Dr. Marjorie Lorch, Professor of Neurolinguistics at Birkbeck, University of London, has been a visiting scholar at the Loyola Archives and Special Collections several times for the past few years. Dr. Lorch created this digital exhibit based on the Vincent V. Herr, S.J. papers with the assistance of Loyola University Archivist Kathy Young in March 2023. The project was supported by a career development award to Dr. Lorch from the Birkbeck Wellcome Trust Institutional Strategic Support Fund.
In the mid-20th century, Loyola University Chicago professor and psychologist Vincent V. Herr, S.J. (1905–1971) was a significant figure at the University because of his pioneering work in experimental psychology and his long-time academic contributions to Loyola.
About the study
The article explores a mid-20th-century innovation in psychological assessment developed at Loyola University Chicago. Vincent V. Herr, S.J. led a decade-long research program at Loyola, known as the Loyola Language Study, which examined how linguistic, cognitive, and emotional factors varied across age, culture, education, and personality. Although the study was innovative and involved thousands of participants, it remained largely unpublished. The article revisits this overlooked research to highlight its potential relevance to modern psychology, psychiatry, and linguistics—especially in understanding shared social knowledge and interpersonal awareness.
Read the full article: APA PsycNet FullTextHTML page
View Dr. Lorch’s digital exhibit about Vincent Herr, S.J.’s work courtesy of the Loyola Archives and Special Collections.
