Articles for General Audiences

The most obvious writing I’ve done for general audiences is my book, More Than Words, but I’m also actively writing short pieces related to talking and other topics. Also see the Psychology Today tab for my blog.

If you’re interested in discussing ideas for an article I might write, please contact me.

Gen Zers Aren’t Talking—and it Could Cost Them, Washington Post, January 11, 2026
Why Gen Z avoids phone calls and face-to-face talk. Learn how talking anxiety impacts cognitive health, why talking is vital brain exercise, and the hidden risks of a silent lifestyle.

How to Talk to Yourself, Psyche, 2025.
This Psyche guide explores using inner speech and self-talk to manage emotions, increase psychological distance, and clarify complex thinking. It provides actionable, science-based techniques to improve cognitive function and emotion regulation through self-dialogue.

Book Language: What it is, How Children can “Get it” International Dyslexia Association Perspectives, Vol 51(2) pp. 16-18, 2025
Discover the differences between speech and book language and how to help children comprehend what they read. For parents and teachers of young and pre-readers.

“We Can Learn to Talk to Each Other with Masks On” Op-Ed, Capital Times, March 17, 2021
A pandemic-era piece about how masks impair communication and how to fix it.

How can you get better at learning a foreign language? Rojas, C. E., Hopman, E. W. M., & MacDonald, M. C. (2020).
Frontiers for Young Minds, 8, 42.
This article is written for children. It explains the science behind why talking is so important when learning a second language.