David A. Havas
BA, Psychology - 1997 - University of Colorado at Boulder
PhD student - University of Wisconsin-Madison
Cognitive & Perceptual Sciences program
1202 W.Johnson St., Madison, WI 53706, Room 484
phone: 608.262.8858
email:dahavas@wisc.edu
Curriculum Vitae
Personal Webpage
Research Interests

Language affects our emotions (consider reading your favorite novel) and emotional states can color our interpretations of language. What is the relation between emotion and language comprehension? Using the framework of embodied cognition, my research investigates how emotions influence comprehension of emotional language, and conversely, how language influences emotion.
I study how language understanding and emotions interact by using behavioral, electrophysiological, and pharmacological methods, typical and special populations. My research is showing that body states of emotion, such as facial expressions, or actions of approach or withdrawal, have a role in comprehension of emotional language. I'm currently interested in how peripheral feedback and central systems for motor control jointly contribute to emotional language processing. Emotions provide a powerful way to study language, and the findings may have practical implications for both classroom and psychotherapeutic settings.
Publications
Havas, Glenberg, Gutowski, Lucarelli, & Davidson (submitted). Cosmetic use of botulinum toxin affects processing of emotional language.
Glenberg, A. M., Webster, B. J., Mouilso, E., Havas, D., & Lindeman, L. M. (2009). Gender, emotion, and the embodiment of language comprehension. Emotion Review, 1, 151-161.
PDF
Mouilso, Glenberg, Havas, & Lindeman (2007). Differences in action tendencies distinguish anger and sadness after comprehension of emotional sentences. In D. S. McNamara & J. G. Trafton (Eds.), Proceedings of the 29th Annual Cognitive Science Society (pp. 1325-1330). Austin, TX: Cognitive Science Society.
PDF
Havas, Glenberg, & Rinck (2007). Emotion simulation during language comprehension. Psychonomic Bulletin & Review, 14, 436-441.
PDF
Glenberg, Havas, Becker, & Rinck (2005). Grounding language in bodily states: The case for emotion. In R. Zwaan and D. Pecher (Eds.) The grounding of cognition: The role of perception and action in memory, language, and thinking. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
PDF
Healy, Havas, & Parker (2000). Comparing serial position effects in semantic and episodic memory using reconstruction of order tasks. Journal of Memory & Language, 42, 147-167.
Presentations

Presentation to Learning Sciences graduate students, Madison WI, April 22, 2009. "Neuroscience methods for the learning sciences: Two examples in need of a bridge."
Invited talk presented at the UW-Madison Department of Kinesiology, Madison WI, February, 2008."Using the body to understand emotion."
Invited talk presented at the Learning Sciences Symposium, Madison WI, October 26, 2007. "Comprehending emotionally laden text." PDF of PowerPoint slides
Nathan, Havas, & Johnson. "Intersubjectivity as a basis for gesture production." Poster presented at the 29th Annual Cognitive Science Society. Nashville, TN. PDF

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