- Instructor: Brian Dillon & Shota Momma
- Location: ILC N458
- Time: MW 10:00- 12:05
Course overview
This course is an introductory-level course in psycholinguistics. We will investigate linguistic computation in language perception and production, in the context of broader debates in cognitive science, such as the role of abstraction, categorization, and probability, and the various architectural properties of information processing systems (modularity vs. interactivity, structure sensitivity, serial vs. parallel computation, etc.). We will examine these issues applied to language use in diverse contexts, from speech perception to the understanding of language in discourse. We will pay particular attention to how these issues interface with topics in other areas of linguistic theory, and broad perspectives on the relationship between mental grammar and real-time language processing and production.
As part of the course, students will be introduced to some of the core technology tools in the psycholinguist’s toolkit, including working with common software for programming experiments, and the analysis and presentation of experimental data.
- Attendance (10%): Attend biweekly class meetings, having read the required reading (see the schedule below). Contribute to the discussion board.
- Presentations (10%): Participate in two group presentations (two “debates” and poverty of the stimulus argument activity).
- Lab assignments (30%): Details will be communicated in class, but you will be asked to complete two lab assignments, one on categorical perception in speech, and the other on syntactic priming in production.
- Final project (50%): Write an APA-style literature review, a theoretical paper, or an experimental proposal as your final paper (10-15 pages, double-spaced).
2/6 | Introduction: Competence and performance Lab discussion | Marr (1982): Chapter 1 Chomsky (1965): Chapter 1 Phillips (1996): Chapter 5 | Shota | |
2/8 | Abstraction and categorization | Diehl et al. (2004) Pisoni & Tash (1974) Lab 1 introduction | Brian | |
2/13 | Abstraction and categorization | Dupoux et al (2011) | Shota | |
2/15 | Abstraction and categorization | Kazanina et al (2018) Optional: Samuel (2020) (introduction only) Lab 1 workshop (read lab 1 by this time) | Brian | Slides |
2/22 (Umass Monday) | Abstraction and categorization | Werker (2018) | Shota | Slides |
2/27 | Symbol vs. Examples | Jackendoff (2003): Chapter 6 Pinker & Ullman (2002) | Shota | Slides |
3/1 | Symbol vs. Examples Lab 1 due! | Seidenberg & Plaut (2014); Smolensky video | Brian | Slides |
3/6 | Symbol vs. Examples Lab 2 introduction, hands-on set-up of models. | Baroni & Linzen (2021) Linzen et al., (2016) | Brian | |
3/8 | HSP! | |||
3/20 | HSP follow up | |||
3/22 | Modularity vs. interactivity | Marslen-Wilson (1987) – Optional but strongly recommended Dahan (2010) | Brian | Lab #2 |
3/27 | Modularity vs. interactivity | Van Gompel & Pickering (2007) Clifton & Staub (2008) | Shota | Lab #2 stimulus due |
3/29 | Modularity vs. interactivity | Sedivy et al. (1999) Optional: Tanenhaus et al. (1995) | Brian | |
4/3 | Prediction | Staub (2015) Kuperberg and Jaeger (2016) | Shota | Slides lab#2 write-up due |
4/5 | Prediction Lab 2 due | Hale (2001) Federmeier and Kutas (1999) | Brian | Handout |
4/10 | Grammar in real-time Long-distance dependencies | Staub et al (2018) Optional: Wagers & Phillips (2009) | Brian | |
4/12 | Grammar in real-time Lab 3 introduction | Momma (2022) | Shota | Slides |
4/19 | Acquisition | Lasnik and Lidz (2016) | Shota | Slides |
4/24 | Acquisition | Pearl & Mis (2016) | Brian | |
4/26 | Core cognition: Concepts at the interface | Kinzler & Spelke (2007) Gennari & MacDonald (2009) Optional; Gao et al (2009) Optional: Carey (2011) | Shota | Slides |
5/1 | Core cognition: Concepts at the interface: | Knowlton et al. (2021) Optional: Feigenson et al (2004) | Brian | |
5/3 | Memory and processing | Lewis et al. (2006) | ||
5/8 | Memory and processing | Futrell et al. (2020) | ||
5/10 | Meta science | Vasishth et al. (2018) | ||
5/15 | Data presentation day | Slides | ||
5/17 | Final presentation |