The Apperception of the Spoken Sentence: A Study in the Psychology of Language (Classic Reprint)

Explore how we hear and interpret spoken language, from the sounds we hear to the ideas we understand.

This scholarly work investigates the psychology of language by focusing on how listeners perceive spoken symbols and apperceive their meaning. It frames language as both a precondition for higher thought and a means of communication, then analyzes the factors that shape perception, including sensory differences, timing, and emphasis. The study combines theoretical discussion with concrete experiments and detailed observations.

What you’ll experience

• A clear discussion of how listeners fill in missing sounds or distorted words using context and prior knowledge.
• An explanation of how visual, verbal, and kinaesthetic imagery contribute to understanding spoken sentences.
• Descriptions of experimental setups, observer roles, and how data were interpreted to map the process of apperception.
• Examples drawn from actual protocols that illustrate how meaning emerges in real time during listening.

Ideal for readers of psychology, linguistics, and cognitive science who want a rigorous, research-based look at language perception and its underlying mental processes. The book offers a foundational view of how spoken language is processed and understood in everyday life and in the laboratory.