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Dr. David Ludden's degree is in cognitive psychology, but he considers himself a generalist and is fascinated by all aspects of the study of human experience. He was drawn to the field by his interest in the psychology of language, considering not only how language is processed in the brain but also how our social world shapes and is shaped by the language we speak.

As an extension of his work in psycholinguistics, Ludden also has an interest in the psychology of music. And as a generalist, he believes that it is important to study the history of psychology to gain insight into the key issues that have driven the field since its inception and will likely continue into the future.

Struck with a desire to travel from an early age, Ludden studied abroad in Austria and France as an undergraduate. After that, he spent extended periods of time in East Asia, living and working in Japan and China. Because of these experiences, he is also interested in cultural psychology, especially the question of how culture shapes the ways in which we think, feel and behave.

He is the author of two textbooks, The Psychology of Language: An Integrated Approach and A History of Modern Psychology: The Quest for a Science of the Mind. He also maintains the blog “Talking Apes: How natural selection reprogrammed the brain for language” on the Psychology Today website.

• Doctorate – psychology – University of Iowa
• Master’s – linguistics – Ohio University
• Bachelor’s – modern languages – Ohio University

• Psycholinguistics
• History of psychology
• Cultural psychology
• Psychology of music

• Ludden, D. (2025). A History of Modern Psychology: The Quest for a Science of the Mind (2nd ed.). SAGE Publications.
• Ludden, D. (2015). The Psychology of Language: An Integrated Approach. SAGE Publications.

• Association for Asian Studies
• CHIME (European Foundation for Chinese Music Research)