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Access and integration: Projecting sound onto meaning.
Authors:
Marslen-Wilson, W.D.
Reference:
In W.D. Marslen-Wilson (Ed.), Lexical Representation and Process (pp.3-24). Cambridge, MA: MIT Press.
Year of publication:
1989
CBU number:
2257
Abstract:
The mental lexicon plays a central role in spoken language comprehension, mediating between the acoustic-phonetic analysis of the speech input and the syntactic and semantic interpretation of the message being communicated. This chapter reviews recent research into lexical processing, conducted within the framework of the cohort model. Evidence for the speed of processing in (and out of context) is adduced as support for functional parallelism in lexical access. Subsequent research provides evidence for the contingency of perceptual choice, and for the continuity and the directionality of information uptake from the speech signal. The paper concludes by discussing the role of top-down context, arguing for a fully autonomous process of form-based access and selection.
