This book presents a unique understanding of the interdependence between language and psychology and how one’s speech is shaped by and in turn shapes one’s thoughts, beliefs, and emotions. Drawing on the tenets of discourse analysis and psychology, it presents a comprehensive guide to a new and burgeoning area in linguistics and critical theory. The volume focusses on individual and group behaviour to show how identity formation is as much dependent on the psychological state as on social surroundings and context. It introduces various concepts from the sociocognitive framework, discursive and critical psychology, highlighting the myriad ways of approaching the complex interface between text, sociocultural factors, and cognitive processes.

An indispensable guide to the complex world of language and the unconscious, the volume will be of interest to students and scholars of linguistics, applied linguistics, sociolinguistics, psychology and behavioural science, language, and critical theory. It is also a must-read for the general reader interested in language, communication, and social intelligence.