Fernanda Ferreira
@fernandaedi.bsky.social
Psycholinguist @UCDavis. Made in Portugal, raised in Canada, living in California. Author of "Psycholinguistics: A Very Short Introduction" from Oxford University Press, coming out January 23, 2025.
Pinned
With lots of new people and followers, thought I’d give my bio:
I’m 2-times an immigrant (🇵🇹—>🇨🇦, 🇨🇦—>🇺🇸), grew up in Winnipeg, 1st-gen. I’m a prof at UCDavis where I study language processing and teach amazing students. Love progressive politics, science, commuter cycling, running, and Jane Austen.
I’m 2-times an immigrant (🇵🇹—>🇨🇦, 🇨🇦—>🇺🇸), grew up in Winnipeg, 1st-gen. I’m a prof at UCDavis where I study language processing and teach amazing students. Love progressive politics, science, commuter cycling, running, and Jane Austen.
Reposted by Fernanda Ferreira
⚠️ New paper! Why do words sound so similar? In an agent-based model + communication game, we show that production/comprehension pressures trade off to shape lexicon structure.
In @cognitionjournal.bsky.social w/ @simonkirby.bsky.social & Jenny Culbertson.
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
In @cognitionjournal.bsky.social w/ @simonkirby.bsky.social & Jenny Culbertson.
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
The lexicon adapts to competing communicative pressures: Explaining patterns of word similarity
Cross-linguistically, lexicons tend to be more phonetically clustered than required by the phonotactics of the language; that is, words within a langu…
www.sciencedirect.com
November 10, 2025 at 11:59 AM
⚠️ New paper! Why do words sound so similar? In an agent-based model + communication game, we show that production/comprehension pressures trade off to shape lexicon structure.
In @cognitionjournal.bsky.social w/ @simonkirby.bsky.social & Jenny Culbertson.
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
In @cognitionjournal.bsky.social w/ @simonkirby.bsky.social & Jenny Culbertson.
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
I've never received so many requests for letters of recommendation. I'm averaging 1-2 a day, most from students who took one of my 300+ enrollment classes. Anyone else seeing this, and is this a recession effect - the job market is bad so students are choosing to do postgrad work to wait it out?
November 8, 2025 at 8:51 PM
I've never received so many requests for letters of recommendation. I'm averaging 1-2 a day, most from students who took one of my 300+ enrollment classes. Anyone else seeing this, and is this a recession effect - the job market is bad so students are choosing to do postgrad work to wait it out?
Your moment of zen
November 7, 2025 at 3:45 PM
Your moment of zen
Reposted by Fernanda Ferreira
12 Hangry Men.
BREAKING EXCLUSIVE MUST CREDIT: Lunch for jurors in the “sandwich guy” trial are a variety of sandwiches, according to a source familiar with lunch.
November 6, 2025 at 5:34 PM
12 Hangry Men.
I’ve waited my entire adult life to hear a speech from an American politician like the one Mamdani gave last night.
November 5, 2025 at 3:14 PM
I’ve waited my entire adult life to hear a speech from an American politician like the one Mamdani gave last night.
I feel like I can breathe again
November 5, 2025 at 5:28 AM
I feel like I can breathe again
Not often you read an obituary that’s better than poetry
All day, many of you have been asking for a Cheney obituary from me. Get ready:
His Works Completed, Dick Cheney, Mass Murderer of Iraqis and American Democracy, Dies
As much as the Trumpists claim to disavow the War on Terror, they walk a path paved by the most powerful vice president in U.S. history.
www.thenation.com
November 4, 2025 at 7:14 PM
Not often you read an obituary that’s better than poetry
I predict Zoran Mamdani will make an excellent mayor, not only because of his progressive policies, although those are great, but because his entire campaign has projected an extraordinary level of competence and skill. After all, governing is problem solving.
November 3, 2025 at 2:27 PM
I predict Zoran Mamdani will make an excellent mayor, not only because of his progressive policies, although those are great, but because his entire campaign has projected an extraordinary level of competence and skill. After all, governing is problem solving.
Reposted by Fernanda Ferreira
I wrote a thing on episodic memory and systems consolidation. I hope you all enjoy it and/or find it interesting.
A neural state space for episodic memories
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
#neuroskyence #psychscisky #cognition 🧪
A neural state space for episodic memories
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
#neuroskyence #psychscisky #cognition 🧪
A neural state space for episodic memories
Episodic memories are highly dynamic and change in nonlinear ways over time. This dynamism is not captured by existing systems consolidation theories …
www.sciencedirect.com
November 3, 2025 at 12:56 PM
I wrote a thing on episodic memory and systems consolidation. I hope you all enjoy it and/or find it interesting.
A neural state space for episodic memories
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
#neuroskyence #psychscisky #cognition 🧪
A neural state space for episodic memories
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
#neuroskyence #psychscisky #cognition 🧪
Nothing in teaching gives me anxiety like trying to get across the Baddeley & Hitch working memory model. Any tips to make it intuitive to undergrads? especially the episodic buffer?
October 23, 2025 at 8:58 PM
Nothing in teaching gives me anxiety like trying to get across the Baddeley & Hitch working memory model. Any tips to make it intuitive to undergrads? especially the episodic buffer?
Reposted by Fernanda Ferreira
We are thrilled to announce that the Italian Agency for the Evaluation of Research has given our journal a rating of “A” for Linguistics publications. This is a major milestone for our journal! Thanks to
@escholarship.bsky.social
, Valentina Bambini, and Federico Frau for their support!
@escholarship.bsky.social
, Valentina Bambini, and Federico Frau for their support!
October 21, 2025 at 6:31 PM
We are thrilled to announce that the Italian Agency for the Evaluation of Research has given our journal a rating of “A” for Linguistics publications. This is a major milestone for our journal! Thanks to
@escholarship.bsky.social
, Valentina Bambini, and Federico Frau for their support!
@escholarship.bsky.social
, Valentina Bambini, and Federico Frau for their support!
Manitoba is expanding its degree programs in Ojibwe and Cree. This is an example of the good that can happen when you elect a progressive, indigenous leader to run things.
October 21, 2025 at 3:01 PM
Manitoba is expanding its degree programs in Ojibwe and Cree. This is an example of the good that can happen when you elect a progressive, indigenous leader to run things.
It's a privilege to work with these wonderful people. Here's the lab, 2025 edition.
October 20, 2025 at 11:16 PM
It's a privilege to work with these wonderful people. Here's the lab, 2025 edition.
Reposted by Fernanda Ferreira
New paper with @ryanlepic.bsky.social: doi.org/10.1515/ling....
Our previous research showed that ✨️inherently plural meanings✨️ favor two-handed signs across sign languages, now we see that hearing non-signers also produce more two-handed forms when asked to gesture plural meanings! 👐🏼
#linguistics
Our previous research showed that ✨️inherently plural meanings✨️ favor two-handed signs across sign languages, now we see that hearing non-signers also produce more two-handed forms when asked to gesture plural meanings! 👐🏼
#linguistics
Non-signers favor two-handed gestures when expressing inherently plural meanings
Sign languages have been shown to favor two-handed forms to express plural meanings, and in this paper we investigate whether this pattern is similarly found in silent gestures improvised by hearing n...
doi.org
October 16, 2025 at 2:01 PM
New paper with @ryanlepic.bsky.social: doi.org/10.1515/ling....
Our previous research showed that ✨️inherently plural meanings✨️ favor two-handed signs across sign languages, now we see that hearing non-signers also produce more two-handed forms when asked to gesture plural meanings! 👐🏼
#linguistics
Our previous research showed that ✨️inherently plural meanings✨️ favor two-handed signs across sign languages, now we see that hearing non-signers also produce more two-handed forms when asked to gesture plural meanings! 👐🏼
#linguistics
Reposted by Fernanda Ferreira
Here's a gift link to the New York Times' coverage of the initial Tea Party rallies in April 2009 which inspired the media to treat it like a massive movement.
Check out how tiny the crowds were:
Philly: 200
DC: "several hundred"
Boston: 500
Austin: 1,000
Houston: 2,000
Check out how tiny the crowds were:
Philly: 200
DC: "several hundred"
Boston: 500
Austin: 1,000
Houston: 2,000
Tax Day Is Met With Tea Parties (Published 2009)
www.nytimes.com
October 20, 2025 at 12:55 PM
Here's a gift link to the New York Times' coverage of the initial Tea Party rallies in April 2009 which inspired the media to treat it like a massive movement.
Check out how tiny the crowds were:
Philly: 200
DC: "several hundred"
Boston: 500
Austin: 1,000
Houston: 2,000
Check out how tiny the crowds were:
Philly: 200
DC: "several hundred"
Boston: 500
Austin: 1,000
Houston: 2,000
For some reason finding myself thinking of one of my high school teachers who warned our class that reducing complex situations to the “there are two kinds of” trope is a sign of a lazy mind.
There are basically only two positions in the debate about AI.
1. I’ve barely invested any time in learning how to use it effectively. AI sucks.
2. I’ve invested in learning how to use this tool. Holy cow, it’s transformational.
Position #1 has lower barriers to entry.
1. I’ve barely invested any time in learning how to use it effectively. AI sucks.
2. I’ve invested in learning how to use this tool. Holy cow, it’s transformational.
Position #1 has lower barriers to entry.
October 17, 2025 at 2:30 PM
For some reason finding myself thinking of one of my high school teachers who warned our class that reducing complex situations to the “there are two kinds of” trope is a sign of a lazy mind.
Reposted by Fernanda Ferreira
Friendly reminder that Tidal ($10.99) is now cheaper than Spotify ($11.99), delivers better audio quality, pays its artists 2x as much, and generally doesn't allow AI slop.
You can move your entire music library over in a matter of minutes.
You can move your entire music library over in a matter of minutes.
October 15, 2025 at 5:46 PM
Friendly reminder that Tidal ($10.99) is now cheaper than Spotify ($11.99), delivers better audio quality, pays its artists 2x as much, and generally doesn't allow AI slop.
You can move your entire music library over in a matter of minutes.
You can move your entire music library over in a matter of minutes.
Just thought I'd share that account numbers at UC Davis are now 59 characters long, excluding hyphens.
October 14, 2025 at 8:31 PM
Just thought I'd share that account numbers at UC Davis are now 59 characters long, excluding hyphens.
It’s always been around but seems especially common today—people who think that simply generating a lot of heat is a sign of intellectual depth and bravery.
Ratio me. Please. It's a badge of honor. If you don't like a link, go follow some chicken-heart who needs the approval of the thought-police. Caitlin Flanagan of @theatlantic.com is a tremendous writer and this piece is an excellent read. www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archiv...
Don’t Bet Against Bari Weiss
The new editor in chief of CBS News triumphs over her critics.
www.theatlantic.com
October 13, 2025 at 2:09 PM
It’s always been around but seems especially common today—people who think that simply generating a lot of heat is a sign of intellectual depth and bravery.
Just received an email from Prezi, which put me in the mood to don a pair of jeggings and an infinity scarf.
October 13, 2025 at 1:44 PM
Just received an email from Prezi, which put me in the mood to don a pair of jeggings and an infinity scarf.
Decision on your manuscript
In honour of spooky month, share a 4 word horror story that only someone in your profession would understand.
rm -rf ~/
rm -rf ~/
"The chancellor approved it"
October 13, 2025 at 1:13 AM
Decision on your manuscript
Reposted by Fernanda Ferreira
As always, we are powered by the Janeway systems platform, hosted by @escholarship.bsky.social of the University of California, copyedited by our Editorial Assistant Sandy Chung, copyedited and typeset by Silicon Chips, and supported by the psycholinguistics community!
October 9, 2025 at 4:51 PM
As always, we are powered by the Janeway systems platform, hosted by @escholarship.bsky.social of the University of California, copyedited by our Editorial Assistant Sandy Chung, copyedited and typeset by Silicon Chips, and supported by the psycholinguistics community!
Reposted by Fernanda Ferreira
'Statistical reporting inconsistencies in experimental linguistics' by Dara Leonard Jenssen Etemady and Timo Roettger is now available at: escholarship.org/uc/item/3736...
escholarship.org
October 9, 2025 at 4:51 PM
'Statistical reporting inconsistencies in experimental linguistics' by Dara Leonard Jenssen Etemady and Timo Roettger is now available at: escholarship.org/uc/item/3736...
Reposted by Fernanda Ferreira
We're back and happy to announce the publication of another article in October - new psycholinguistics coming out fast and furious here at GPx 😎...
October 9, 2025 at 4:51 PM
We're back and happy to announce the publication of another article in October - new psycholinguistics coming out fast and furious here at GPx 😎...
Reposted by Fernanda Ferreira
🎃 Happy October! We're delighted to announce the publication of a new ~ Registered Report ~ in Glossa Psycholinguistics:
October 6, 2025 at 3:32 PM
🎃 Happy October! We're delighted to announce the publication of a new ~ Registered Report ~ in Glossa Psycholinguistics: