Morton Ann Gernsbacher facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Morton Ann Gernsbacher
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| Nationality | American |
| Alma mater | University of North Texas University of Texas at Dallas University of Texas at Austin |
| Known for | Structure building model of language comprehension, research on language processing in autistic people |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Psychology Psycholinguistics |
| Institutions | University of Wisconsin–Madison University of Oregon |
| Thesis | The effects of verbalization on memory for orientation in pictures Memory for Surface Information in Non-Verbal Stories: Parallels and Insights to Language Processes |
| Doctoral advisor | Donald Foss |
Morton Ann Gernsbacher is an American psychologist. She is a special professor of psychology at the University of Wisconsin–Madison. She studies how our minds understand language (this is called psycholinguistics) and also researches autism. She has written many books and articles about these topics.
Professor Gernsbacher has worked on the board of the journal Psychological Science in the Public Interest. She was also an editor for other important journals like Cognitive Psychology. In 2007, she was the president of the Association for Psychological Science.
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About Morton Ann Gernsbacher
Morton Ann Gernsbacher earned her first degree from the University of North Texas in 1976. She then received her master's degree from the University of Texas at Dallas in 1980. In 1983, she completed her Ph.D. in human experimental psychology at the University of Texas at Austin.
She worked at the University of Oregon from 1983 to 1992. After that, she joined the faculty at the University of Wisconsin–Madison. She has been teaching and researching there ever since.
Her Research on Language
Professor Gernsbacher's research looks at how our brains understand language. She studies the mental processes that help us make sense of sentences. She believes that understanding language uses general thinking skills. These skills include working memory and pattern recognition. She thinks language processing is not just a special language skill.
Her Work on Autism
In 1998, Professor Gernsbacher's son was diagnosed with autism. This led her to focus much of her research on how autistic people think and process information. She has studied how language develops in autistic children.
She suggests that speech difficulties in autism come from challenges with planning movements. This is called motor planning challenges. She believes these difficulties are not due to intellectual limits or social problems. This idea helps us understand autistic children better. It shows that some nonverbal autistic children might have skills we didn't notice before.
Professor Gernsbacher has published over 200 articles in scientific journals. She has also edited several books. She is married and has one child.
Awards and Recognitions
Morton Ann Gernsbacher has received many awards for her important work. Here are some of them:
- 2021: T. Morgan Distinguished Leadership Award
- 2018: APA’s Outstanding Educational Resource
- 2017: Lifetime Achievement Award
- 2013: DSCA Winner
- 2008: Became a Fellow of the American Educational Research Association
- 2007: William James Distinguished Lecturer in Psychological Science
- 2006: President of the Association for Psychological Science
- 2003: Elected Fellow of the Society of Experimental Psychologists
- 2001: Senior research fellowship from the National Institutes of Health
- 2000: Distinguished Scientist Lecturer for the American Psychological Association
- 1999: Vilas Associate Research Award
- 1998: Professional Opportunities for Women in Research and Education Award
- 1995: Elected Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science
- 1994: Named Sir Frederic C. Bartlett Professor
- 1993: Elected Fellow of the Association for Psychological Science
- 1992: Elected Fellow of the American Psychological Association
