A Neurolinguistic Case for Underspecification

The primary objective of theoretical linguistics is to provide an explanatory model of the human language system.  We make frequent reference to the reality of these systems, yet the cognitive validity of any theoretical construct is rarely addressed.  This state of affairs is beginning to change, as advances in cognitive neuroscience allow us to investigate neurolinguistic mechanisms more directly.  In spite of this, neurolinguists often overlook or even consciously disregard the importance of phonological structure.   In this talk, I make the argument that both fields stand to benefit from the incorporation of neurolinguistic methods into phonology.

 

I present a case study which illustrates how neurolinguistic methods can be used to address theoretical issues in phonology.  Using electroencephalography (EEG), a measure of the brain's electrical activity, this study finds intriguing processing differences associated with two English prefixes: 'un-' and 'in-'.  These results align with the theoretical notion of underspecification, the omission of predictable information in the stored form of words, demonstrating that the brain's electrophysiological response may indeed be mediated by different phonological structures.