Perspectives In Experimental Linguistics: Papers From The University Of Alberta Conference On Experimental Linguistics, Edmonton 13-14 Oct. 1978

PERSPECTIVES IN EXPERIMENTAL LINGUISTICS AMSTERDAM STUDIES IN THE THEORY AND HISTORY OF LINGUISTIC SCIENCE E. F. KONRAD KOERNER, General Editor Series IV - CURRENT ISSUES IN LINGUISTIC THEORY Advisory Editorial Board Henning Andersen (Copenhagen); Raimo Anttila (Los Angeles) Tomaz V. Gamkrelidze (Tiflis); Klaus J. Kohler (Kiel) J. Peter Maher (Chicago); Ernst Pulgram (Ann Arbor, Mich.) E. Wyn Roberts (Vancouver, B.C.); Danny Steinberg (Honolulu) Volume 10 Gary D. Prideaux, Ed. Perspectives in Experimental Linguistics PERSPECTIVES IN EXPERIMENTAL LINGUISTICS PAPERS FROM THE UNIVERSITY OF ALBERTA CONFERENCE ON EXPERIMENTAL LINGUISTICS (Edmonton, 13-14 October 1978) EDITED BY GARY D. PRIDEAUX University of Alberta AMSTERDAM / JOHN BENJAMINS B.V. 1979 © Copyright 1979 - John Benjamins B.V. ISSN 0304 0763 / ISBN 90 272 3503 1 No part of this book may be reproduced in any form, by print, photoprint, microfilm or any other means, without written permission from the publisher. CONTENTS Preface VII P h i l i p Lieberman Phonetics and Physiology: Some c u r r e n t i s s u e s 1 William C. Watt Iconic Perspectives on Linguistic Explanation 35 Marc C. Marschark The Syntax and Semantics of Comprehension 52 Terrance M. Nearey, John T. Hogan, and Anton J. Rozsypal Speech Signals, Cues, and Features 73 Joseph F. Kess and Ronald A. Hoppe Directions in Ambiguity Theory and Research 97 Bruce L. Derwing Psycholinguistic Evidence and Linguistic Theory Epilogue 113 139 William J . Baker On Draining the Conceptual Swamp: An epilogue Master L i s t of References 141 151 Index of Authors 171 Index of Subjects 175 V PREFACE GARY D. PRIDEAUX University of Alberta For many years, experimentally oriented language study occupied a peripheral niche in departments of linguistics and psychology. Over the past few years, however, interest and research in experimental linguistics has shifted more toward centre stage, perhaps because of the gr.owing recog­ nition that purely theoretical formulations and specula­ tions about language must necessarily be tested against the empirical facts of language knowledge, use, and acquisi­ tion. The increasing awareness of the crucial role of empirical studies has produced enormous gains as the disci­ pline of linguistics struggles toward scientific maturity. In particular, considerable attention has been directed to­ ward foundational issues, with the result that many of the familiar and once unquestioned claims and assumptions asso­ ciated with the study of language have been called into question, notions such as what a language is, the competence-performance distinction, the infamous deriva­ tional theory of complexity, and the assumption of the pri­ macy of syntax. The growing interest in experimental issues has forced linguists to borrow experimental methodologies from their psychologist and engineer neighbours, as well as to develop new means of their own for the study of language phenomena. Imaginative and innovative techniques have been required in order to tap, albeit indirectly, native speaker judgements about acceptability, paraphrase, ambiguity, semantic simi­ larity, perceptual distinctions, and many other aspects of VII PERSPECTIVES IN EXPERIMENTAL LINGUISTICS language use. Along with the adoption and invention of novel methodologies for the collection of data has come an increasing awareness of the extreme complexity and variety in the kinds of factors which influence language behaviour, ranging from 'purely linguistic' phenomena