Psychol inguistics: the study of language processing

1. Psycholinguistics: the study of language processing Gary Libben A summary

2. Psycholinguistics • Study of mechanisms and operations involved in producing and understanding language. • Seek to understand how language is done

3. 1. Methods of psycholinguistic research Mental language-processing events are inferred from observable behaviors. (Field Technique) 1.Slips of tongue Spoonirism “The queer old dean” Salın kağlıcakla Sen nerelisin zon mu vangıldak mı? Ben hakimim masum bey. Çatlarını kaşmak Arabanın cebinden pantolonun anahtarlarını getirir misin? (Rahmetli Ecevit): “Barış değil savaş istiyoruz"

4. 1. Methods of psycholinguistic research 2.Experimental Methods: words in the mind How are words organized and linked in our minds? 2.1.Lexical decision Dependent Variables: Response latency, Response Accuracy Independent Variable: Frequency Non-words independent variable: pronouncebility plib VS nlib 2.2.The priming paradigm First, prime-word, and then target-word; How does the prime influences the subject’s speed in decision about the target word? Semantically related; orthographically related; phonologically related; morphologically related

5. 1. Methods of psycholinguistic research 3.Experimental Methods: sentence processing Parsing: analysis of the meanings of its words and syntactic structure. 3.1.Timed-reading experiments Longer press times for content words Pause at the end of clause boundaries 3.2.Eye movements Longer fixation times on less frequent words Regressive saccades

6. 1. Methods of psycholinguistic research 4.Brain activity: event-related potentials Electrodes “The pizza was too hot to cry.”

7. 2. Language Processing and Linguistics Concepts and principals used to study a language (phonetics, phonology, morphology, syntax) also play an important role in comprehending and producing language. 1.Phonetics and phonology /ðəˈdɔg ˈbɪ…/ bottom-up VS top-down processing 1.1.Features Most basic level of representation; in processing of sound, phonemes 1.2.Phonemes Cohort model: In word comprehension words are analyzed by hearers from beginning to end. The number of possible words (cohort) is reduced as the phonemes are recognized. 1.3.Syllables Is the target unit (syllable ‘let’ or segment ‘t’) in the stimulus? Word blending task: ‘bug’ and ‘cat’

8. 2. Language Processing and Linguistics 2.Morphological processing The study of word structure. Morphological structures and principles play a substantial role in the representation of words in the mind and their recognition. 2.1.Morpheme activation happiness activates happy crowbar activates bird 2.2.Selectional restrictions Knowledge of the selectional restrictions of affixes is important part of word-processing system. *re birmity (re- attaches to a verb, but -ity attaches to a noun) gora; gora+laş+mak; *gora+laş+lık 2.3.Hierarchical structure Our representation of complex words is organized in terms of hierarchical morphological structure. fill able  refill able bearableun bearable

9. 2. Language Processing and Linguistics 3.Syntax 3.1.The syntax module 3.2.Garden path sentences The horse raced past the barn | fell. Throw the baby downstairs | a cookie. O İstanbul’a gidecek | leriuyardı. 3.3.Sentence ambiguity The tuna can hit the boat. • The lady hit the man with an umbrella. (Is the lady using an umbrella to hit or is she hitting a man who is carrying an umbrella?) • He gave her cat food. (Is he giving cat food to her or is he giving her cat some food?) • They are looking for teachers of French, German and Japanese. (Are they looking for teachers who can each teach one language or all three languages?) [source: http://thestar.com.my/english/story.asp?file=/2008/1/3/lifefocus/19802080&sec=life..]

10. 3.Putting it all together: psycholinguistic modelling 1.The use of metaphors in psycholinguistic modelling 1.1.Serial versus parallel processing models 1.2.Single-route versus dual-route models 1.3.Symbolic versus connectionist models 2.Which model is right?

11. Summing up