(1) How does memory retrieval break down during speaking?

We look at speech errors, both everyday slips and the errors made by individuals with aphasia, and simulate error patterns using connectionist models.

(2) How is language production adapted by implicit learning?

Whenever we speak, we learn. This is true for children, but continues throughout life. We investigate and model implicit learning in the lexical system, the syntactic system, and the phonological system.
a. Learning of new phonotactic patterns in the laboratory
b. Structural priming as implicit learning
c. Learning the associations between lexical items and the structures that they participate in
d. Repetition priming and cumulative semantic interference within the lexical system

(3) How do we remember words and phrases?

By examining the effects of lexical and phrasal frequency (e.g. “woman” is a common word; “alcoholic beverage” is a common phrase) on recall and recognition, we can develop a theory of how the language processing system interacts with the episodic memory system.

Videos

Applying Neural Network Computer Models to Aphasia Research: Behind the Science with Gary Dell
60-Second Science: Gary Dell on Psycholinguistics and Language Modeling