Abstract
Presents data concerning the processing of closed-class words and investigates some of the claims concerning modularity in the light of these data. An examination of how open- and closed-class words are stored and processed differently is presented. Evidence is presented that the speech signal itself contains information which could enable an a-syntactic lexical access model to discriminate closed- from open-class words. The possibility that lexical access may sometimes be non-modular with respect to syntactic information is discussed. It is proposed that closed-class words constitute a principles exception to the general encapsulation of lexical access from syntactic information. A revised account of modularity in human speech processing is offered based on evidence for the non-modular access of closed-class words. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved)
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Title of host publication | Cognitive models of speech processing: The Second Sperlonga Meeting |
| Editors | Gerry Altmann, Richard Shillcock |
| Publisher | Lawrence Erlbaum Associates |
| Pages | 163-185 |
| Number of pages | 22 |
| ISBN (Print) | 978-0863773020 |
| Publication status | Published - Dec 1993 |