcu.be/eZ26u
🧵 1/4
Read the paper here: rdcu.be/eZ26u
Evidence for the representation of non-hierarchical structures in language
Nature Human Behaviour - Language is often thought to be represented through hierarchically structured units. Nielsen and Christiansen find that non-hierarchical structures are present across...
rdcu.be
January 21, 2026 at 10:07 PM
I'm very excited about this paper with @yngwienielsen.bsky.social just out in @nathumbehav.nature.com in which we provide evidence for the mental representation of non-hierarchical linguistic structure in language use.
🧵 1/4
Read the paper here: rdcu.be/eZ26u
🧵 1/4
Read the paper here: rdcu.be/eZ26u
Reposted by Mark Torrance
Hello Bluesky! Journal of Writing Research is bringing the conversation to this platform. We'll start by highlighting some of the fascinating research in our most recent volume.
January 20, 2026 at 2:42 PM
Hello Bluesky! Journal of Writing Research is bringing the conversation to this platform. We'll start by highlighting some of the fascinating research in our most recent volume.
Reposted by Mark Torrance
𝑫𝒊𝒔𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒈𝒖𝒊𝒔𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒆𝒇𝒇𝒆𝒄𝒕𝒊𝒗𝒆 𝒘𝒓𝒊𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒔𝒕𝒚𝒍𝒆𝒔 𝒊𝒏 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝑷𝑬𝑹𝑺𝑼𝑨𝑫𝑬 𝒄𝒐𝒓𝒑𝒖𝒔- Morris, Crossley, Holmes, and Choi.
This article explores how high-quality persuasive essays differ in the linguistic features used, challenging the assumption that excellent writing is a single, uniform style. (vol. 17, no. 2)
This article explores how high-quality persuasive essays differ in the linguistic features used, challenging the assumption that excellent writing is a single, uniform style. (vol. 17, no. 2)
January 20, 2026 at 2:50 PM
𝑫𝒊𝒔𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒈𝒖𝒊𝒔𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒆𝒇𝒇𝒆𝒄𝒕𝒊𝒗𝒆 𝒘𝒓𝒊𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒔𝒕𝒚𝒍𝒆𝒔 𝒊𝒏 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝑷𝑬𝑹𝑺𝑼𝑨𝑫𝑬 𝒄𝒐𝒓𝒑𝒖𝒔- Morris, Crossley, Holmes, and Choi.
This article explores how high-quality persuasive essays differ in the linguistic features used, challenging the assumption that excellent writing is a single, uniform style. (vol. 17, no. 2)
This article explores how high-quality persuasive essays differ in the linguistic features used, challenging the assumption that excellent writing is a single, uniform style. (vol. 17, no. 2)
My talk here: rpubs.com/mark-torranc... - Direct evidence (we think) that looking back into your text while writing serves to maintain output fluency. All the hard work done by Astha Singh (Iowa State University). Her ACL paper is linked from the final slide.
January 8, 2026 at 8:54 PM
My talk here: rpubs.com/mark-torranc... - Direct evidence (we think) that looking back into your text while writing serves to maintain output fluency. All the hard work done by Astha Singh (Iowa State University). Her ACL paper is linked from the final slide.
Reposted by Mark Torrance
Meet multilangapp's younger sister Spellname App. We're still work in progress but try the "Density plots" tab and click on the legend keys. This is `plotly`.
Spellname App
jens-roeser.shinyapps.io
November 19, 2025 at 5:51 PM
Meet multilangapp's younger sister Spellname App. We're still work in progress but try the "Density plots" tab and click on the legend keys. This is `plotly`.
When writers produce multi-sentence text they periodically pause and look back into what they've written. We describe this behaviour in adult L1 and inexpert L2 composition.
journals.plos.org/plosone/arti...
This brings together methods / ideas from two research streams...
1/
journals.plos.org/plosone/arti...
This brings together methods / ideas from two research streams...
1/
November 5, 2025 at 5:34 PM
When writers produce multi-sentence text they periodically pause and look back into what they've written. We describe this behaviour in adult L1 and inexpert L2 composition.
journals.plos.org/plosone/arti...
This brings together methods / ideas from two research streams...
1/
journals.plos.org/plosone/arti...
This brings together methods / ideas from two research streams...
1/
Reposted by Mark Torrance
Paper in Language and Cognition with @marktorrance.bsky.social and @seriousstats.bsky.social
We show that semantic contrast shapes timing of pre-planning in speech and writing.
doi.org/10.1017/lang...
If you're into how context shapes how we plan language, check it out!
We show that semantic contrast shapes timing of pre-planning in speech and writing.
doi.org/10.1017/lang...
If you're into how context shapes how we plan language, check it out!
October 22, 2025 at 3:33 PM
Paper in Language and Cognition with @marktorrance.bsky.social and @seriousstats.bsky.social
We show that semantic contrast shapes timing of pre-planning in speech and writing.
doi.org/10.1017/lang...
If you're into how context shapes how we plan language, check it out!
We show that semantic contrast shapes timing of pre-planning in speech and writing.
doi.org/10.1017/lang...
If you're into how context shapes how we plan language, check it out!
More written production poster excitement at AMLaP2025:
Thursday PM #200 English / Norwegian cognates and false friends sites.google.com/view/helenes...
Friday AM #167: Spelling difficulty now disrupts future lexical retrieval rpubs.com/jensroes/aml...
Thursday PM #200 English / Norwegian cognates and false friends sites.google.com/view/helenes...
Friday AM #167: Spelling difficulty now disrupts future lexical retrieval rpubs.com/jensroes/aml...
September 3, 2025 at 9:39 PM
More written production poster excitement at AMLaP2025:
Thursday PM #200 English / Norwegian cognates and false friends sites.google.com/view/helenes...
Friday AM #167: Spelling difficulty now disrupts future lexical retrieval rpubs.com/jensroes/aml...
Thursday PM #200 English / Norwegian cognates and false friends sites.google.com/view/helenes...
Friday AM #167: Spelling difficulty now disrupts future lexical retrieval rpubs.com/jensroes/aml...
Reposted by Mark Torrance
Spelling can be tricky but imagine switching between two spelling systems where some words are spelled differently ("hånd" in Norwegian) and others look similar ("gift" in Norwegian isn't nice).
Check out Helene's research (poster 200 on Thursday Afternoon, 4 Sept. 2025 at #AMLaP in Prague).
Check out Helene's research (poster 200 on Thursday Afternoon, 4 Sept. 2025 at #AMLaP in Prague).
Helene Slaattelid Øya, PhD student
PhD phase 1 poster
sites.google.com
August 29, 2025 at 1:20 PM
Spelling can be tricky but imagine switching between two spelling systems where some words are spelled differently ("hånd" in Norwegian) and others look similar ("gift" in Norwegian isn't nice).
Check out Helene's research (poster 200 on Thursday Afternoon, 4 Sept. 2025 at #AMLaP in Prague).
Check out Helene's research (poster 200 on Thursday Afternoon, 4 Sept. 2025 at #AMLaP in Prague).
Reposted by Mark Torrance
When do we actually think about what we want to say and what words to use? Interestingly our mind does a lot of this work while we're writing text. In fact, we demonstrated (psycnet.apa.org/record/2026-...) that even young writers often don't stop before starting a new sentence. Way to multitask!
August 19, 2025 at 1:27 PM
When do we actually think about what we want to say and what words to use? Interestingly our mind does a lot of this work while we're writing text. In fact, we demonstrated (psycnet.apa.org/record/2026-...) that even young writers often don't stop before starting a new sentence. Way to multitask!
This paper, of which I'm inordinately proud, is now out in JEP-General doi.apa.org/doi/10.1037/.... Huge credit to Jens Roeser @sentwrite.bsky.social for conception and all the heavy lifting.
September 3, 2025 at 9:08 PM
This paper, of which I'm inordinately proud, is now out in JEP-General doi.apa.org/doi/10.1037/.... Huge credit to Jens Roeser @sentwrite.bsky.social for conception and all the heavy lifting.
Writers composing multi-sentence texts often pause briefly, glance back at isolated words or short phrases, then continue writing. We think we have evidence that this cues what to say next. rpubs.com/mark-torranc... or, better, talk to me on Thursday morning at #AMLAP25.
September 3, 2025 at 8:56 PM
Writers composing multi-sentence texts often pause briefly, glance back at isolated words or short phrases, then continue writing. We think we have evidence that this cues what to say next. rpubs.com/mark-torranc... or, better, talk to me on Thursday morning at #AMLAP25.
Reposted by Mark Torrance
Ever wondered what happens in our mind when we write simple messages, posts, or full essays? Also how can psychologists tests theories about writing? English is known for it's tricky spelling rules which allows psychologists to study what's going on, when things are going wrong.
a cat is looking at a laptop computer screen with a lot of text on it .
ALT: a cat is looking at a laptop computer screen with a lot of text on it .
media.tenor.com
August 13, 2025 at 8:31 AM
Ever wondered what happens in our mind when we write simple messages, posts, or full essays? Also how can psychologists tests theories about writing? English is known for it's tricky spelling rules which allows psychologists to study what's going on, when things are going wrong.
Reposted by Mark Torrance
New paper out 🎺 introducing process-based measures of automatisation in L2
The elicited imitation task is widely used as a measure of automatized L2 knowledge. However, the scoring of the task relies exclusively on product-based measures (i.e., accuracy of L2 production).
The elicited imitation task is widely used as a measure of automatized L2 knowledge. However, the scoring of the task relies exclusively on product-based measures (i.e., accuracy of L2 production).
December 12, 2024 at 12:53 PM
New paper out 🎺 introducing process-based measures of automatisation in L2
The elicited imitation task is widely used as a measure of automatized L2 knowledge. However, the scoring of the task relies exclusively on product-based measures (i.e., accuracy of L2 production).
The elicited imitation task is widely used as a measure of automatized L2 knowledge. However, the scoring of the task relies exclusively on product-based measures (i.e., accuracy of L2 production).
This looks massively useful. Thanks so much to bsky.app/profile/mari... and team.
November 25, 2024 at 11:59 PM
This looks massively useful. Thanks so much to bsky.app/profile/mari... and team.
This rather pretty plot shows correlations among measures from adult writers providing written names for pictures of everyday objects in one of 14 (yes 14) different European languages. Courtesy of jens-roeser.shinyapps.io/multilangapp/ . A short thread follows...
November 25, 2024 at 11:47 PM
This rather pretty plot shows correlations among measures from adult writers providing written names for pictures of everyday objects in one of 14 (yes 14) different European languages. Courtesy of jens-roeser.shinyapps.io/multilangapp/ . A short thread follows...
Reposted by Mark Torrance
It's that time again to update the lab's psycholinguistic database page. Lmk if you have any suggestions for stuff I've missed or sections to add (NLP, aphasia, discourse). Any suggestions for improving this hub would be most appreciated. www.reilly-coglab.com/data
Psycholinguistic Databases, Stimuli, Utilities — Concepts & Cognition Laboratory
www.reilly-coglab.com
November 24, 2024 at 1:24 AM
It's that time again to update the lab's psycholinguistic database page. Lmk if you have any suggestions for stuff I've missed or sections to add (NLP, aphasia, discourse). Any suggestions for improving this hub would be most appreciated. www.reilly-coglab.com/data
I don't normally post about preprints but I'm really quite excited about this one (and I ought to actually post something here).
Typing in tandem: language planning in multi-sentence text production is fundamentally parallel. https://osf.io/preprints/osf/qr58k
"Competent writers... (1/2)
Typing in tandem: language planning in multi-sentence text production is fundamentally parallel. https://osf.io/preprints/osf/qr58k
"Competent writers... (1/2)
November 6, 2024 at 8:47 PM
I don't normally post about preprints but I'm really quite excited about this one (and I ought to actually post something here).
Typing in tandem: language planning in multi-sentence text production is fundamentally parallel. https://osf.io/preprints/osf/qr58k
"Competent writers... (1/2)
Typing in tandem: language planning in multi-sentence text production is fundamentally parallel. https://osf.io/preprints/osf/qr58k
"Competent writers... (1/2)