Somebody dredged up a very old thread
Phat writes:How does linguistics help us to understand human behavior?
I am inclined to think that it is mostly the other way around. That is, a better understanding of human behavior could lead to better ways of doing linguistics.
Traditionally, linguistics was studied in the field where the relation of language to human behavior was considered important. As long as it is studied that way, linguistics and a study of human behavior can go together and support one another.
If, instead, linguistics is studied from an intelligent design stance, then you end up with a lot of dubious language theory leading to dubious ideas about psychology. (Yes, I am referring to Chomskian linguistics).
Fundamentalism - the anti-American, anti-Christian branch of American Christianity