Jenny Saffran
Phone: 262-9942
Email: jsaffran@facstaff.wisc.edu
Office: 528 Psychology
Professor
Ph.D. 1997,
How do children acquire their native language? My research focuses on the
kinds of learning abilities required to master the complexities of language.
Three broad issues characterize my work. One line of research asks what kinds
of learning emerge in infancy. A second line of research probes the biases that
shape human learning abilities, and the relationship between these biases and
the structure of human languages. A third issue concerns the extent to which
the learning abilities underlying this process are specifically tailored for
language acquisition. Related research concerns infant music perception, and
the relationship between music and language learning.
To learn more about studying language at UW-Madison, click here
To learn more about studying cognitive, perceptual, and linguistic development at UW-Madison click here
REPRESENTATIVE PUBLICATIONS
Thiessen,
E. D., & Saffran, J. R. (2003). When cues
collide: Statistical and stress cues in infant word segmentation. Developmental Psychology, 39, 706-716.
Saffran, J. R. (2003). Statistical language learning: Mechanisms and constraints. Current Directions in Psychological Science, 12, 110-114.
Saffran, J. R. (2002). Constraints on statistical language learning. Journal of
Memory and Language, 47, 172-196.
Saffran, J. R. (2001). Words in a sea of sounds: The
output of statistical learning. Cognition, 81, 149-169.
Saffran. J.R. (2001). The use of predictive dependencies in language learning. Journal of Memory and Language, 44, 493-515.
Saffran, J. R., & Griepentrog, G. J. (2001). Absolute pitch in infant auditory learning: Evidence for developmental reorganization. Developmental Psychology,37, 74-85.
Saffran, J. R., Loman, M. M., & Robertson, R. R. W. (2000). Infant memory for musical experiences. Cognition, 77, 15-23.
Saffran, J.R., Johnson, E.K., Aslin, R.N., & Newport, E.L. (1999). Statistical learning of tone sequences by human infants and adults. Cognition, 70, 27-52.
Saffran, J.R., Newport, E.L., Aslin, R.N., Tunick, R.A., & Barrueco, S. (1997). Incidental language learning: Listening (and learning) out of the corner of your ear. Psychological Science, 8, 101-105.
Saffran, J.R., Aslin, R.N., & Newport, E.L. (1996). Statistical learning by 8-month old infants. Science, 274, 1926-1928.
Visit the Saffran Lab
Fall, 2000 Courses:
Child
Psychology (Psychology 560)
Honors
Seminar in Child Psychology (Psychology 580)
Archived Courses:
Psychology of Language, Psychology 421
Graduate core course in Language Development, Psychology 733
See Syllabus for Dr. Saffran's Issues in Cognitive Development, Psychology 918, Fall 1998
See Syllabus for Dr. Saffran's Language Acquisition, Psychology 918,Spring, 1998